Originally Posted by
orcas island
Thanks all for the paint removal suggestions. I'll try a few of them out after more clean up. I'd like to redo bearings so that it becomes a competent rider, but don't know how much I'll do with it beyond that. I normally ride a 54/55 cm frame (this is 59cm c to t) and this one gives a new meaning to the term "French fit" for me. Oddly, the original owner was only about 5-9" or 5-10" tall. Was it common practice for shops to sell such seemingly over-large frames to customers back in the day?
...it was pretty common in 1971 to have only a few of the best bikes in stock,
because, like the guy told you, they were considered an extravagance.
So if someone wanted one, and they had one, and it was "a little off, but doable",
that's what he usually went home with. If you really cannot make the standover
without danger of hurting yourself in an emergency dismount, it might be someone
else's project bike.