The local Salvation Army store has a good looking orange Sportabout . The price is $25.50. It looks very good except for a handlebar tape issue.The tape and plug is there, just loose.It has 27" tires. I usually pass on Schwinn bikes because of the tire sizes. My question is ... Did Schwinn manage to mess up 27" tires and rims like they did 26"s. I looked at the rims and tires and didn't see any S numbers on the rims and the tires appear to be normal innertube type , ( not the tubular, glue on junk).One other thing , now that I think of it, I didn't throw a leg over it for a test fit. The bike might be too tall for me.I will pass on it for sure if it is. I already have a Trek 830 mountain bike that is too tall for me that I need to trade for something I can ride.My favorite ten speed has 27" tires and I have the saddle adjusted all the way down. If it was 1" taller I wouldn't be riding it.Thanks 8)
Schwinn Sportabout
- Thread starter thom
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I was able to go back and check out the bike better today.The serial number starts with JN, which I think would translate to September, 1977. I stood across it for a test fit. It would fit me with a few adjustments. However it has a little rust on both rims that I didn't see the first time I looked at it.Also the tires appear new , but are not the same brand. The front is a black wall while the rear is a gum wall.Neither is fitting the rim like it should.The brakes seem to work, as best I could tell without test riding it. Same for the shifting mechanisms.Both moved easily when I moved the levers.I left without buying it though . I might go back after Christmas. I really don't think $25.50 is a fantastic deal. I'm thinking about asking the manager if I may let the air out of the tires and try to fit the tires to the rims and reinflate the tires. If I knew the tires were right for the rims, although mismatched , I would probably buy it. I'm really more "into" bikes with fenders, so I might just pass.It has got me started thinking about trying a bike with dropped handlebars again for the first time in several years, though. Decisions, decisions.
My decision is made. Someone else bought the bike. That's fine. Now I'll spend the money to buy two or three bikes like I've been finding. I am going to start looking a little closer at ten-speed bikes with dropped bars though. 
In any case, the 27" tires are 27" tires for all brands.
Schwinn did call those S-6 rims, but there was no difference with the 27" lightweight size everyone else was using. The lightweight and middleweight 26" Schwinns, are now the odd sizes of the bicycle world.
Sportabouts were plain jane 10 speeds of the "Bike Boom" era. They were probably the cheapest bike made in USA. Nothing special but standard Schwinn parts and build quality. They're all Sunset Orange, and they were 1977 bikes only.
They also offered a Runabout that year, same type of bike but with tourist bars instead of drop bars... and the dealers would swap them back and forth to make a sale, so its possible to find "original" bikes that are built either way.
A Varsity is a better bike if you can find one, and a LeTour of the era is a bit lighter. None compare in weight to bikes of today, but they were good solid bikes for cheap back then.
If you're looking for a rider, a Suburban is a more comfortable bike, and if you're looking for a racer, well, just about anything is lighter. But it is an original USA-made Schwinn and if you find one that suits your needs, get it!
--Rob
Schwinn did call those S-6 rims, but there was no difference with the 27" lightweight size everyone else was using. The lightweight and middleweight 26" Schwinns, are now the odd sizes of the bicycle world.
Sportabouts were plain jane 10 speeds of the "Bike Boom" era. They were probably the cheapest bike made in USA. Nothing special but standard Schwinn parts and build quality. They're all Sunset Orange, and they were 1977 bikes only.
They also offered a Runabout that year, same type of bike but with tourist bars instead of drop bars... and the dealers would swap them back and forth to make a sale, so its possible to find "original" bikes that are built either way.
A Varsity is a better bike if you can find one, and a LeTour of the era is a bit lighter. None compare in weight to bikes of today, but they were good solid bikes for cheap back then.
If you're looking for a rider, a Suburban is a more comfortable bike, and if you're looking for a racer, well, just about anything is lighter. But it is an original USA-made Schwinn and if you find one that suits your needs, get it!
--Rob
thom said:My decision is made. Someone else bought the bike. That's fine. Now I'll spend the money to buy two or three bikes like I've been finding. I am going to start looking a little closer at ten-speed bikes with dropped bars though.
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NLCTVWguy said:
I disagree. The Varsity was made for many more years than the comparatively rare Sportabout model, but it was not a better bike. Even though the Sportabout was cheaper than the Varsity, it has superior derailleurs (Japanese SunTour, the best design in the world at that time) and a better front fork (a tubular one like the Continental and Suburban models had).
I've ridden a 1977 Sportabout since the early 1980s and love it. I play guitar WHILE I ride, many tens of thousands of miles writing hundreds of songs. Details of my "Minstrel Cycle" are on my official web site at http://www.TheBicyclingGuitarist.net/schwinn/.
The Bicycling Guitarist
