[Thundrull]

So I bought this from my buddy, who found it in a vacant apartment at his job. It weighs about half as much as my Tachyon 650GT of the same era, which I've had for two years an am mostly happy with.

Besides a layer of mud, rusty chain, busted shifter and misadjusted brakes, it's in pretty good shape. I immediately noticed the difference in bike style when I rode it. It's like the center of gravity is shifted forward. I also felt it after riding about 5 miles, as a whole different set of muscles are apparently used.

So I guess this is meant to be a touring bike since it has butterfly handlebars. That's fine with me. I ride everyday but don't travel more than about three miles at a time.

There's a noise...a clicking coming from the rear wheel that I suspect is bearing related. It only does it when I'm coasting and one pedal or the other is down. If I position it to the front or rear the noise stops. The front brake also is not releasing fully, causing it to rub on the rim a bit.

Thoughts?

 

[DIRTJUNKIE]

So your buddy gave you $20 to take it?

 

[mack_turtle]

That's a great find! Could make a great commuter or touring bike. Worth tuning up. Most likely, the shifters can be brought back to life, but that's the subject of a whole other discussion. Very likely will take 35mm+ tires.

For something of that age, I'd give it an overhaul- strip it down to the bare frame (I mean the parts, not the paint), replace cables/housing, grips, brake pads, chain, grease all bearings, torque bolts correctly, etc. I happen to love restoring old bikes like that but rarely have the time.

 

[MOJO K]

So your buddy gave you $20 to take it?

I'll give him $23 for it.....as is.

 

[mack_turtle]

Someone who wants to build a "monster cross" bike might to stoked to buy that from you for a lot more than $20. Just saying.

 

[MOJO K]

I actually love this kind of bike.... blurring the lines between a bunch of categories. The time before the industry settled on what cookie cutter hybrid/comfort bike was going to be, but they had moved off of the”Collegiate” upright formula. I have a Diamond Back Fleet Streak waiting to get overhauled and am working on a Raleigh Mountain Tour ( a 650b bike from ‘84 with amazing chrome bull moose bar/ stem) .

 

[Thundrull]

I actually love this kind of bike.... blurring the lines between a bunch of categories. The time before the industry settled on what cookie cutter hybrid/comfort bike was going to be, but they had moved off of the"Collegiate" upright formula. I have a Diamond Back Fleet Streak waiting to get overhauled and am working on a Raleigh Mountain Tour ( a 650b bike from '84 with amazing chrome bull moose bar/ stem) .

All I know is I need a hybrid for this congested urban 'hood. Even though I'm almost always on the pavement there are times I need to cut through the park, and there is debris from car wrecks and construction everywhere. My other bike has slick tires and at one point I was fixing flats every week until I bought better tires.

 

[MOJO K]

All I know is I need a hybrid for this congested urban 'hood. Even though I'm almost always on the pavement there are times I need to cut through the park, and there is debris from car wrecks and construction everywhere. My other bike has slick tires and at one point I was fixing flats every week until I bought better tires.

The Schwinn should be perfect for the task with a beneficial dose of retro cool!

Tubes with sealant are a great help for the urban commute. My preference was adding Stan's to regular tubes with removable valve cores.

 

[Crankout]

So your buddy gave you $20 to take it?

I'm right there with you but to each his own.

 

[Fleas]

I used to sell those things. It seemed only tall, hairy men ever bought them. That should be your new gravel/CX bike. It is NOT a MTB. Good find!

-F

 

[S​​usspect]

I have one of these (1991) that I rehabbed a bit. It's got a pretty sweet lugged steel frame. I had to replace the wheelset and brakes, the original "exage" stuff was toast. Put on an old set of ultegra/mavic pro wheels and some avid cantilevers and gave it to my teenage son for a commuter.

Unfortunately he cracked a rim hopping a curb last week. Darn kids.

 

[DIRTJUNKIE]

I have one of these (1991) that I rehabbed a bit. It's got a pretty sweet lugged steel frame. I had to replace the wheelset and brakes, the original "exage" stuff was toast. Put on an old set of ultegra/mavic pro wheels and some avid cantilevers and gave it to my teenage son for a commuter.

Unfortunately he cracked a rim hopping a curb last week. Darn kids.

That would make him "suspect #2".

BTW - I like that user name.

 

[S​​usspect]

That would make him "suspect #2".

BTW - I like that user name.

Ha, thanks man, "dirtjunkie" was taken so I just did the best I could....?

 

[bingemtbr]

Nice find! Regarding the clicking noise, a few ideas to consider before overhauling the rear hub:

1. Does the rear wheel have any loose reflectors (attached to the spokes) and any loose spokes?
2. If its presta valve, is the lockring collar (around the valve stem) tight?
3. If there's a plastic disc between the spokes and cassette, is the plastic disc catching on something when coasting?

Last thing I'd do before servicing the rear hub is put the bike in the stand and remove the chain. Listen to the cranks/bb. Then listen to the rear wheel.

 

[Thundrull]

Nice find! Regarding the clicking noise, a few ideas to consider before overhauling the rear hub:

1. Does the rear wheel have any loose reflectors (attached to the spokes) and any loose spokes?
2. If its presta valve, is the lockring collar (around the valve stem) tight?
3. If there's a plastic disc between the spokes and cassette, is the plastic disc catching on something when coasting?

Last thing I'd do before servicing the rear hub is put the bike in the stand and remove the chain. Listen to the cranks/bb. Then listen to the rear wheel.

Thanks for the feedback. So I checked by free-wheeling it and putting my ear up to it and it's definitely the bearing. It's just a very quiet sort of noise. I can't feel it at all so it's not going to seize up or anything right away.

I have quite a bit of experience working on cars and other machinery. In fact, last winter I tore down and re-lubed both front and rear hub bearings on my Tachyon 650. I just need to get all the parts and stuff together and get it done in one setting.

 

[OttaCee]

Own a 93 CrissCross with the crazy chainstay Suntour rear derailleur
Heres my walk-through on the bike:

These are awesome frames for taller riders- mine have 38c tires and easily can fit 40-42c tires. The wheels are tough but needed frequent checking tension. The drivetrain for being unique, it was damn smooth.

For $20, thats a deal

 

[Thundrull]

Own a 93 CrissCross with the crazy chainstay Suntour rear derailleur
Heres my walk-through on the bike:

These are awesome frames for taller riders- mine have 38c tires and easily can fit 40-42c tires. The wheels are tough but needed frequent checking tension. The drivetrain for being unique, it was damn smooth.

For $20, thats a deal

What an outstanding, informative video! Love how you and your dad bonded and learned about this bike together. That is extra-cool bonus CSB stuff.

Here's my actual bike:

It is identical in many respects to your CrissCross model. It even has the same tires. I really like this bike. As others have suggested, I could sell it for a little profit but I won't. I plan on fixing it up and riding it for many years.

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[Thundrull]

The Schwinn should be perfect for the task with a beneficial dose of retro cool!

Tubes with sealant are a great help for the urban commute. My preference was adding Stan's to regular tubes with removable valve cores.

[facepalm] I had no idea such products are on the market, need to look into getting them. The other day I ran over something that managed to curl itself around and puncture the tire from the inside of the rim. I'm totally flummoxed on how this happens.

It's like a ran over a surgical needle and it punctured the side wall of the tire.

 

[MOJO K]

That sounds like it could b a "compression flat"...hitting a pothole or curb with too little air pressure. There may be a matching hole on the other side, called a snake bite flat. Either way, it's always good to find the hole in the tube and line it up to inspect that section of tire and rim to find out if there's something there that's likely to cause another puncture ( a spoke poking through or a little glass stuck in the tire...like that).

 

[Thundrull]

I still don't know what caused the puncture even though I carefully checked the tire and rim for sharp items. I patched the initial hole, let the glue dry for a few hours and reinstalled the tube and tire on the rim. I pumped it up to about half the psi recommended and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I pumped it up to the the recommended pressure. It lost the air in about 10 minutes.

So I submerged the over inflated tube in water again and could find no air leaks. I keep a few brand new tubes on hand for quick repairs in the event I don't have a patch kit available. The new tube has been fine for four days and many miles of riding.

When the tire went flat I had just brought it out, rode perhaps 50 ft before it lost air really fast. I didn't hit any curbs or potholes.

LOL, I'm throwing that freaking tube away!