Schwinn Le Tour (continued)

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So I started this bike for the build off #8 but didn't finish it, I got detracted with other stuff but I'm back to working on it. So, as the build off is long over, I'm continuing the build progress here. This is the link to the old thread...

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...e-portlander-lightweight-sub-build-off.72122/

Ok, finally an update. Just got it to the point where I can ride it. Next on order is a Charge Spoon seat, Soma Thick & Zesty bar tape both in brown to match the tires and MKS Sylvan road pedals. I also modified an old rear rack to mount in the front. That's going to get striped and polished then I'll mount a vintage wood box to that.
I took some time away from working on this but now I'm back on it so I'll be posting more picks soon. I'm excited to finally be riding it though! ;-)





 
Oh the chain guard is the Porteur Style Chaincase from Velo Orange. I just cut the "feathers" in the back half and enlarged the hole to show more of the crank. Then polished it up.
 
I like it. Opens up a ton of options for my many road bikes. I'm imagining a similar set up on a my motobecane grand record...with those amazing lugs....the purist would freak.
 
Cool build. Are you still painting it?


Yeah I'm still planing on either painting or powder coating in bianchi green.

I like it. Opens up a ton of options for my many road bikes. I'm imagining a similar set up on a my motobecane grand record...with those amazing lugs....the purist would freak.
I'm glad I'm giving you some ideas. Only thing I'd sat about the motobecane would be if it's got original paint that's in halfway decent shape think long and hard before repainting it. It's only original once;-)
 
Yeah the guy before me had it blasted and primed. If it was original it would have joined the Raleigh Supercourse I sold on Craigslist this summer for $375. I love hipsters with jobs! And they love lugged Reynolds 531.
 
Yeah the guy before me had it blasted and primed. If it was original it would have joined the Raleigh Supercourse I sold on Craigslist this summer for $375. I love hipsters with jobs! And they love lugged Reynolds 531.
Yeah nothing rides better then a 531 double butt frameset. At one time Triumph motor cycles were made with this tube set.
 
Cool I didn't know that about triumph. I like 531 too it's just that there bringing some nice cash and I don't put enough miles on anymore to justifying. This conversation has me debating putting the primed record on Craigslist now. I have all the original bits, except the wheels, the guy before me put period correct Phil Wood hubs wheelset on it....probably keep those! Wonder how bad no paint is going to hurt me price wise? Anyway, sorry to Hi-Jack this post about an awesome USA built beast with talk of a cheese eating, surrender monkey, French bike.
 
Anyway, sorry to Hi-Jack this post about an awesome USA built beast with talk of a cheese eating, surrender monkey, French bike.
No worries ;-)

Little update, I got a package in the mail today, Soma Thick & Zesty bar tape. It's quite a bit lighter brown than I was hoping for but it's better than nothing. Probably switch it out for something closer to the color of the tires when I find it but for now it works.
 
Have you ever considered cork grips? You can stain as needed. I had some on my Raleigh supercourse single speed they looked and worked nice. Had to glue them on though.
 
Have you ever considered cork grips? You can stain as needed. I had some on my Raleigh supercourse single speed they looked and worked nice. Had to glue them on though.

Yeah that might be the ticket. I'll look around at what's out there. I might just make some cork grips too I suppose. I have made a few fishing rods and there are a bunch of cork options out there for building rods that also could be cool for grips.
 
Maybe something like this?


The cork on the end of this rod is a cork/rubber composite it's really durable and I bet it would soak up road vibrations. Plus its already close to the color I want.
Definitely worth considering.
 
Get yourself some yellow Newbaum's and some amber shellac. Cheap, long-lasting, and you can wrap the "grips" as long or short as you'd like them. Most ppl with your preferences seem to finish it off with twine. I think that the yellow with enough coats of amber shellac will macth the brown Schwalbes pretty close, but if the saddle is very rich and chocolately in color, maybe look into the brown version.

Here's a pic of some amber-over-yellow Newbaum's on some dude's bike (not mine):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/_dima/7983996182/
On the riv site, they were kind enough to post up a pic with each color, both with and without the shellac.... just click thru the pics.
http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/gt1.htm

At $5/roll, it's cheap enough, and you'll likely only need one roll for your upright bars (but definitely need 2 for drop bars).... and that's $5 spent on something manufactured right here in the USA--- less than 10 miles from my home. Just an idea...
 
Yeah that looks like the right color but how comfortable is it? Doesn't seem like that stuff would do much for softening road vibrations. Maybe it would work to first wrap the bars with strips of an old inner tube then go over that with the Newbaum's.
 
So before I left for work this morning I remembered I had some brown leather die. So I cut a test strip of the bar tape and tried it out. Turned out to be really close to the color of the tires. Tires are just a little more on the red side. But it's close. So when I get home I'll die the rest of it. And I'll probably wrap the ends with twine rather than using the black tape.

 
Leather looks good with those tires.... lucky you had it handy. Personally, I have no comfort issues with the NEwbaum's, but i'm a total hardazz.... :rockout::crazy::rockout:
 
Ok here is the finished grips. They ended up being a little darker than the test strip but I'm happy enough with them to go with that until something better ketches my eye. And the string wrap is definitely better looking than the black tape. The string I used was white so I just used the same brown die on that too.

Also I got my toe clip straps today so now I just need the new pedals. I think they will get here monday.


 

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