Viscounts!
 

This is the update from yesterday. I think a lot of the objections about these bikes are pure baloney. While doing some cleaning on these bikes I found that the hubs have sealed bearings as well. Very very smooth even after 35 years. Unbelievable. The hubs say Lambert, and are very very well made. Look a lot like a high flange Campy. High quality polished finish. The frames are very light and apparently well made. I saw one years ago naked when my buddy Jerry repainted his, and I think I remember they were very nicely fillet brazed by hand.
I think this bike was very advanced especially for a bike made in '73. Only about 21lbs. too. One bike has a Shimano Touney(?) front derailleur, the other a Suntour that shifts backwards:you PULL the lever to shift DOWN, very odd on a road bike, but was common on early mtbs, so I think it was a replacement.
I'm wondering if the other manufacturers kinda passed along bad juju on these bikes because they didn't want to try to produce advanced bikes for such a low price too.
I'm leaving the death forks on, since if I do ride these bikes, it'll be just on my regular rides where I'm not pounding pounding pounding every minute. Frankly, I think these bikes were a fantastic bargain, and with proper care "probably" would last as long as any other bike.

The Ideal saddle is a model 6 in very good condition. When I eventually find an old Peugeot touring bike, it's going on that.

I built a wheel for my 3 speed Carlton around a Lambert hub. It's a very nice hub, but looks more to me like a Normandy than a Campy. It spins more like a Campy, though.

http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/17...600x600Q85.jpg

Very pretty bikes. I'm still riding mine with exactly the same paint scheme as a single speed; the fork was replaced under warranty a couple of years after I got it and it's still a very lively, agile ride.