40 year old Puch
 

A neighbor gave me an Austrian made Sears & Roebuck touring bike. Not totally sure, but i would say that it is no newer than 1964-5. It has some rust- not too terrible. The paint cleaned up surprisingly well after cleaning and a buffing with an oxidation remover. The wheels are not true but the now well-oiled Sturmey Archer 3spd hub seems to work. THis is the only non-road bike bicycle I've ridden that I like. The fit is good, the San Marcos saddle is comfortable and the bike has great steering and feel. The weight is 32lbs, which is impressive for a forty year old tourer. I am pretty sure it is a Puch but would like to get a more accurate idea of its age, etc. Another thought was either to leave the bike vintage, or convert it to a Shimano Nexus 3spd. Not sure if it would be worth the money. And I like the idea of an all vintage bike. But ...

Post a picture. A lot of the high-end Sears bikes from that period were Puch (although, Sears being Sears, coulda been anything).

My first road bike was a Puch I bought used made around the same time period as yours; but mine said Puch not Sears and it also was a racing frame. Mine came with icky Simplex derailleurs that were a huge pain. Also mine had the rear brake cable going through the frame rather then using cable clips...but that was a problem too because after about 6 months of riding the frame opening would rub the cable enough to weaken the cable then it would snap suddenly when the brake was applied. I can't remember the color real well anymore but I think it was either pale green or pale blue.

On the front of the headtube underneath where it says Sears, it reads- made in austria.

Why not leave it original---only convert it to a 3X2 by adding two sprockets to the stremy hub and a derailer.This was a common conversion back in the day---sam

No doubt that is was made by Puch then.

Can you post a photo?

As far as modifications go, I like frameteam2003's idea of adding two sprockets. Aside from that, I'd clean it up & enjoy it as is.