Ever hear of a Sonnet?
07-12-07 | 09:36 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
From: Bellwood, Pa.
Bikes: Old custom road racer
Ever hear of a Sonnet?
Hi,
First post, been searching for a while. After 37yrs I'm back into biking with my old custom Sonnet bike. I can't find it on Google to find out if it is French or not. I had it built while in the Philippines for $310 in 68 or 69. I rode it around Clark AFB about 20 miles every day, very flat. It's a nice light (24lbs) road racer with 52/45 crank set and 14/24 5 gear freewheel. Very hilly here in Pa. and I need to lower the gearing some. I'm looking for the easy cheapest way to try it before I invest in a better bike. The freewheeler is an Atom and the crankset is 3arrows???? Which is the best way to change gearing? I'd like to ID the frame so I could change the BB but I don't know what I have.
By the way, thanks for all the good info. Did a lot of reading here and learned a lot. Did a search on changing gears and have myself confused right now on which way to go.
Thanks Staledale
First post, been searching for a while. After 37yrs I'm back into biking with my old custom Sonnet bike. I can't find it on Google to find out if it is French or not. I had it built while in the Philippines for $310 in 68 or 69. I rode it around Clark AFB about 20 miles every day, very flat. It's a nice light (24lbs) road racer with 52/45 crank set and 14/24 5 gear freewheel. Very hilly here in Pa. and I need to lower the gearing some. I'm looking for the easy cheapest way to try it before I invest in a better bike. The freewheeler is an Atom and the crankset is 3arrows???? Which is the best way to change gearing? I'd like to ID the frame so I could change the BB but I don't know what I have.
By the way, thanks for all the good info. Did a lot of reading here and learned a lot. Did a search on changing gears and have myself confused right now on which way to go.
Thanks Staledale
07-17-07 | 12:01 AM
#3
You got it from where in the Phillipines? If from a local shop or base store then perhaps the readers here haven't heard of it if it was a local brand. Or did you order the bikes from elsewhere and had them shipped to you there?
The Atom freewheel sounds like it is French, but I've never heard of that crankset.
Pictures of your bike would enlighten us I'm sure.
The Atom freewheel sounds like it is French, but I've never heard of that crankset.
Pictures of your bike would enlighten us I'm sure.
07-18-07 | 09:53 PM
#7
It's got chrome stays, lugs and fork! And those Universal brakes were respectable I believe. That rust can be cleaned up. There are plenty of threads on removing rust and cleaning tips for the steel and alloys. If you paint cars this should be a easy one for you.
I think it's worth rehabbing because that Sonnet marque is uncommon.
I think it's worth rehabbing because that Sonnet marque is uncommon.
07-24-07 | 04:08 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
From: Bellwood, Pa.
Bikes: Old custom road racer
Yea it got that rusty in my garage, my wife's bike was with it and hardly has any rust, so much for the quality of the chrome. I spent time in both Santa Clara and lincoln Calif with that bike in 72/73. It's been a couple of days since I checked this forum, Bought a Cannondale mt. bike and have been hitting the trails. I'll have to switch over to the Clydesdales forum and do some reading. I might just restore that Sonnet now that I've got a new ride.. thanks
08-07-24 | 11:37 PM
#11
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,951
Likes: 688
From: Port Angeles, WA
Bikes: A green one, "Ragleigh," or something.
A Sonnet?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Only yours has a bit more rust
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Only yours has a bit more rust
__________________
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
08-08-24 | 09:42 PM
#12
Seņor Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,473
Likes: 1,560
From: Hardy, VA
Bikes: Mostly English - predominantly Raleighs
A Sonnet?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Only yours has a bit more rust
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Only yours has a bit more rust
(yes, I did come to the thread with similar intent)
__________________
In search of what to search for.
In search of what to search for.
08-08-24 | 10:33 PM
#13
Senior Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,609
Likes: 2,477
From: Bastrop Texas
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Welcome to the forum! What a great and worthy project! First question is are you going for a Refurbish or do a Restoration?
My suggestions...
Hit the whole bike with a generous doses of ATF to loosen everything up and get them moving. Then give it few rides before you tear it apart. Of course you are going to have to repack all the grease with new (Marine Grease).
Baby needs new shoes...
Tires and Tubes (48 USD)
For the hills...
Replace your chain SRAM PC-870 678. (20 USD)
Consider changing out your inner crank ring to a 36T. (30 USD)
Replace your freewheel with a MEGHNA MF-TZ30 6-Speed 14-34. (25 USD)
You may need a long cage derailleur. (20 USD)
And you have a paint shop... WOW!
My suggestions...
Hit the whole bike with a generous doses of ATF to loosen everything up and get them moving. Then give it few rides before you tear it apart. Of course you are going to have to repack all the grease with new (Marine Grease).
Baby needs new shoes...
Tires and Tubes (48 USD)
For the hills...
Replace your chain SRAM PC-870 678. (20 USD)
Consider changing out your inner crank ring to a 36T. (30 USD)
Replace your freewheel with a MEGHNA MF-TZ30 6-Speed 14-34. (25 USD)
You may need a long cage derailleur. (20 USD)
And you have a paint shop... WOW!
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
08-09-24 | 09:13 AM
#14
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 1,485
From: Oakland, CA
After what is now 54 years hanging in dude's garage, I wonder if there's anything left of the frame? Or is it just a pile of orange flakes on the floor, with some aluminum bike parts sitting on top?
Also, what's with the dead rising from their graves lately? I mean, I'm a confirmed and unapologetic thread necromancer, mostly because VBulletin's search function irredeemably sucks, and always has, and always will, ("Search sucks. Deal with it." -- the developers,) but this is ridiculous.
--Shannon
Also, what's with the dead rising from their graves lately? I mean, I'm a confirmed and unapologetic thread necromancer, mostly because VBulletin's search function irredeemably sucks, and always has, and always will, ("Search sucks. Deal with it." -- the developers,) but this is ridiculous.
--Shannon
