BFers,

I got my first 10-speed in the late 1960's or early 1970's. I've struggled to remember the brand/model, but have lost the memory. Here's what little I remember:

It was purple or medium blue road bike - how's that for a start - I don't even remember the color for sure!
I believe it was 10-speeds, with two chainwheels and a 5-speed cassette
It had dropped bars, chrome I think, wrapped in thin plastic tape matching the frame color - no cushioning!
It had down-tube (friction) shift levers
Tires were probably 27 x 1 1/4

I bought it at a bike store in Owosso, Michigan which I think was a Schwinn dealership, perhaps along with other brands. But I don't know if it was a Schwinn. I've researched a number of vintage Schwinn web sites and the Schwinn 10-speeds of that era all seemed to have stem shifters.

It would not have been an expensive bicycle as I was in high-school at the time - I'm guessing it might have been priced in the $ 100 - $120 range (1970 dollars).

So do any of your "old bike" buffs recall what brands from that era used down-tube shifters?

Thanks, Rick in Irvine, CA now riding a 2006 Fuji Roubaix RC

Mid 70's. Flandria. Sort of a bile-green color. Cottered cranks, Simplex plastic (I think), around $60 from Off-Ramp Bicycles in Santa Clara. Immediately stolen, when I started at Berkeley. Do not miss it at all!

Peugeot? I think they had that color as an option. Do you by chance remember what logo was on the head tube?

The shifters moved to the stem in '67 for Schwinn. They had violet and blue models in the Varsity, Continental, and Super Sport prior to that. All of these would not have lugs in the frame construction.

Gitane Gran Sport Deluxe fits that price range and had downtube shifters. Do you remember any black plastic on the shifters and derailleurs? This would have been Simplex delrin.

Thanks all for your thoughts. I'm going back to look at 1967 - maybe I got the bike earlier than I thought, when the Schwinn shift levers were on the down-tube.

Best regards, Rick

An old English Raleigh "Gran Prix"- beautiful "British racing green" color with black contrast and gold lettering (paint - not decals). It was tired and scuffed up when I got it, but it was a great bike.

Thanks to Bob Hufford's compendium of Schwinn data and photos, I've concluded that what I had was a 1966 Schwinn Continental. That would mean I actually got the bike when I was in junior high school, not high school as I originally thought. The price looks like it was in the mid-$80s, a good chunk of change in those days for a bicycle! I do remember one thing about the ride - those handlebars with the thin plastic tape (and no riding gloves in those days) where uncomfortable as heck after many miles...

Best regards, Rick

My '73 Motobecane Mirage had that vinyl tape (black).....and yes, it did get uncomfortable. No one had cloth or cork back then in our area.