Looking for info. Schwinn le tour

[mtb_frk]

One of my co-workers has a schwinn le tour that he bought new years ago. He was asking me if I knew anything about the bike, which I dont. He thought he bought it back in the late 60`s to early 70`s. I googled it but couldnt find much info.
Anyone have any good links or any info on the bike?

thanks.

[Ahneida Ride]

I believe they were Cro Mo frames and Fillet Brazed.

Not the typical lead pipe used in the Varsity and Continental.

The Le Tour was called the Super Sport years ago.

Google Schwinn for tons of info on older frames.

[PacNW2Ford]

I recall the original LeTour's being Schwinn's first offshore sourced bikes. I think they were lugged. The Super Sports of the same or earlier era looked fillet brazed and were built in the USA. That was a long time ago.

[Ray]

A Le Tour was my first 10-speed as a kid back in the fairly early '70s. My dad got it for himself and then handed it down to me when he got something better. It was a step up from the Varsity / Continental but it was still a tank in the old 10-speed mold. When I got to college, I bought a Nishiki that was a BIG step up from the Le Tour and IT was a tank too. When I bought my first 'real' road bike, a low level Specialized in the mid-90s, it exposes the Nishiki as the lead-pipe special it was. And it was a big step up from the Le Tour. So, the Le Tour was an OK suicide lever, stem shifter bike, but nothing more.

-Ray

[csm]

my first real road bike was a le tour. I was in 7th grad. it was blue. don't recall if it was lugged or not. had steel rims. that would have been 1979 or 1980.

[mtb_frk]

Thanks for the info.

[thwart]

First "decent" road bike was a Super LeTour, which was one step above the standard LeTour. College graduation present in 1976 (my, how times have changed...). Lugged, double butted chrome moly. 12.2 Kg. Imported from Japan.

If memory serves the LeTour was an identical frame with lower level components. Not a piece of junk, but not quite a Sachs either. :rolleyes:

The photo is after some component upgrades. Original wheels, crank, stem and bars remained.

[Larry]

First "decent" road bike was a Super LeTour, which was one step above the standard LeTour. College graduation present in 1976 (my, how times have changed...). Lugged, double butted chrome moly. 12.2 Kg. Imported from Japan.

If memory serves the LeTour was an identical frame with lower level components. Not a piece of junk, but not quite a Sachs either. :rolleyes:

The photo is after some component upgrades. Original wheels, crank, stem and bars remained.

Yes.... I had a Super Le Tour, also. Good memories of my first loaded tour. Ashland, Ohio to Fort Ticonderoga, Vermont. Love those Finger Lakes.
Rear panniers only. I did not know much about bikes, but that one did the job.

I eventually moved on to a Schwinn Voyager SP (midnight blue.)
That was one bombproof frame, but the stock wheels were bad.
Sun Tour rear derailleur was very weak and did not work well under load.

Fun times!

[jemoryl]

The "Made in Japan" LeTours were made by Panasonic, FWIW.