herbiedriver

Long time lurker here, first time poster! I just recently acquired a very mint, and I mean probably never ridden Sears made in Austria 3 speed! Everything on this bike is the way it was when you bought it at Sears in 1968... The only wear is on the rear of the seat where it looks like it was leaned on a wall. I have only seen bikes this clean at the bike shop, new, at first I thought it was a repop, it was so clean!

Original Semperit 26 x 1 3/8 tires which still hold air, Wienmann side pull brakes with original pads (which are hard as rocks now), even the ends of the pedals are pristine!!!

So far the only thing I have had to do was clean and repack the bearings throughout the whole bike, they were pretty much nothing but gum. There was even grease on the bottom bracket that was never cleaned off when assembled.

I will post pics as soon as the weather clears and I can get it outside, which will probably be tomorrow afternoon.

So I know these bikes aren't really collectibles like Schwinns, etc. but something in this condition has to be worth something, any ideas?
Thanks!

rhm

Well, this isn't the forum for an appraisal, so I won't go there. From the few of these Sears three speeds I've seen, though, I think them equal to Raleigh in quality and style, and superior to Schwinn.

Lascauxcaveman 

I paid $40 for one of those. But yours sounds a bit nicer, so $60. In my market, anyway

But seriously, those Semperit tires are crazy durable. I flipped the old bike to a reasonably knowledgeable woman (owns lots of bikes; some vintage) who wanted an old 3-speed. She's agreed those are the newest looking 50-year-old tires she's ever ridden.

3alarmer

...I think maybe you answered your own question. Any market needs both sellers and buyers. They are great utilitarian bikes, if you understand how to operate and maintain them. Therein lies the value.

3speedslow

Looking forward to pics.

ramzilla

IMHO you're taking a big chance riding around on 50 year old tires. No matter how good they look they're not safe & reliable and, could blow out when least expected. (Been there done that got the T shirt). Be good. Have fun.

herbiedriver

So apparently I need to post 10 times before I can post a photo... 1....

ApolloSoyuz1975

I'm interested to see how this turned out. IIRC, 26" x 1-3/8" is the same as the old French 650A tire size (590 mm rim diameter)... in that case, your best bet for tires looks to be the Panaracer "Col de la Vie" tire, sized 650x40A (a.k.a. 40-590).

herbiedriver

Let me try this:

Sears145.jpg

herbiedriver

Well the attach image function allows very small images... Will keep trying!

herbiedriver

Maybe now?

thumpism 

Even though your bike is Austrian, you should probably post it in the dedicated 3-speed thread. We love a good story over there and delight in any shiny find like yours. You're bound to find some like-minded folks to chat with. There are a few like yours on my local CL right now in the $45-100 range. Enjoy it!

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-3-speeds.html

John E

Great find -- a real classic. (Disclosure -- I am partial to Austrian bicycles. I have two from Vienna-based Capo, which was (and still is) a much smaller shop than Graz-based Steyr-Daimler-Puch, which built your 3-speed.)

I hope you are replacing those age-hardened brake pads with KoolStops, which will actually enable you to stop.

I concur that the tires and tubes need to be replaced, and the brake cables need to be inspected. Flushing the oil in the rear hub would probably not be a bad idea, either.

lotekmod 

I had that same Sears three speed for a while, not a bad bike at all. I recall it has some weird symbol on the top tube- I could never figure out what it was supposed to mean. I think mine had the original tires as well and them for several months before passing the bike on.

old's'cool 

Very nice find. I'm looking forward to some hi-res photos, and reading about the bike serving you in its intended purpose.

Tires that old are definitely suspect; but in my own experience I've never had a tube expire of old age. Brake cables, yeah, inspect what is visible, and you might consider proof testing...: make sure the fasteners that clamp the cables at the caliper are good and tight, and the pads are adjusted so they're fairly close to the rim but not rubbing, then squeeze each lever with all your might. If the cables hold, you're good to go. You might end up stretching something a little in the process, so recheck/re-adjust the pad to rim clearance afterward.
I hasten to add, this is a static test, not to be done while riding.

Lascauxcaveman 

The tires on the old Sears bike I sold were definitely still usable. Still soft and pliable, no cracks or dry rot apparent even pumped up to 45 psi. The buyer weighed maybe 100 lbs, so that was an appropriate pressure for her on those big old meats. Must be our temperate marine climate, here.

Like I said, she was an experienced cyclist, able to make own decisions there.

ollo_ollo

About 10 yrs ago I picked up a his & hers set for $25 and flipped them for $35 each. Made by Steyr, mine were in fair condition with a bit of rust & the shifters still worked perfectly but tires were cracking on one side only (sun exposure?). They didn't have as good a quality of paint as a Raleigh Sports, but being sold by Sears, probably were a less expensive bike, so to be expected. Don

cb400bill

Thread moved from C&V to C&V Appraisals.