>
> 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