# 1986 Schwinn World Sport Advice



## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi,

I've been combing the craigslist ads for a couple months now searching for an old road bike to use as a commuter. I recently saw an ad for an 86 schwinn world sport. I may have a chance to go look at it tomorrow. The owner wants $75 and says it's in good condition.

I've been riding an old, department store Nishiki "hybrid" bike for a while now and this would be my first road bike. My main question is regarding the sizing of this bike. It is a 25" model. I entered my measurements into the wrench science fit calculator and my ideal size is 60cm center to top, 78.5 cm saddle height and 68.5 reach (Top tube length plus stem extension). My max standover height is about 35 inches. I can't really find much specific geometry info for this bike. Can anyone tell me if this is likely to work for me?

Additionally, if I go to look at the bike, I'll have my two year-old in tow and will have limited time to look the bike over and probably no real opportunity to ride it other than maybe up and back the street once or twice (if that). I have serviced most of the parts on my current bike and do fine if I need to replace or rebuild some stuff on the bike. What should I be most careful about when inspecting the bike to be sure I get my $75-worth? I don't know if there are any parts for this bike that are difficult or expensive to replace.

Finally, I think I might like to make some modifications at some point (perhaps right away). I'd like lower gearing than the stock gearing. I was thinking about 34/50 crankset and maybe a freewheel with a 32 or 34 tooth large cog. (The bike is a 12 speed 40/52 and 14-28). I understand I'll probably need a long cage rear derailleur for that, but I don't know if I'll need to change the front derailleur as well to handle the big jump. 

Can anyone give me any words of wisdom before I go and blow my money on a bike that just won't do what I want? Thanks!


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## AJ88V (Nov 14, 2012)

The World Sport is a pretty good lugged frame. "Better" quality. 

Look for cracks in the frame at the lugs, fractures at the dropouts.
Wheels: check that they are true, or, if out of true, that the out of true is a broad wave instead of a sharp warp.

The gearing looks good to me. You'll go stronger very quickly, although you will spend a lot of time in the smaller chain ring compared to modern compact setups. FWIW, my Cilo has 52/42 and only a 26 in back, so you've got a lot more climbing capability with the Schwinn.

Don't start investing a lot in a bike like this. Just enjoy it the way it is and start saving for a more modern bike. If you've got $100 to throw into this Schwinn, start a savings account. In the end, you may end up keeping it for days when rain is threatening or you want a bike to hack around the city and not worry so much about it being stolen or vandalized when you grab lunch.


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## clengman (Jun 14, 2013)

AJ88V said:


> Don't start investing a lot in a bike like this. Just enjoy it the way it is and start saving for a more modern bike. If you've got $100 to throw into this Schwinn, start a savings account. In the end, you may end up keeping it for days when rain is threatening or you want a bike to hack around the city and not worry so much about it being stolen or vandalized when you grab lunch.


Thanks for the advice. It may be moot. I don't know if the guy sold the bike already, or what, but he hasn't responded to my last email. Whatevs... I guess I'm back to searching.


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