Originally Posted by
gerv
I figure I need at least two bikes. However, I have more.
... I also have an Mercier circa 1972 which doesn't have any wheels at presents, seatpost and a few other things. I like working on bikes.
I just noted that this is a zombie thread when I saw a post from
Chipcom in 2011 (#10).
My then-girlfriend-now-wife and I bought Merciers identical to the above, including paint job and decals back around 1972, and toured in Michigan and Ontario, even though they were road bikes, including with sew-op tires. Our honeymoon was a cross-country trip from LA to DC, and those tires were a bane of the trip. We further toured in New England and the Maritime Provinces after replacing the wheels.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I had a Schwinn Suburban five-speed I bought around 1970 when I started my adult cycling lifestyle, because I had a very basic knowledge of cycling, and Schwinn was a brand name. Then in about 1972 I wanted a “really nice bike," so my then-girlfriend-now-wife and I bought Merciers with Reynolds 531 double-butted tubing and sew-up tires, though we were really cycle-tourists, but did use them on a cross-country tour...
My bottom bracket eventually wore out, children came, and touring ceased. Thanks for the flashback.