Ouch:eek:

Limeylou, Here's one I paid just over $1k for, my wife's Merckx, which hadn't been ridden until she got it.

Was it a bad investment for a 12 speed?

http://lh6.google.com/A2UsedBikes/R8.../P8170265.JPG>
http://lh5.google.com/A2UsedBikes/R8...0/P8170269.JPG
http://lh3.google.com/A2UsedBikes/R8...0/P8170271.JPG

That is certainly a very nice looking bike and, if your wife fell in love with it, it would have been a great bargain at twice that price.

The Lotus has the rear brake cable on the top of the top tube, a feature which I think is ugly and it also has the rear brake outer casing going the full length of the bike, which is also a feature I find distasteful.

Apart from that it looks like a nice bike and, since it is so very clean, it looks (to me) like a $100 - $125 bike that has had a $200 overhaul.

Since it's been almost 60 years since I began messing around with bicycles, I always think that the overhaul and clean up process should be within the grasp of most people, especially if they are interested in cycling.

Kind regards.

Nice clean interesting bike. Doubt if you'll run into anything like it on a ride. Would lose the biopace rings at some point but it looks like a keeper. Ride with pride.

Um ...WOW!! That is really gorgeous, OFG. Have you let her ride it since you bought it?

Limeylew, I guess I'm not following the comments on brake cables. Are you suggesting that a bike has to have internal cable routing to be attractive?

OK, I apologise for not explaining myself more clearly.

What I prefer is to have one 'braze on' towards the front of the top tube, so that the outer casing only runs from the brake lever to the braze on. Then have a second braze on towards the rear of the top tube, so that there is only a short piece of outer casing, from the braze on to the brake and in between the 2 braze ons there is just 'inner wire'.

Braze ons on the top of the top tube (IMHO) seem to rust more quickly than those on the side, have a potential to snag your shorts and, since they require more outer casing, tend to give the rear brake a more 'squishy' feel than I like, since the longer the outer casing, the more the amount of compression is magnified.

From the top you don't see the braze on, just the outer casing_;
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/b...oveBrazeOn.jpg

This side view shows both braze ons:-
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/b...ewBrazeOns.jpg

Kind regards.

In the second pic that cable looks a bit loose.

You are correct, it is loose.

This is a frame from which I have removed the wheels, cranks and rear brake.

The purpose of the photo was to illustrate the location of the braze ons. Sorry if it confused you.

Kind regards.