Schwinn Volare Road Bike Specs

Introduced in 1977, the Schwinn Volare road bike was described as "Super-Lite," weighing in at approximately 25 lbs. (11.3 kg) depending on frame size. It had a lug-frame (a structure of tubes and sockets called lugs) made with Reynolds 531 double-butted tubing. Reynolds 531 was a specialized steel alloy made in England, which included manganese, molybdenum and carbon.

  1. Frame

    • Reynolds 531 was a specialized steel alloy made in England.

      The Schwinn-designed diamond style Reynolds 531 frame was available in sizes 21-inch (model VL-1), 23-inch (model VL-3) or 25-inch (model VL-5)---53.3 cm through 63.5. It had double-butted top and bottom tubes, a single-butted seat mast and Reynolds 531 tapered forks and stays. Six inches of the front and rear fork tips were chrome plated. The frame finish was scarlet or pearlescent orange.

    Wheels and Tires

    • The Schwinn Super 700c tires needed 90 lbs. of inflation.

      The wheel rims were Araya Aluminum alloy 700x28c. The hubs were Dura-Ace large flange quick release. The spokes were 15-16 gauge double-butted stainless steel. The tires were high pressure Schwinn Super 700c, requiring 90 lbs. of inflation.

    Handlebars and Stem

    • The handlebar was a custom road racing style, made from aluminum alloy. The stem was forged aluminum alloy with a recessed bolt.

    Crankset and Pedals

    • The crankset was a Dura-Ace cotterless three-piece with a 42-52 teeth sprocket. The crank arms were 6 3/4 inches (170 mm). The pedals were rattrap style with reflectors, toe clips and straps.

    Derailleurs

    • The rear derailleur was a Shimano Crane. The front derailleur was a Dura-Ace. The freewheel cluster was a Dura-Ace gold 14-16-18-21-24 combination.

    Brakes

    • The brakes were Dura-Ace side pull caliper. The brake levers had rubber hood covers. There was a quick release tab on the caliper assemblies.

    Saddle and Seatpost

    • The saddle was a seamless racing style with a nylon base. The seatpost was 27.2 mm.