denaffen

Thanks. I’m loving the color too. It’s exactly what I was going for.

I am gonna decal it. I’m using the 70s block letters, white with a black outline. Velocals even made the correct steel sticker for me since it wasn’t in their inventory.

RobertUI 

I've got a velocals decal coming for my fixie, it looks like they make really great stuff! I'm loving this build!!!

denaffen

Meanwhile the 520 got a little more attention last night. I cleaned up the rear wheel, removed that tragic frisbee, cleaned and lubed the chain, replaced the grotty brake lines and finally got rid of that tragic foam grip.

denaffen

The 520 is still getting more riding than attention. As mentioned elsewhere I’m still trying to decide if the geometry works for me. It’s the largest small frame ever.

But the LeTour started moving again today, when my Velocals order finally arrived. They’re perfect. It’s part retro LeTour, part Gulf GT40 homage, and just what I was after.

denaffen

Now I have to decide if I keep the original Schwinn-branded Weinmann 27-inchers or throw on some 700Cs I have laying around with some fat tires. These are 38s with plenty of room.

philpeugeot 

Personally, I would use the Schwinn wheelset until it wears out, then replace it with the 700c wheelset. I'm of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, but if you prefer the cushy ride of 700cx38s by all means go ahead.

ShannonM

Dude... that Schwinn... that blue... the lettering.... the orange housing... like a Porsche 917... it's perfect. (OK, it won't get you 230 mph down the Mulsanne, but whatever.)

Go 700c. Because 27" tires mostly suck, and even the ones that don't suck aren't awesome, and that bike needs some great shoes. If I'm spending your money, I'm putting on the widest Rene Herses that'll fit.

I. Love. This. Bicycle.

--Shannon

denaffen

Well, I decided to stick with 27" and the original Schwinn-branded rims, and ordered some more Panaracer Paselas. That'll give a nice head-to-head comparison with the Trek, which is also running on 27" Paselas. While I'm waiting on those to get here it keeps inching forward. I taped the bars last night. Not sure about my two-tone twine job (on the left). I may redo that. And I need to track down a barrel adjuster for the Dia Compe 600 brakes. There's got to be one around here somewhere.

The 520 continues to get ridden frequently with virtually no attention given to it. I'm still not 100% sold on the geometry, but it's getting there. It's comfortable enough that I did 25 miles on it Sunday, and could have done more if I'd had more time. For me, that's a lot.

denaffen

Almost done. Just need to fit the rear brakes. Tomorrow.

ShannonM

The two-tone black & blue twine is the business.

--Shannon

denaffen

I need to fine-tune a few things, like the handlebar position and a weird ping coming from the front wheel, but the Le Tour is done. Once it's fully dialed in I'll give it a good comparison to the 520. Just from a short ride, it's interesting. Not surprising, but interesting.

denaffen

I still haven't given the Le Tour a good long ride, but from the short shakedown jaunts, one thing is clear: the 4 years between it and the Trek was a lifetime in terms of "modern" componentry. In fact, the LeTour *feels* older than the '81 Peugeot I had earlier this year. I put that down mostly to the non-indexed friction shifters, but it's got a really vintage vibe, where the 520 feels much, much newer. It's hard to believe they were only separated by 4 years.

That's not to say the LeTour feels sluggish or lethargic. It doesn't. In fact, it feels a bit more sprightly and sporty than the 520, at least based on a short ride. Given that the wheelbase is pretty much the same, I think that may be in part to the considerably longer stem on the Le Tour.