This is my baby, great on long road rides and handles like a dream:
http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/x...ex/DeRosa2.gif
Bought in 1990, Campy Chorus with some minor upgrades...

Only grief you'll get from me is having the skewer on the wrong side on the front wheel. :D

Those are nice, light bicycles.

One thing Peugeot always has done is made a great riding frame... even the lowly UO8 has an extremely nice ride.

Agreed! The build quality is not top-notch at each price-point, but the ride quality is always at the top of the price-point. And while I say not top-notch build, I don't mean bad!

as a soon-to-be U08 owner, that's a little reassuring. lol

Have no worries... the UO8's greatest virtue is it's excellent ride.

With a few upgraded parts like better (alloy) wheels and perhaps even a cotterless conversion they actually get a lot lighter too... now that VO offers French threaded cartridges upgrading an old Peugeot with a better crank just got so much easier.

If you don't have to overhaul your crank, I'd leave the crank. It's fine. It's ugly or beautiful, depending on your viewpoint, but it works fine. Change the pedals so you have toe clips or clip-in type clipless (weird wordage, huh?) cleats. Put on light rims and tires. Zoom!

1980-ish Colnago Mexico.

I like the look of a well polished cottered crank and if there is nothing wrong with it they can work just fine... changing it will give you a stronger and more maintainence free set up and also drop about a pound off the bike.

A young fellow was looking at my 1955 Lenton and thought it was a fixed gear conversion... he told me I should lose the steel wheels (they are stainless), the cottered track crank, and the improper brake levers.

yuh huh.

:lol:

Depends on what I'm looking for.

If it's a shorter ride and more about comfort than about going up and down hills, then I'll take either the '50 Columbia De Luxe or the '36 Schwinn-Henderson.

If it's about a little more distance and a little more speed, or about short touring or hauling something like a lunch with me, then I take a 3 speed-- '74 Raleigh Sports or '78 Raleigh DL-1. The 3 speeds, especially with 22 tooth cogs, can handle a variety of grades pretty well. I tend to prefer the DL-1 for rougher, dirt roads. But the Sports is a more snappy performer.

I like each for what it does. I can't say as I have "one bike" for everything, but I will say that with these 4 main riders I have a bike on hand for almost any occasion.

Yikes :wtf:

Lots of folks think it is a conversion as they seem to think that if a bike doesn't have track ends it must have been a geared bike at one time.

The Lenton "Reg Harris Road Model" was originally offered as a three speed or a fixed gear model.

like others it will totally depend on application.

But my favorite is the newest because it's the best. light wheels, light parts, light frame
2000 Marin Treviso small and stiff, TIG welded columbus Nemo handbuilt by Bilatto in Italy.

Vintage? The Gazelle 531.... it's my smallest lugged frame at 62cm c-t... super lively ride, accelerates well and corners beautifully, but I admit I haven't even ridden it this year because I'm always gonna choose the 17.5 lbs modern bike over the 24.5 lb super record bike... never enough time to ride and when there is I want to take full advantage... but someday... still haven't ridden corky... just wall art... sinful I know.

Then again I just had a lovely 50kms or so ride on my new Univega Specialissima Rando style build and I have to say the hype about Miyata is warranted, that bike is a dream, so smooth, not to flexy. I did a honey run and road around the countryside for an afternoon with honey jars full in my velo orange seat bag and hardly noticed them.

I still hate my surly LHT. For utility is kicks ass but it's super heavy and rides like a boat. I haven't been happy with the handlebars since day one... but I just changed them out so maybe things will improve.

My everyday 531 main DB main frame Jeunet fit gear is always great, it's kind of whippy but I don't mind.

Next to that I have to say I do enjoy my 1986 kuwahara made MTB porteur bike for shear child like upright ambling around to the store etc. It carries loads like a champ.