johno

Marty...

I was going to ask if you were the one I bought my Falcon from, but then I remember that it was a guy named Al (also from NJ) whose parents had bought it new in '72 for the then astounding price of $550. I got it for $350, nary a scratch on it. All Campy Record, which was manna from heaven back then. Probably still is today. God, I loved that bike. I was at the U of Miami for exactly the same reason - going to be the next Cousteau, but then found out it was a grad school, and you'd better have a 4.0+ avg or you don't get in. So much for that dream. Started out in 960 dorm, spent my second year in the old dorm on the other side of campus near the burger king and the student apartments, can't remember what it was called. Bombed out my second year, was unmotivated and having too good a time partying - easy to do at UM in the 70's. Sure had a good time, though.

I'm trying to picture the bike shop you're talking about, but as I recall, Mel's was not near the head shop (I definitely remember that), and the other bike shop I remember was a very large one, full of bike snobs. The grove was a great place back then. Do you remember the enclave of Hare Krishnas that you'd pass if you rode from the university to the grove? Had a house with a yard full of trees. You're so right - the grove was an artist's hideaway back then. I've passed through Miami since, but didn't go back to visit - some memories are best left undisturbed.

Those were magical times. Rode that bike everywhere. I'd get caught in some of those nasty rainstorms that hit Florida, and then would disappear, so I'd ride up to the dorm soaking wet, with the sun out. If you were there in early 75, and saw a guy with big bushy hair riding a bike, that was me.

Viscounts appear on ebay rarely, usually don't sell for a lot. There's a nice section on www.classicrendesvous.com regarding Lambert/Viscount bikes. We sold a few Viscounts at the bike shop back in KY where I worked for the summers of 75 and 76. I still had the Falcon at the time, so I didn't buy one (shop manager had a high end Motobecane, later got a Charles Roberts frame), but they were amazingly light.

Thanks for bringing back even more memories - interesting to run into someone who was at UM at about the same time I was. It was a great place.

--John

lotek 

Johno,

I think the shop was Mels, tiny little place. Not really sure what it was sandwiched between,
the headshop/macrobiotic restraunt was just poetic license.
Didn't go into the other shop, and truthfully I wasn't in Mels all that much.
I was also in the 960 dorms, room 520! you might have seen my handiwork,
"one cannot catch uncle gravity sleeping and walk up walls. signed
The Kozmic Kid", stuff like that? left it all over campus!
Was the other dorm Anderson hall? I really don't remember. I stayed 2 years then
transferred to Rutgers to finish my Psych degree. I remember the Krishna's place
I always dreaded getting caught and having to listen to all that b.s.
As I said, used to hang at Gene Massin's place, or Jerry Jeff Walkers.
My friend also bought a sky blue San Remo, all campy and I seriously
lusted after it (of course he road like a 58cm bike and I ride a 54).
ya know the really sad thing? when I was there you could have bought
entire apt buildings on South beach (serious Art Deco designs) for a song.
Nowadays a 1/2 bedroom apt sells for half a million bucks.
Send me a PM if you want and we can take this offline.
Marty

cabaray

Hello this is my first post on the forum. I just had to respond with all this talk about Bottecchias. About a month ago I found one at a garage sale. It had been neglected more than abused so the frame was in good shape. The old steel rims where shot through with rust, I’m guessing they sat in a puddle in a leaky garage. The paint was in fair shape and the chrome has some slight pitting. I took it apart, cleaned, greased and adjusted it. Now runs like a top. Everything is original except for the wheels, saddle and handlebars. I’ve become very fond of this bike and use it as my light commuter. Plus it was free! The fellow gave it to me under the condition that I fix it
Click here to see some pics

Tom Pedale

I agree with part of your post. Having spent close to 20 years in the cycling industry, I can agree that many of the CPSC recalls were unnecessary but based on what I saw I would have to agree with the decision to recall the Viscount fork. Apart from the fork and the pressed in bottom bracket, I would also agree with you that the Lambert/Viscount bicycle was a great value in comparison to much its much pricier Italian competition.

seely

Lets see... Lotus and Barracuda were my first memories of mountain bikes. In all their anodized glory. I still want to find a Barracuda and maybe just restore it a bit or find one in decent condition for the occasional ride.

seely

That is a VERY pretty bike!!! Great work on the cleanup/restoration. I like the handlebars too... I've been toying with builting a singlespeed commuter with those bars.

cabaray

Thanks seely I think its a pretty bike too. The handle bars where an experiment to see if I liked them or not. Most of the peddaling I do is city stuff, I spend most of my time in the hoods and I wanted access to the brakes without going into the drop position. I had an old steel handlebar which, of course I turned upside down and cut. What I found is I liked to grab the ends of the horns since you don't have as many positions as with the drop bars. Instead of using the handlebar tape buttons I found some rubber chair caps at the hardware store. (think of those caps on crutches and the feet of steel tubing chairs) Which I stuck over the cut end of the bar. They work quite well. Also on this forum someone mentioned sliding a piece of innertube on the bars before you apply the tape as an extra cushion. That works very well also.

rcnmoon

Still have my old Viscount Pro. Though it's been rebuilt & repainted.
BB: Italian threaded
Fork: replaced w/ the chrome Tange

I think the only remaining parts are the seat binder bolt and stem

RaginCajun

Wow....what a neat thread!!! Talk about having some great flashbacks!!!!

Grendel....that was my steed back in that timeframe too, but mine was a purple one. It looks just like what I had, but I have no memory of the brand. What is that one?


Kommisar89....talk about really bringing back memories!! I grew up in Metairie during that same time frame. I was racking my brain lately trying to remember what brand my "ten speed" was that I had back then. Thank you so much for the picture! That is my bike!!!! Well....I had a yellow one but it was that exact model. And my memory totally failed on where my parents bought it from....until you reminded me...Gus Betat & Sons!! Oh what I wouldn't give to have one like that today!! Mine went with me to college but unfortunately someone decided that they wanted it and it got ripped off. Where oh where can I find one today????

Oh man....did I ever step back in the time machine during this post!!! Thanks everyone!!

timeforleisure

See my post under classic & vintage, a new thread, about my Botecchia

timeforleisure

I live in Coral Gables 2 blocks from the south side of campus, near the Convocation Ctr. We can walk to Mark Light baseball stadium and the Titanic microbrewery close by. My wife and both kids are all U-M grads ( Mom is an EE & math double-major, daughter also an EE, son a computer sci. grad)but I am an FIU double-grad. I remember the Grive in the early '70's, the Oak Feed Store, & what was that 'frog store' by it? Peacock Park on a spring day on the weekend, with the great variety of characters hanging around, by one of the prettiest waterfronts in an urban area I have seen. There was a reason people like John Sebastian & CSNT&Y sang about Coconut Grove! There were some great concerts along the Grove.
A sign of the changing of the Grove-I recently heard that the Mayfair Hotel is going condo! It's one of the few buildings outside of Barcelona that pays homage to Antonio Gaudi and doesn't look like a parody. We almost had our wedding reception there, but opted for Hotel Intercontinental-Miami a bit further up Biscayne Bay, in downtown Miami.
Reading all those comments makes me want to fix up my Bottecchia and race the cars down Bayshore Dr. from the Grove, maybe stop at the Day-'n'-Night grocery for some refreshments.

Glacier John

My dad was into English bikes so my first two bikes were Raleighs, a smaller coaster brake model that I learned to ride on before graduating to a nice three speed around 1959. Then when I was 12 or 13 I got a Royce Union 10 speed for Christmas.

This was when Schwinn Sting Rays were the cool bike. I was disappointed that I didn't have a Sting Ray to pop wheelies on until my buddy and I took a long ride across the valley, him on his Sting Ray and me on the Royce Union. After a couple of miles he was begging me to trade, that was when I started appreciating the 10 speed. It didn't last though as I soon replaced the down handlebars with Chopper style bars for my paper route.

Then it sudedenly wasn't cool to ride a bike anymore, I actually walked 2 miles to high school with my bike collecting dust in the garage. Finally the bike craze hit while I was in college 1969-73, and I went through a succession of 10 speeds. First a Peougeot U0-8 which I thought was way better than my old Royce Union, then a Nishiki Semi-Pro, db tubing, alloy components and high pressure clincher tires on aluminum rims, finally my favorite, a Raleigh International all Campy except for the brakes.