My first thrift store score in several years! Picked up this early 70's step through Raleigh Sports for $30. Even had the sprung Brooks!



I was going to find a Mens frame and move parts over, but this thing is immaculate under the dirt. Anyhow, my Mom claimed it so it's a family keeper now. All I had to do was air up the tires (tyres).

These are the only other pics I have of the Raleigh, I know the front axle needs replaced as it's bent. But the rest seems to be in good shape, just needs cleaned and lubed. Cables and such are toast, see what happens

Nice score

These are the only pics I took of the black framed Schwinn. Is there a way to save this decal? If it's rare I'd hate to loose it to the cleaning process...

I'll get the serial #'s next trip up the hill. The round Disc Labbeled Schwinn has a number on the left side rear tire hookup. I only just noticed it when we where moving the bikes to the shop. I'll get all the Numbers for all the bikes as well as more pics of all the drive train and such.

This is becomming rather interesting

That's a little better than your average crank. The Voyageur 11.8 got that crank, and the Super Letour 12.2 didn't have the cutout crank spider. I am still interested in seeing more pics of this bike. The dropouts, lugs, etc.,,,,BD

Looks like a Super Maxy crank, upon closer inspection. Definitely not a bad thing....

Looks like the rust on the underside of the down tube on black Schwinn is pretty serious...

I found a nice one today. A tiny Lotus Eclair with early Deore equipment. The only bummer is the missing dyna-drive pedals but I am thinking they make adapters... anyone know? Anyway, this bike is too small for me so I will probably sell it... maybe switch the parts... not sure yet. Still, it's a nice little touring bike.



Still has the plastic on the headbadge:






What looks like rust is mostly grease:

Here is what I found being thrown away earlier this week.

Scored a 2008 Trek Soho S single speed non-fixie for only $110 this morning.

Nice catch. Lotus bikes are interesting and decent riders. Shame the peddles are missing but I bet you could sell the cranks for tidy sum.
I am still trying to figure out Lotus. I have a prestige and it has nice suntour ARX components with Grand Compe brakes, Nice Ukai 700c wheels. All above average parts like the bike you have but then a Mangealoy frame seems to be a step down. Your bike there is the same deal. Still a very nice rider but a 531 or Tange1 frame would have made i even better.

My second catch in two days! late 70's Peugeot UE-18M Mixte.

YES!! I had some bikeforums intuition and went back to ask about the pedals. 5 dollars netted me the Deore pedals, a spare tube and a nice Cannondale handlebar bag!



Now that crank is usable, all I need is one of the many saddles in my basement.

You are on fire! That one is very pretty. Maybe you can cover most of Europe this week, you have England and France covered.

Hey Wes are you going to have any room left after all of these cool finds?

Heck, I haven't had space for the last five or six! Thats why this Peugeot is going to get flipped, no space to let it sit around until I find another Mixte seatcover to ride it.

I need a barn, I'll start the Ohio museum of old ten speeds.

I picked up a Zebra Suprema for $120 off the local CL. I usually don't spend that much, but this one is a keeper. The CL ad didn't have very good pics, so I had to trust my gut on this one and I couldn't be happier. Very clean bike with Ishawata 022 tubing, 600 everything, and Biopace chainrings. It came with like new Panaracers too. I cleaned it up a bit, put on a Specialized Avatar saddle and some clipless pedals and it rides like a dream. I'll give it a full clean and lube job soon, but I couldn't wait to get on it.

Grim, mang-alloy is manganese molybdenum carbon steel, which is what Reynolds 531 is made of. As far as I know, it's functionally equivalent to chro-moly. It's about the same strength, so you can make it thin walled for lightness. I don't know if Tsunoda (the maker of Lotus) made it thin-walled, though.

Well, it is a tourer so I doubt they were trying to make a super light frame. This frame has low-rider mounts, bottle bosses under the downtube, cantilever brakes and so-on. The only thing I guess you could say are missing is maybe a spoke holder.

Thanks for setting me straight. I just weighed my 63cm Prestige and as a single speed stripped of its shifters and deruiailers it is weighing it at 22ish lbs. My Raleigh (that may actually be a Holdsworth) has a 27.2 seat post and I know that the Lotus runs a 26 something post so you are correct that on at least the prestige it is not a thin wall.

Found this Peugeut on ride out in the country this morning. It was leaning on a trash barrel with a Schwinn World and a Murray MTB. I do not know the Peugeot line, but my quick searches make me believe it could be a UO8....early to mid 70s

Normandy hub and Rigida rim on the front, rear looks like it was replaced along with the RD, Simplex FD and shifters, Mafac Racer levers and center pulls.............

Yes, that's a UO8. It will clean up well. It will ride well with aluminum rims and nice tires.

So, will you make a second attempt to get your wife riding a decent bike? Or is she still happy with the i.b.?

I'm not sure what i.b. stands for....

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to keep this for her, I really want a reason to keep that early Deore stuff around! I was going to keep the components but ran into issues with special frame bosses and a couple smaller reasons. I did banish the Huffy, my sister has that in Columbus OH. My wife's current bike is a 1990's Schwinn Collegiate with a 3 speed coaster hub. It's nice enough and she likes it...even though she has ridden once this year.

I learned that SHE has to like the bike or she won't be interested in it at all. That was a tough lesson. This Lotus is in such great shape overall that it hurts a little not to keep it. She passed on some nice ones in my opinion, the 50's Norman and a 70's Miyata that looked brand new. MAN I miss that Norman!

Her current bike:

Uh, can you explain the quote in your sig line?