View Poll Results: Which would you choose?
Schwinn Continental
26
16.25%
Peugeot U08
43
26.88%
Raleigh Grand Prix
37
23.13%
Fuji (S-10-S) Special Road Racer
54
33.75%
Voters: 160. You may not vote on this poll
It's 1973 - You must choose !!!!!!
02-10-13, 04:22 PM
#77
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I actually did that about that time.
I chose the Raleigh. I bought one new at that time and it was a great bike. I used to ride home and back on the weekends from college. It was 60 miles one way.
The reason I picked the Raleigh was, it was the only bike shop in that little college town, and they sold Raleighs.
I kept it for decades, never even got it wet, it was in mint condition, and I sold it, to get a MTB. Should have kept it.
I chose the Raleigh. I bought one new at that time and it was a great bike. I used to ride home and back on the weekends from college. It was 60 miles one way.
The reason I picked the Raleigh was, it was the only bike shop in that little college town, and they sold Raleighs.
I kept it for decades, never even got it wet, it was in mint condition, and I sold it, to get a MTB. Should have kept it.
02-10-13, 04:26 PM
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And he would make sure you proudly peddled that 40+ lbs of Electrofordge, Astubula and 10lb freewheel beast. The good news is you could total his car with it when you got pissed at him. lol
02-10-13, 04:31 PM
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Yep. I couldn't buy the Motobecane or the Fuji. I was told it had to be one of the Schwinns.
02-10-13, 04:32 PM
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I actually bought a bike in 73. My wife and I bought each other bikes as wedding presents. Matching "Moto" Mirages. I was coming off a Raleigh 3 speed. I knew little about bikes and I think Consumer Reports had the "Moto" as a "best buy" . French bike didn't scare me, what did I know. We/I most probably would have ended up with the Peugeot.
02-10-13, 04:38 PM
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Having actually RIDDEN these bikes, there's no question: PEUGEOT! The rest would be indistiguishable in a blind test (I know; howtheheck are you gonna do that?), but the UO8 rides and handles like something a few levels up in the foodchain. And for my money, that's what it's about when choosing a bike.
SP
OC, OR
SP
OC, OR
Weight lightest to heaviest would have been.
Fuji Guessing 27
UO8 Listed as 28
Raleigh, Ive had one it was about 30-31 in stock form
Schwinn listed at 37-38 in the brochure. I'm betting 40Lb in real world LOL
02-10-13, 04:39 PM
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Schwinn. In fall of 1973, I was a junior in high school. I'd already owned a Schwinn American and was riding a Collegiate (I think). There was only one bike shop in town, and that shop sold nothing but Schwinns. Heck, I hardly knew anything else existed.
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02-10-13, 04:53 PM
#83
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Since the parameters set are that I'm still in Jr High, it would have to be the Continental without question. It is the only one of the bunch that could stand the abuse I was dishing out to bikes back then.
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02-10-13, 05:17 PM
#84
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I would say that the Raleigh GP is the most underrated of the lot, and even a little handier than the Pug
(The GP is as close as I get to a "townie") - but the Peugeot is better on the road.
The Fuji falls between the two - and it has better running gear, but IMO, it loses out to the U08 on style points.
The Schwinn is a tank, certainly - but once underway, it barrels along quite confidently (not unlike a 42 lb Raleigh Sports).
Knowing what I know now, the the U08 would have the edge based on ride and aesthetics, but remember - it's 1973, right?
- So even though I MIGHT have opted for a real "English" English-Racer, more likely, I'd get the Schwinn.
(The GP is as close as I get to a "townie") - but the Peugeot is better on the road.
The Fuji falls between the two - and it has better running gear, but IMO, it loses out to the U08 on style points.
The Schwinn is a tank, certainly - but once underway, it barrels along quite confidently (not unlike a 42 lb Raleigh Sports).
Knowing what I know now, the the U08 would have the edge based on ride and aesthetics, but remember - it's 1973, right?
- So even though I MIGHT have opted for a real "English" English-Racer, more likely, I'd get the Schwinn.
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02-10-13, 05:20 PM
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Right about that time I bought a Gitane Interclub with my lawnmowing $. But thinking back, given your list, it woulda probably been the Raleigh.
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72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
02-10-13, 05:22 PM
#86
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Peugeot..iz French...iz better, no?
02-10-13, 05:22 PM
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My folks were not BUY USA types in 73. Dad drove a 72 Porche 914 that replaced his 65 365. Rode a BMW R69S Motor cycle and mom just got a brand new 1973 VW 412 wagon (that cost more then a new camaro back then). Fact is I would have got none of them. It would have come from K Mart LOL
02-10-13, 05:24 PM
#88
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Peugeot would be my second choice and the Fuji the first. All the bikes but the Fuji had steel cranks. The Schwinn and Raleigh had Steel handle bars. The Fuji and UO8 had alloy bars.
Weight lightest to heaviest would have been.
Fuji Guessing 27
UO8 Listed as 28
Raleigh, Ive had one it was about 30-31 in stock form
Schwinn listed at 37-38 in the brochure. I'm betting 40Lb in real world LOL
Weight lightest to heaviest would have been.
Fuji Guessing 27
UO8 Listed as 28
Raleigh, Ive had one it was about 30-31 in stock form
Schwinn listed at 37-38 in the brochure. I'm betting 40Lb in real world LOL
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02-10-13, 05:32 PM
#89
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My folks were not BUY USA types in 73. Dad drove a 72 Porche 914 that replaced his 65 365. Rode a BMW R69S Motor cycle and mom just got a brand new 1973 VW 412 wagon (that cost more then a new camaro back then). Fact is I would have got none of them. It would have come from K Mart LOL
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02-10-13, 05:42 PM
#90
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In 1974 (at 11 years old)I did choose, one notch up from the Continental(Le Tour). I worked my ass off during that summer to come up with enough scratch to buy it.
For the record, The only bike shop anywhere near my house sold Schwinn. It was an easy decision.
For the record, The only bike shop anywhere near my house sold Schwinn. It was an easy decision.
02-10-13, 05:43 PM
#91
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The Schwinn Continental had GB alloy Randonneur handlebars and a GB alloy stem.
Schwinn was very accurate with reported weights. A 24" model would have been 37lbs according to the catalog. I'll have to weigh one of mine sans accessories to see how accurate that was.
Schwinn listed at 37-38 in the brochure. I'm betting 40Lb in real world LOL
02-10-13, 05:55 PM
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In 1973, I was in 7th grade, and could have really hurt myself, trying to ride a bigger bike like that. 
But I'm pretty sure the decision to buy a Raleigh would have been made for me, since my Mom was largely English. I probably would have been allowed to pick the color. 
But I'm pretty sure the decision to buy a Raleigh would have been made for me, since my Mom was largely English. I probably would have been allowed to pick the color.
02-10-13, 06:22 PM
#94
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Auchen,
I think you broke the first day record for views and replies! It figures the guy who analyzed the data would figure out how to start a winning thread!
Congrats!
I think you broke the first day record for views and replies! It figures the guy who analyzed the data would figure out how to start a winning thread!
Congrats!
02-10-13, 06:38 PM
#95
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- It's the bikes themselves though, not me, that deserve the credit for eliciting so much interest: They may not be exotic - but in many ways they represent cycling history for the "regular" people.
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02-10-13, 07:04 PM
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I was 12 in 1973 and my friends and I all bought new bikes that year. My friends chose Fuji and Motobecane while I got the CCM Mistral. Oh, I wanted some of the Italian models and later the Ghost, but not on a paperboy's wages. Today I have a 73 U08 and a 73 Raleigh Pro. Here is a pic of that Mistral from mytenspeeds website catalog, cropped for just the model and color I had.
Last edited by Tuc; 02-10-13 at 07:07 PM.
02-10-13, 07:07 PM
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It has been my experience that the Schwinn's weight is not noticable until you have to pick it up! A great riding bike! More likly to last a long time with little or no maintenance! I rode/ride the crap out of my Schwinns! I have had a large "collection" of Schwinn at one time or another. My first real bike was a gold Varsity! I lived on that bike! The Schwinn will catch up in the poll I predict! Too many kids had these bikes growing up! Schwinns never let you down!
02-10-13, 07:10 PM
#98
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I picked the Peugeot because I could sell it for $400 30 years later claiming it's a px-10
02-10-13, 08:29 PM
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I'll take the Fuji this time around. I took the Continental the first time around. Liked it okay. Started getting into used bikes from garage sales and such in college, so I think I followed the Continental with a British 3 speed in college. Not because it was cool, but because that's what was available at the church and bicycle shop north of town. I think they raised money for outreach by selling bikes.
02-10-13, 08:37 PM
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This results of this poll are surprising to me. Fuji is running away with it!
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