# 1987 Schwinn High Sierra



## The Golden Boy (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi. I'm Dave, the Golden Boy. I'm a n00b.

This is my bike- it's a 1987 Schwinn High Sierra in the mighty "Black Chrome" finish. I've had the bike since 1991, when I got out of the Army. I had intended to use it when I went to college. Instead, I ended up living far too far away from school to realistically ride to school. When I moved to the big city, I lived too far from work to realistically ride to work. The time I did live close enough to work to ride- my back was too messed up to be riding...

Anyway, I really haven't pulled my bike out of my parents' garage until a few years ago- and really didn't start riding it until this past summer. Since getting it out and looking more into what I got, I'm finding it's a pretty cool bike. Unique stuff like the finish, the roller cam brakes, the thumbshifters... Things I find that I really like about the bike. First, I love the finish. As I got on the intArwebs and looked more into bikes, I've really decided that I LOVE chrome bikes. The black chrome is cool- it's got this kind of brown/bronze look to it- but for whatever reason, it just photographs as black.

I used to think it was heavy, but the more I look around at other bikes and see what's going on- it's about what I think it should weigh. It rides pretty well. I'm actually planning on getting new tires for it, less knobby, more slick/road-y, since most of what I'm riding is pretty much paved paths. This winter, I plan on tearing it apart, giving it the good cleaning and everything that it's needed for the past 20 years. But I'm still going to leave the broken tent peg with 100 mile an hour tape chainstay guard on...

Anyway- here it is- I wish I could make that chrome sparkle...


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Sweet ride, and welcome:thumbsup: 

That saddle though? Makes me itch all over 

Hope it gets some dirt time now that you've rediscovered it!!!


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

I have always had a softspot for High Sierra as my first bike was an 84 model. Nice to see you still have it and ride it. A friend of mine has this model and what caught my attention from the clutter in his garage was the rollercams.

Now get some dirt on it.

P.S. Ditch the seat, you'll thank us for that hint.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

pinguwin said:


> P.S. Ditch the seat, you'll thank us for that hint.


Yes, at least one person on the Schwinn team back then rode without a saddle once...


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

cegrover said:


> Yes, at least one person on the Schwinn team back then rode without a saddle once...


ahhhahahahaha 

That reminds me of our buddy Jason. Due to a series of circumstances, he joined us ona night ride, and ended up without a seat/post, OR a light. Many would have called it a night, but Jason did the whole ride lightless and seatless. He's still legendary round these parts for it too:thumbsup:


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## The Golden Boy (Oct 7, 2009)

cegrover said:


> Yes, at least one person on the Schwinn team back then rode without a saddle once...


I think it was Cindy Whitehead from the Ross team...

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/whitehead.htm


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

The Golden Boy said:


> I think it was Cindy Whitehead from the Ross team...


That just never get's old.....:thumbsup:


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

The Golden Boy said:


> I think it was Cindy Whitehead from the Ross team...
> 
> http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/whitehead.htm


Doh! I forgot that was in a Ross year - not one of her Schwinn years.


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## nuck_chorris (Jun 6, 2008)

I have an 1984 mesa runner but its not in that nice of condition


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## The Golden Boy (Oct 7, 2009)

So who's really good with adjusting the roller cam brakes?

The front ones kind of cant to the right- so that if I use the front brake, I'll have to reach down and loosen the left one off the rim- the right one is fine or maybe farther from the rim than it should be...

There is spring tension on the arm (the spring came unseated in one of the rear arms and I fixed that) so I do know that the arm is being held by the cam- but either the cam is off center (but doesn't look like it) or the other side's spring tension is stronger (which I doubt).

Of course, this is all supposition from someone who really doesn't know much of anything other than I think that I fixed the rear brake once.


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> He's still legendary round these parts for it too:thumbsup:


I stopped to ask directions from a farmer while riding in the country. I leaned on my seat and felt this strange "give" below me and thought, "that doesn't feel right." The seatpost clamp had cracked. The guy I was talking to said, "That steel?" "Nope." He said, "Too bad, because if it was, I could fix it for you right here."

So we duct-taped the seat to the post and I rode 35 miles or so home, with knobbies. The seat was taped on not so I could sit rather to make sure no jagged edges got me. While I thought my effort was so glorious and so valiant that poets would sing my song throughout the ages, it was in the middle of nowhere and no even noticed. Legendary I am not.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

The Golden Boy said:


> So who's really good with adjusting the roller cam brakes?


There's a Suntour 'third hand' tool that helps and could probably be made easily. I picked one up NOS a while back and found it handy. The spring adjustment may vary by model of brake, but you generally loosed the bolt mounting the brake to the bike and adjust spring, hold in place and tighten bolt. There's a fair amount of back and forth before you get them just right.

The tool was mentioned in this thread, and the OP might still email you a PDF of Suntour's instructions for setting up the brake. I believe there are some shops out there still selling these tools.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=506308


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## The Golden Boy (Oct 7, 2009)

cegrover said:


> There's a Suntour 'third hand' tool that helps and could probably be made easily. I picked one up NOS a while back and found it handy. The spring adjustment may vary by model of brake, but you generally loosed the bolt mounting the brake to the bike and adjust spring, hold in place and tighten bolt. There's a fair amount of back and forth before you get them just right.
> 
> The tool was mentioned in this thread, and the OP might still email you a PDF of Suntour's instructions for setting up the brake. I believe there are some shops out there still selling these tools.
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=506308


Thanks! I'd seen/heard of the tool- that it sets the rollers 33mm apart. I haven't 'effed' with the front brake, and those seem to be around 3 cm or so. Just guessing, without actually looking or pretending to measure. The back ones are functioning well, and they're set up all kinds of wrong. The feel on the backs is awesome, even though I have it set so the cam is riding on the rollers.

Now that you mention it- you're totally right, you can totally adjust the spring tension- not just "tight" or "loose." I suppose I can loosen the nut, tighten the big nutty thing, then tighten the nut. I think. I suppose I'd have to loosen the tension on the cam, so the cam isn't pulling the arm off to the side...

Sorry, just working that out in my head there... Thanks for the answer and the idea!! I'll let you know how that goes.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

The cam should 'want' to center - if it's off to one side or the other, the problem is unequal spring tension. That's where the back and forth trial and error comes in, based on my relatively limited experience.


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## The Golden Boy (Oct 7, 2009)

The Golden Boy said:


> Now that you mention it- you're totally right, you can totally adjust the spring tension- not just "tight" or "loose." I suppose I can loosen the nut, tighten the big nutty thing, then tighten the nut. I think. I suppose I'd have to loosen the tension on the cam, so the cam isn't pulling the arm off to the side...
> 
> Sorry, just working that out in my head there... Thanks for the answer and the idea!! I'll let you know how that goes.





cegrover said:


> The cam should 'want' to center - if it's off to one side or the other, the problem is unequal spring tension. That's where the back and forth trial and error comes in, based on my relatively limited experience.


I told you I'd let you know. Today was the first day I've had the opportunity to get at it.

Yes, it is that easy.

Maybe I got really lucky and applied "just" enough torque to the big bolt, but it matches the other side- for the most part. The cam is even.

To recap- take a 5mm allen wrench, loosen the bolt- the entire cam/brake unit will shift off to the side as you release the spring tension. You then take a wrench and tighten the large tension bolt around the allen screw. Then tighten the allen screw. Done.

Is this something I should take pix of, or is this something the average bear with roller cams would be able to figure out to do?


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

pinguwin said:


> While I thought my effort was so glorious and so valiant that poets would sing my song throughout the ages, it was in the middle of nowhere and no even noticed. Legendary I am not.


I'll add you to the list, no need to feel all alone in your efforts


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