Austro Daimler, Puch?
 

I was wondering if anyone could help me identify a frame and fork I recently bought, or at least give me some sense of the quality. I bought the frameset from a guy through e-bay. The bike was listed as an Austro Daimler, but the paint job and the Austro Daimler downtube stickers are not the orignals. The head badge says Puch and the seat stays are also stamped Puch where they join the seat tube. Both the rear and fork dropouts are Gipiemme. The frame has no down tube braze ons and the lugs are slightly decorative, but nothing too fancy. The guy claimed that the bike was originaly equipped with campy components. Any ideas about the quality, or the date of this frame would be greatly appreciated. I like the frame and didn't pay much, so don't worry about hurting feelings.

Check out http://sheldonbrown.com/vrbn-a-f.html#austro-daimler for some general info.

AD-Puch was a combined marque so you may have gotten a straight story from the seller. Generally, bikes labelled as AD were higher line than those sold as Puch but that's not always true. Are there any tubing decals on the seatpost? Better ADs used Reynolds 531 and such bikes were often Campy equipped.

Unfortunately there are none of the original frame decals, but the Sheldon Brown article leads me to belive that at the very least I got a decent frame. Classic Rendevous had some photos of the higher end A-Ds from the 70's. None of these bikes had the top tube brake cable braze ons that mine does. This makes me think that my frame might be a bit newer. Thanks for the response.

On high-end road bikes, brazed-on rear brake cable guides began to replace screw-on clips during the mid-to-late 1970s.

Steyr, Puch, and Austro-Daimler all were brand names used by the huge manufacturing conglomerate, Steyr-Daimler-Puch, of Graz, Austria. According to Harald Cap, whose father, Otto, founded Capo (the much smaller "other" Austrian bicycle manufacturer), SDP production reached about 100K units per year during the 1960s. SDP made a full line, selling most of its lower-end U.S.-bound units under the Sears and Steyr marques. The Puch label covered everything from the fancy-looking basic 10-speed "Bergmeister" to racing machines worthy of the Tour de France. Austro-Daimler, a classy-sounding brand of the 1970s and 1980s, also encompassed a fairly wide range of bikes, up to the highly respected, beautifully finished "Vent Noir."

Enjoy your new acquisition. I have first-hand proof that Austrian bikes are well-made and very durable. :)

I own a Puch Bergmeister, 1964,I believe.

Beautiful lugwork for the price, almost looks like an Alex Singer or Rene Herse as long as you don't get too close!

It used to be blue, but the paint was so badly scratched that I stripped off the paint and left the frame all shiny chrome, which I have to wax and polish periodically. Oh yeah, I cut off those ugly stamped-steel pump pegs off so they don't snag my bike shorts.

The upper seat tube decal says "100 years" with the Steyr and Puch badges above it. I'll try to get photos of it when I get them developed.

Hy folks

I have an 82 Puch Mistral Ultima (green) and an Mistral EL (white) on my own.
Most of the High Quality Puch (Austro Daimler) bikes where equippet with Campagnolo Record Parts exept the Vent Noir Version witch always had Shimano Dura Ace Parts.
regards from Austria

Greetings, Puchultima --
I believe you are our first member from "Capo City." Check out my Capo pictures under the "show us your classic ride" thread.

Hy John

Capo is still producing a lot of High Quality Bikes. It`s an small Company but they realy take care for the requirements of Customers. They have an nice Shop in Vienna Wallensteinstraße. The other good Bike Brands of Austria are Simplon and Katarga. If you have Questions concerning Austrian Bike Manufaktures I m the right man.
regards from Capo City

Thanks for responding, Puchultima. I have always been impressed by the craftsmanship and durability of the better Austrian frames. Three of us in San Diego County, two northern Californians, and a guy in Montana have formed a loosely-knit vintage Capo owners' club. (There are not too many of us here in the U.S., since the marque was imported for only a few years around 1960.) I have also exchanged emails and photos with Werner, a Vienna-based gentleman who has owned several vintage Capos and who had a couple of photos of Adolph Christian riding a Capo in the 1958 Tour de France.

I have emailed with Harald "Hary Capo" Cap about marketing his computer-designed racing frames at few of the high-end shops in southern California; I hope he decides to pursue this.

Puchultima,

I stayed in 19th district for 3 months, Wein is my favourite city (although not that great for cycling).
welcome to forums.

Marty

A-D Puch
 

Hi,

Is the paint on it stars and stripes? If so, I sold it to you on Ebay. It was an original set from the supplier of the bicycles, and matched the set with which it came. After I shipped it to you, I found another sticker from the original decal set, and it jogged my memory. It was the Olympian model. As I recall, it was Reynolds 531 tubing, and one of the best bikes you could get from Puch/A-D at the time. It did in fact, come Campy equipped -- as I recall, a mix of Nuovo Record, Record, and Super Record. I still have the original crank set that came with the bicycle!

You got a great bike at a rare price. Hope you enjoy it!

Steve Dahlquist
Velochrome Frameset Painting
V 559-592-6367
F 559-592-2585
C 559-967-3318
steve@velochrome.com
22582 Carson Avenue
Exeter, California 93221
www.Velochrome.com

Just got back from the shed where I have a low-end Puch stored for the past 22 years. It is a Puch MeteorLuxe, Series II. I bought it for a family member to get him into cycling, but that did not happen. Basically, it was the cheapest road bike from a reputable shop that I could find in 1980. It cost me $150. It has Suntour Seven components. Paint job is kind of a maroon burgundy kind of color. The lug work is beautiful for that level of bike. It weighs a ton. I even have the booklet which came with it in my files.

Rich

This is an Photo of my Puch Mistral Ultima. The Frame is from 1982 and was never sold. I add the whole Shimano Dura Ace 2003 Goup an Alu Fork and some ohter stuff to make it perfect. It weights 8,3 Kilogramms and its nice to ride

I have a 531 DB Austro-Damlier Inter-10 set up as a fixie...don't know much about the brand but it is a very well built frame...here is a photo

Hy tommasini

It looks realy great. Take care with the bike and keep it well tended. Currently there is one AD inter 10 for sale in e-bay No.3645850455
regards from Austria
Manfred

Hy
This Week i met the alumnus sales representative of Puch Austria. He was empolyed at Puch from 1964 till 1988 and he gave me the original Puch RR Sales Brochures from the Year 1979 till 1986. If anyone is interested in the Original Pictures of Puch (Austo Daimler) Road Racing Bikes pls contact me.
brgds
Manfred

Manfred,

I'd be interested in seeing them, and so would the
folks at Classic Rendezvous.
If you don't have contact info for CR let me know
and I'll forward it to you.
They have a nice AD/Puch page up.

Missing Braunerhoffe and the alte wein cafe,
Marty

Austro Daimler(s) that have the PUCH headbadge are of vintage, 1984 or later.

jlw

austro damlier help. I run a small nonprofit (www.tfkmetrodc.org) and we regularly get bike donations. Have a austro daimler vent noir we have and wish to sell but have no idea how to price it. We received it second hand (another nonprofit going out of business) but with the bike was an owners manual and a written statement saying NOS (new old stock) its campy gs equiped no wear on anythinkg but the seat looks changed. It is a little small for me at 6.0" I am guessing a 54 - 56 size or so. I read whats been said here so I think the bike has value of about $600.00 but am guessing so thought I would get some feedback

Vent Noirs have brought good prices on eBay though $600 might be a bit high, though maybe not for NOS. I've seen them with early Dura Ace and the black components go well with the black chrome finish on the frame.

B/c of their unique "scratch-proof" finishing VNs draw alot of interest. I like thm alot but am in no position to buy anything right now. Post some pics.


:beer:

I also just recently bought a Puch Bergmeister. I think it's mid 60s. I have owned it for a month or two, but just got it working a few days ago. If I can figure out how to post a photo, I will.

I would be very interested in any info on Puch / Austro Daimler. I've owned an AD Ultima for 23 years and love it, but would like to learn more about the bike and the company. (See my new thread.) Please let me know how to contact you for the sales brochures pics. That may help me identify my bike's year of manufacrure (Serial # 5694722).

Many Thanks!

Hy

I scanned all Puch (Austro Daimler) Brochures i have and you may find it under http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/AustroDaimler/[/URL]

The high quality Puch (Austro Daimler) Bikes are produced between 1976 and 1987 in Graz Austria.
The Model Ultima was always the top of the line product and was used from several europea and also some american cycling teams in the 80ies.
The inter 10 was an mid line product and verry popular due to the maroon paint and full Shimano 600
I have currently the Ultima Models from 1982/83 from 1984/85 and 1986/87 and several unique puch or Austro Daimler bikes witch where never on sale, on my own.
Regards from Austria
Manfred

i just picked up a burgandy one like yours recently, but just the frame and fork. the previous owner had stripped it to sell the parts, but i put it together using stuff i had laying around. what a beautiful riding bike.

Hi, i am new to this site and i have also got a puch austro daimler. I am only 15 and am looking to buy a classic motorbike and i just wanted to know how much i could make on my puch to add to my motorbike funds. Could anybody help me please. Robert.