Classic & Vintage - 30+ year old bikes

I was just reading the Super Le Tour thread and the Continental (are they tanks) thread and it got me to wondering...how many of us reglarly ride a 30 + year old bike?

I ride the Traveler at least 2-3 times per week for upwards of 50 miles per ride.

I also wonder how many of the newer, much lighter bikes will be around and still riding in 30 years...so let's see...to qualify you need to be riding a bike that was built (or bought?) in the year 1976 or earlier...I'll bet there are a lot of Schwinns, but I wonder what else has stood the test of time?

KDB

Schwin Approved (Panasonic) Traveler bought in 1975

Nice, another chance for me to mention my 1959 Raleigh Lenton. It has been, from time to time, my main rider. Currently off the road for the addition of Bluemels fenders and other minor details.

1973 Fuji "The Finest". It's my "A" ride - 2-3 club rides per week.

Peugot PX10, but I don't ride it very much. It was my old racing bike bike in 82, and it was a 10 year old bike then.

1972 chrome Schwinn P15-9 Paramount, and it has become my main ride.

1973 Sam Cotten track bike. Bought it new, recently brought it out of retirement and back onto the track.

Either my '76 Motobecane Grand Touring or my '68 Raleigh Grand Prix.

My pushing 30, '79 Schwinn Traveler took me 31 miles through NH's mountains yesterday. A beautiful ride!

My '83 le tour luxe doesn't quite qualify for the 30-year club (yet), but I have wondered about the prospect of "classic and vintage" bikes once the huge numbers of aluminum framed bikes that have been produced in the last dozen years or so are considered "classic and vintage." Aluminum just doesn't lend itself to the timelessness that a well cared for steel bike does, particularly because of the properties of the material. And they're still making more aluminum frames than anything else, with no end in sight. Carbon fiber? I have no idea, although theoretically it should hold up well, but since the whole idea is saving weight, I have a feeling these super-lightweight carbon bikes won't be "timeless" either. One more reason to keep these old steel bikes on the road..............

72 Schwinn Paramount, 74 Raleigh International, 75 Raleigh Professional. All are ridden as my main rides.

1964-ish Raleigh Gran Sport. Basically stock with a rattle can paintjob (no decals), upgraded wheels, brakes, mudguards and a rear carrier. Daily rider in rotation with my other two (84-ish Rossin, 03 Fuji). Since late April, when I finally got around to installing a cyclometer, I've documented 305 miles, previous four months are proportional.

Not a long legged tourer, but definitely nice for a 75 mile day.

Now looking for a 70's World Voyageur (one of two very beloved bikes from my past).

Syke
Deranged Few M/C

1967 Vello Kombi Spesial
1972 Peugeot PX10
1973 Peugeot PX10
1973 Peugeot UO8
1976 Gitane TDF

These bikes, along with a 1991 Bridgestone RB2 (baby of the batch) are my current stable of regular riders. I've others (and older) but at least one of these bikes is ridden daily.

My main commuter is a late sixties Peugeot UO8.

The bike I ride most often is a ladies framed '73 Raleigh Sports with Wald's largest "Newsboy" backets on the back. The perfect errand bike. Jane has a similarly equipped '73 Schwinn Breeze. For longer rides I have a '73 man's frame Sports, fitted with modern alloy components and an S5 hub.


Aluminum just doesn't lend itself to the timelessness that a well cared for steel bike does, particularly because of the properties of the material. I know a couple of very high milage guys who often tour together. They can tell which people really understand bikes. Those are the ones more impressed that Tom has 60,000 loaded touring miles on his Crack-n-fail (Cannondale) than that Dave has 120,000 on his '74 Holdsworth.

My short distance commuter is a 1950's H.O.C. made in Israel bicycle very similar to a Raleigh Sports.

My short distance commuter is a 1950's H.O.C. made in Israel bicycle very similar to a Raleigh Sports.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures, if that's possible. I've never seen one before.

early 70's Panasonic Sport Deluxe. Actually if anyone could help me with the serial I'd be interested to know the exact year. I found some other panasonic posts on here that were really cool. I can't remember who posted it, but I saw a 74 brochure that had my bike in it.

Two early 70s LeJeunes and a 75 PX-10. I figure the 75 Raysport does not count as the frame was NOS when I got it earlier this year.

This week and last week I'm tooling around on a 1953 Schwinn Starlet I found in my parents' garage. It's rusty, has a stuck seatpost, and at some point was poorly rattlecanned silver, but it is so cool nonetheless. Tubular tires, how neat is that!

I've got a '72 Schwinn Super Sport that was my only bike up until a few weeks ago.

It's campus green, and has an Arvada, CO bicycle registration sticker attached for 1973.

Picked it up at a thrift store a couple years ago for $20.

My rainy day bike is a 1967 Schwinn Racer. Use varies, depending on weather, but it’s not unusual for it to be ridden a couple of times a week on rides of between 15 and 20 miles. When it’s not raining, I often ride a 1947ish Schwinn Continental with similar frequency over similar distances. I still have a Paris Sport that I bought new in 1972. I rode it quite a bit last summer but it really needs an overhaul so it hasn’t seen much use this year. For longer, hillier rides, I lean toward a modern lightweight (2005 Cannondale).

My suspicion is that those, who’s first bike was today’s modern lightweight, will eventually come to view them as I view the Schwinn Racer (first bike was a 1965) or the Paris Sport, not the latest thing, but something that I like to ride due to familiarity. After putting some mileage on any of the older bikes, there’s nothing like launching up a steep hill on the Cannondale.

Regards
Alan

I ride whatever "Catch Of The Day" I happened to have rehabilitated most recently. Right now it is a 80-something Univega Maximo Uno, but that'll change soon enough.....

Peugot UE8 for rain day commutes and that bike getrs the kid buggy to get the little cutey home from day care.

can you send some photos and a bit of history ?

1972 Schwinn Super Sport and 1975 Schwinn Varsity. Neither one is close to stock.

I also have 3 proud members of the 20+ club.

A little premature to qualify (only 24 years old), 20 miles daily on a Schwinn Super Sport S/P 1982.

Its like those guys who say 'I've been married 20 years, and I love my wife more than ever'. That's how I feel about this bike.

Its new rear wheel is being built on a Sun CR-18 rim (takes my current 28mm tires, fits up to a 35 mm tire) with swap meet Shimano 105 cassette hub--the better to bear this clydesdale's 6'3" 235 lbs, a 14 / 32 7 speed cassette and a 50 tooth outer chainring to morph into a true whole step/half step setup 50/46/34 (from its stock 52/46/34).

The stock rear wheel, freewheel, Superbe DT shifters, Aero water bottle, KKT Pro Ace pedals and bar/stem (the stem is a thing of beauty!) and soon the Sugino 52t front chainring are in zip-loc bags stored on ice for the next owner, hopefully a long ways down the road. These vintage lightweights are like houses in a way, they seem to last and last and there will always be another owner.

Raleigh Competition circa 1969. I've got 2 years on it. It was originally my brother's college bike and I've been it's owner since I was in college. Still running on its original de-railers and cranks, hubs and brakes have changed out several times. God only knows how many miles it has on it. Currently I'm about to give it to a LBS mechanic friend of mine who is going to convert it to a single speed. It was a daily driver until abut a year ago when I bought a new frame.
--A

See below.

posted earlier I was cleaning up a 75 continental. Got it mostly done , new cables a "new"old handle bar stem I had laying around because the old one was striped and a new derailer because the original would cost money to fix and I had the suntour 3040 acushift on hand. Every thing else cleaned up nice and after a test ride it is my daily rider. Waiting on the 3rd coat of wax to dry now after that tweek the cables and I'm done. Thanks to the people that helped me choose a derailer it is an improvement over the old schwinn one (hate to admit).Oh ya almost forgot the new chain just because. Also cleaned and packed all the bearings.

1967 Paramount P-15. I got it a couple years ago as a frame-fork-headset-only special. It's been reborn with mostly Rivendell parts and has become my main ride. Light it ain't, but it is comfortable and stable as heck, handles incredibly well (how can it be that stable and nimble, too?) and is a blast to ride and show off.

1964 Schwinn Super Sport & a late 70's Motobecane Grand Jubile are the only 2 I have left that qualify. I sold my restored 1971 Raleigh Super Course last year. I also have a row of 20+ y.o. bikes in the garage.

1973 (1974?) Fuji S-10-S (we think). My $6 garage sale bike, and daily rider.

Really need to get swap out the steelies for alloy wheels.

1976 AustroDaimler Ultima - my main bike, which I've owned since college in early '80's. Still rides great.
1974? Raleigh Grand Prix - seldom used, but my wife rides it some
1974 Schwinn Suburban - recent purchase/restoration and I love it

Commuting most days on Royal Scot 3-speed, bought at a yard sale in the late 70s but the Sturmey AW hub is stamped 71. Love it!

I ride a 30+ year old Raleigh Sports 3-speed and drive a 30+ year old Triumph TR6.
I also listen to Tower of Power and the Isley Brothers.
I'm not stuck in the past.

Carlton, unknown model, probably a longfellow.Mid 70s, Daily errand bike
1980 Raleigh record Ace: retro week-end tourer
1968 Carlton Cobra, stricly special occasions
Mid 80s Czech made Sirer Oria, (Columbus steel and fancy hand cut lugs) Retro racer..

almost 30 years. 1977 Paramount Track bike. ride it once a week or so.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/bobstewart/track2.jpg

Takara something or another, circa 1975. Found headed for the dumpster at the local recycle center in Springfield, Vermont about 1999. Period anti-Shimano bike. Suntour freewheel, barcons and derailers. Dia-Compe centerpull brakes and stem, Sugino Maxy crank, Sunshine high flange hubs with Araya rims. No decals about frame, so assuming straight gauge hi-tensile steel. Kuwehara headset, bottom bracket and forged dropouts. Sanded to bare steel and painted Rustoleum Yellow. Rides very nicely. Currently wearing Shimano 600 "Arabesque"side-pull brakes from a later Takara wreck found at the same recycle center.

18387

I went for an excellent ride today on my '71 Raleigh Super Course. I've retrofitted it fairly completely, so the only original parts are the frame, fork, headset, and GB stem. Otherwise, it has Rigida 700c rims from that era w/ Normandy high flange hubs, Ruffy Tuffy tires (which are terrific), Stronglight crankset (running the 52t ring w/ a 20t BMX freewheel), Shimano PD M324 pedals, GB MKII brakes w/ Mathauser pads, Nitto Albatross bars, Brooks B17 saddle.

Neal

Talk's cheap, Lerner; we want pictures! :p

This is my current "bike de jour". An 80-something Univega Maxima Uno. I picked it up at a thrift a couple of weeks ago for $10 and gave it a thorough going over. Besides needing a bath, it needed shifter cables, housings, and a new RD. As you can see from the drivetrain closeup, this bike has negligible wear on the freewheel/chain - curiously enough, this seems to be the case more often than not.

Despite being a heavy-ish bike with lots of steel bits (including the wheels), it is a very, very nice riding bike. Currently I'm riding it to work, but it is a little small for me so it will get sold off at some point in the (near) future.

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/9263/univegamaximauno12qd.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/8016/univegamaximauno24br.jpg

Talk's cheap, Lerner; we want pictures! :p

You're a taskmaster, Mr. Swantak. Here's a pic previous to a few changes: different tires, different crankset, I ditched the cork grips after they came flying off the bars a few times.

Neal

http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bikes/71SuperCourse.jpg

Mimi is my steady girl . . . a '68 or '69 Peugeot U08 that I ride regularly and race with often.:)

Tyson

My pushing 30, '79 Schwinn Traveler took me 31 miles through NH's mountains yesterday. A beautiful ride!

You must be the coolest minister on the planet! :D

62 chrome Frejus. I have rode it only a handful of times since I bought it but it is my only road bike. It's currently in quite a few pieces as I've just now started all the polishing/buffing. It will see the road before fall, I swear. Damn things restoration is my latest obsession.

1970 Falcon San Remo 76. Their top of the line bike back then, and I competed on a similar bike back in the mid 70's. All Campy NR, 531 butted frame. As far as I can tell, it's all original components, and they perform flawlessly. Okay, I did treat it to a new saddle, a Brooks Team Pro.

I alternate between the Falcon and my modern classic, a 98 Trek Y-Foil, decked out with modern Campy Chorus, Cinelli RAM bars, and occasionally a set of Zipp 404's I picked up on ebay for a (relative) pittance.

The Falcon doesn't have the Trek's blazing speed on the downhills, but on the flats, it is pretty much comparable. It also has a silky smooth ride, remarkably tight handling, yet isn't the least bit flexy when climbing. A real thoroughbred, even after 36 years, and one looks ever so stylish on this beauty. Oh, and one other thing - modern bikes don't hold a candle to the Falcon's remarkable fit and finish. Chromed fork and rear stays, chromed lugs, and the lugs are blended into the frame ever so smoothly. Paint is still mirror smooth after all those years. We may have learned a lot about materials and wheel design in the intervening years, but we've sure forgotten how to put a bike together.

1972 Raleigh Super Course, which was purchased new

I ditched the cork grips after they came flying off the bars a few times.

Neal

You're supposed to glue them on.

I'm building a very similar mixte version of that Super Corsa for my wife. It will be single speed with Nitto North Road bars and cork grips with a TA professional 3 arm crank. I'll probably use MAFAC centepulls and a sprung Brooks.

I also have a '74 PX10 and a '73ish Gitane Tour de France.

You guys know what I ride (see signature if you don't) and where I stand on this debate. :) Why ride a modern mass-produced bike that anyone can buy at the local bike shop when you can ride a work of art and a piece of cycling history? My Capos are to modern TIG-welded frames what Swarovsky (another Austrian company) crystal is to window glass.

I have a lot of bikes that I ride for different occasions and
a mid 70's Motobecane is in that rotation. All the original stuff
works flawlessly and it fits me the best out of all of them.
My Son got me an excellent condition mid-70's Peugeot PX-10(???)
that is waiting to be picked up in PA. I cant wait to add this one
into the rotation too !!!
I think the pinicle of cycling was the late 70's !