Don't forget the Touring Paramount, P10 and P15 models. The geometry of the Sports Tourer was based on these. Granted, they had Gran Tourismo rear derailleurs until '73 or so, but the pickin's were pretty slim in touring derailleurs back then and the GT, though heavy and fragile if not treated with respect, can be setup to shift quite nicely. The cage design is actually quite good, from a shifting point of view. The P10 and P15 were affordable, handmade 531 frames with generous clearance for fenders, stable and comfortable geometries, and very high-quality components. They also could be built custom for a small extra charge.
The Raleigh Gran Sports and International are other contenders that I would toss into the ring. Some might call these "sport tourers", but it takes very little tweaking to make decent touring bikes out of them.
Given a choice of a '70s International or an '80s Trek 720 for a 2-week, self-contained tour, I'd snatch the Raleigh without hesitation. The charm more than offsets the brazeons, and the bike will ride much nicer when you've returned the touring bags to the closet.
Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:19:15 -0400
> From: Joe Bender-Zanoni <joebz@optonline.net>
> To: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>,
> Steve Maas <stevem@nonlintec.com>, Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR]Touring on vintage lightweights
>
> >
> > Very little was available as far as mass-produced, purpose built
> > tourers until the early '80s.
> >
> > High-end bespoke tourers were available to those who could afford
> > them, but most touring cyclists used modified "sport touring" bikes,
> > a.k.a. "tenspeeds."
>
> Sheldon is basically right. The Schwinn Sports Tourer was sort of
> half-baked. Poor derailleurs, fairly flimsy rims. By the time the
> derailleurs were right, the cranks were not.
>
> The first decent off the shelf tourer might be the Fuji America. 1976.
Other
> examples?
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> Great Notch, NJ