Thread: Viscounts!
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Old 09-14-10 | 06:46 PM
  #1  
bikerosity57
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Viscounts!

This is the update from yesterday. I think a lot of the objections about these bikes are pure baloney. While doing some cleaning on these bikes I found that the hubs have sealed bearings as well. Very very smooth even after 35 years. Unbelievable. The hubs say Lambert, and are very very well made. Look a lot like a high flange Campy. High quality polished finish. The frames are very light and apparently well made. I saw one years ago naked when my buddy Jerry repainted his, and I think I remember they were very nicely fillet brazed by hand.
I think this bike was very advanced especially for a bike made in '73. Only about 21lbs. too. One bike has a Shimano Touney(?) front derailleur, the other a Suntour that shifts backwards:you PULL the lever to shift DOWN, very odd on a road bike, but was common on early mtbs, so I think it was a replacement.
I'm wondering if the other manufacturers kinda passed along bad juju on these bikes because they didn't want to try to produce advanced bikes for such a low price too.
I'm leaving the death forks on, since if I do ride these bikes, it'll be just on my regular rides where I'm not pounding pounding pounding every minute. Frankly, I think these bikes were a fantastic bargain, and with proper care "probably" would last as long as any other bike.

The Ideal saddle is a model 6 in very good condition. When I eventually find an old Peugeot touring bike, it's going on that.
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