Lorie's 1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle After

Today I start work on Lori's 1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour, been on a crazy Le Tour stretch here.  The Super Le Tour is in rough shape to start but you can tell Lori took care of here bike.  It is in rough shape mainly from being store for a long time.  There is some corrosion on the lower side of the bike which comes from storage.

The Super Le Tour will get a total restoration, new tires and tubes, all new cables, cable housings and bearings, new brake pads and new handlebar tape.

I am looking forward to the results, I think the Super Le Tour will really pop with the metal and red and it should ride great as well.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bike Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Paint Before
I like the Helvetica type face of this decal, I am a graphic
design nerd.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Shift levers - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Stem - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Brake - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Brake - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Pedal - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Derailleur

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel Hub
Before - See the Preserved Lady Bug?

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Derailleur - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel Hub - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Brake Lever - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Crank - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Wheel Rim - Before

I started by breaking the Le Tour down to the frame.  The frame paint is rough and dull but has very few chips and scrapes, the rough texture is from storing the bike.  After polishing, and a lot of polishing it was, the frame looks fantastic and I have a very good paint color match to fill the chips.  The decals are a little rough but for some reason the way they cracked actually looks good, like it was the style...

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Before
Bottom Bracket Area

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Before - Drop Outs

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Frame Before - Fork

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Frame Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Frame Polished
Bottom Braket Area

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Fork Polished

The bottom bracket and headset where very sticky, tight and dry.  the bearings where almost completely dry of grease.  The components polished nice, there was a little but of pitting on the bottom bracket components from being stored closer to the ground.   New bearings and grease was packed and now both the headset and bottom bracket spin smooth.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Headset & Bottom Bracket
Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Headset 7 Bottom Bracket
Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Headset Bearings - Greased

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Headset
Cups Pressed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Headset Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bottom Bracket Bearings
Packed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bottom Bracket Complete

Next i did the brake calipers.  I have worked on a lot of Die-Compe GX brake calipers and a lot lately so I restored both at the same time.  The calipers polished beautifully and being restored function perfect.  With the new brake pads they should stop very well also.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Calipers - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Brake Caliper - Exploded

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Calipers - Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Calipers
Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Front Brake Caliper - Installed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Rear Brake Caliper - Installed

The stem, handlebars and brake levers are in good shape to start just rough and tarnished from storage.  I cleaned each and polished out the alloy.  The brake levers need a lot of lubrication but not work great and look great, the brake elver hoods where a little dry but treat nice and look good now.  I am happy with the results, a perfectly polished stem and handlebars always make the look of a bike.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Handlebars - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Handlebars - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Stem - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Stem - Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Stem & Handlebars - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Stem & Handlebars - Compelte

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Levers - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Levers - After

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Brake Levers - Installed

Next came the crank, the Sugino's from this era are my favorite cranks.  This is a BT model, it does have a texture to the alloy but it polished very nice and looks great installed.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Crank - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Crank - Exploded

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Crank Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Crank - Compelte

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Crank - Installed

Next is the derailleurs, there was some rust in the thin plating on the backs of the derailleurs.  The rear derailleur had a lot more rust on the back side, it did not totally come back to life on the back side, but after cleaning, flushing, lubricating and polishing the best they could be they turned out okay.  They do function really well and that is the important thing.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Derailleur - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Derailleur
Exploded

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Derailleur - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Derailleur - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Derailleurs - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Front Derailleur - Installed

  Last for today is the shift elvers and seat post.  The shift levers are nice, they have a cam action that as you shift the rear derailleur the front derailleur shift lever micro adjusts.  Both the shift levers and seat post polished fantastically, I am pleased with both.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Shift Levers - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Shift Levers - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Seat Post - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Seat Post - Complete

I got a good start after just a few hours today.  Tomorrow the wheels and running cables, I am hoping to get close to completion tomorrow.  Photo below of today.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bike After Today

This morning I started with the wheels, the wheels are in okay starting shape, the grease was dry and not much of it and the bearing cones where pretty tight.  I cleaned and polished the wheel hubs and rims, cleaned the wheel hub components and replaced the old bearings and grease.  The wheels look fantastic now and spin extremely smooth.  Lori chose red wall tires which I think will look really good with the red frame.  i had to order them in the correct size, I had 700's on hand, I thought they where 27".  A box came today with just one tire in it, one was shipped from Chicago and one from Maryland, makes no seance, but they guarantee delivery by noon tomorrow.  I installed the one tire that came today.  I really like when a customer gets involved with choosing new parts that help make the look of the bicycle.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel Hub - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel - Old Grease

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel
New Bearings and Grease

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel Hub - Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Free Wheel - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Rear Wheel - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - One New Tire

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel Hub - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel - Before
Old Grease

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel Hub - Polished

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Front Wheel
New Bearings and Grease

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Wheel Rim - Before

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Wheels - Installed

With the wheels installed I ran cables and cable housings.  The new black housings really shine against the red.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - New Cables

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Cables Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Cables Complete

The Schwinn Super Le Tour is 90% done, the pedals and chain will go on tonight, with guarantee delivery the front tire and handlebar tape will be complete tomorrow.   A new women's Aveiner seat was order and should be here Friday morning, I had six white saddles on hand but no black, seems I use white more.

Check back soon!

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bike Now

he front tire came early this afternoon and the saddle came this morning.  The bike looks great with the two red wall tires and the saddle fits the bike nice.  Just waiting on the handlebar tape, its not here yet as of the update.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Tire Installed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
The look of the Front Tire Installed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Saddle Installed

I flushed the pedals and soaked them in oil for a day and then re greased them.  After polishing and lubricating the pedals look great and spin smooth.  I am not sure on the toe clips, they are very rusty and the rubber straps are pretty brittle, I am not sure yet if they will be safe or break.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Pedals Installed

Only thing left to do is the handlebar tape, now its just wait.  I am extremely happy with the results of the Super Le Tour.  Check back soon.

I found out the handlebar tape is on its way and should be here Monday, I guess where the handlebar tape is coming from was totally shut down for winter storm Leon.  I have not been paying attention to storms elsewhere since our winter has been horrible enough!

The handlebar tape was delivered late yesterday, I installed it and took final photos this morning, wish the light was better.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Handlebar Tape
Installed

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle - Complete

I like this Super Le Tour, I like the personal touch Lori gave to it, I like its mean look with the red walls and red & black handlebar tape, I like that its a small size but still has a horizontal top tube and not drop bars on a step through frame.

The Schwinn Super Le Tour really came back to life, the chrome and alloy shines like jewels, the red paint pops and best off all everything functions smooth.

I was asked the other day if I feel sadness when finished with a bicycle? (Sadness was not the word they used but it escapes me at the moment.) Sadness I do not feel, I feel immense pride in the work, pride and fulfillment that a bike that was not being used is almost brought back to new and will be ridden again and I feel all that with the Super LE Tour.

These bicycle deserve better photos with better lighting outdoors in their natural environment but again this winter has been brutal.

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle - Complete

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete - Handlebars

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Front Brake

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Front Wheel Hub

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Stem

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration
Bicycle Complete - Front Half

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
New Saddle

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Drive Train

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Rear Brake

1984 Schwinn Super Le Tour Restoration - Bicycle Complete
Rear Wheel Hub

Thanks for the interest and thanks to Lori!
John Z.