Here's my mid-1980s Schwinn Super Sport. I bought this bike second-hand in San Francisco in 1996. Liked the better-than-average components and clean lugwork, but bottom line, needed a bike. Rode it hard for a decade and grew to love it. In the end, though, I got just what I deserved for having treated it so roughly -- a cracked bottom-bracket shell. "It's dumpster food," one guy said of the frame, but I refused to give the bike up. Eventually found someone who was willing to do the work, and the end result was, at least to me, beautiful. Spent three months finding parts and building it up, and here it is. Am particularly fond of the Honjo aluminum fenders -- they're just the right touch -- and having saved the original California bike licenses.

The specifics:

Frame: Schwinn Super Sport mid-'80s. Japanese-made, perhaps Panasonic. The respray is in the original two-tone paint scheme.
Handlebars and stem: SR Sakae "custom."
Fork and headset: Tange fork, Tange Royal headset (original).
Wheels: Dura-Ace FH-7403 eight-speed hubset, unknown ceramic rims, Honjo fenders.
Crankset and bottom bracket: Sugino Aero Mighty (original), Shimano sealed bottom bracket.
Saddle and seat post: Serfas Cosmos seat, Dura-Ace post.
Pedals: Sugino Aero Mighty pedals, MKS toe clips.
Derailleurs, gearing: Suntour Cyclone II front (original) and rear derailleurs, Suntour downtube shifters, Dura-Ace cluster.

For now this bike is resting comfortably inside my apartment -- it's winter and it deserves to be treated well for once! When the sun comes out this spring, however, we'll go for a ride together. Very much looking forward to it.

Leighton

leightonwalter@yahoo.com