Wildwood 

How sweeeet that is!

Maxfusion

That's the one, except mine has brushed aluminum Dura Ace crankset and a drilled, black shimano chainring. Everything else is precisely as you describe. Thanks, I think I'm getting closer in my quest to identify the year model.

NormanF

Puch is not so much remembered for its world-class bicycles as for its mopeds, the forerunners to today's e-bikes. In particular, the Puch Maxi:




Recognizably still a bicycle with a gas engine!

thunderworks

In the American bike market, the difference between AD and Puch was simply one of branding and marketing focus. Both labels were made by the same factories. The AD line was marketed as an "upscale" line while the Puch label was marketed towards a broader market in lower price points. Both AD and Puch made some entry level models that were, quite frankly, crap . . . or at least compared to comparably priced Japanese bikes in the era. Both AD and Puch however, also made nice bikes and AD produced models at the very upper end of the market whereas Puch did not. The Vent Noir the OP originally asked about, was an AD model that evolved through a couple of iterations and over several years. The matte black version was the earliest as I recall and was equipped with Shimano Dura Ace components. The Smoked Chrome version (imagine chrome plating with a brownish tint) was a newer model, but I don't remember how it was equipped. Above the Vent Noir was the Superleight and then a Team version. The Superleight was a creme color and the Team version was a dark purple. The AD Interclub (I might have this model name wrong) was a burgundy model equipped with quite functional, but modest components. It was however, a full Reynolds 531 frame and the least expensive full 531 frame available in the US in the early 1980's.

I owned a bike shop in this era and sold both Puch and AD next to each other, intertwined to cover a range of price points. I also sold Fuji then and Fuji was the better line for entry level buyers.

Andy_K 

Hey, thanks for joining the conversation. I bought the bike below a couple of years ago, and have seen a few just like it. I've been thinking that this was a Team frame. Would you agree?

thunderworks

This is not the color of the Team bike I remember. This is a nice bike, but it looks far more like the entry level 531 frame model which I think was called an Inter 10. The upper level bike was a deep purple, not burgundy and had long point lugs.

Andy_K 

Thanks for the feedback. I think you're the first person I've talked to who actually remember seeing the Team model. I don't think mine is an Inter-10. It's got Campagnolo dropouts and the chrome on the fork crown is too nice for a lower level model IMO. I was guessing Team just based on the lack of a model name on the top tube. I've seen three others the same color as mine with the Campy dropouts, 531 butted tubing and no name on the top tube. The only identifiable model I've seen in this color is the SE, which this definitely is not. The burgundy Inter-10's that come up on Google seem to be considerably darker. This is more red than that.

There's one on the Classic Rendevouz AD page that looks like this claiming to be an Ultima, but that's probably based on the pics in the 76 catalogue.