Robinhood1970

Lets face it...companies contract with china and the far east cause its cheaper to build and more money goes in the pockets of the few. However.....can a chinese company build a solid classic cruiser made of steel??? I say yes...take a look at the flying pigeon which has been around since the 60's. Let me know what you guys think of the bike.

gerv 

I'd love to ride one.

CenturionIM

I grew up on one of those. It is a very heavy, rugged bike with a steady, comfy ride. The bike is just designed for hauling things across town. I rode it through downpours and blizzards; I curb-hopped with it; I crashed it. No matter what I did, it always works the same. I was just a kid and had no idea bicycles needed to be maintained, but that's just as well. Never seen a broken frame; my own had no problem except occasional flats. To me, it just epitomize what a good friend is like.

sailorbenjamin

I had a Phoenix once. Rode just like a DL-1 and it had nice flashy decals and stuff. The paint and chrome were really thin and the bearings were slightly better than the gravel in a fish tank (note the missing chaincase, there were 2 different sized bbs in the BB causing it to gyrate to the point that the PO just pitched it. The rims were nowhere near true but the leverage was just right so that the brake levers just pulsated in a soothing manner.

candid

Phoenix are used to very common when I was young. They are like truck, can carry alot of goods on them.

Robinhood1970

great pics! That thing looked like an old work horse....I wonder if she ever found a home or if she's laying in a junkyard:/

rootboy 

I rode one while living in China for a while. Basic transportation. I wasn't impressed. But it was a way to get around town, before the big car boom hit.

sailorbenjamin

Thanks, there's more on that bike here;
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ter?highlight=
It didn't go to the junkyard, I traded it to a guy for a couple of Raleigh Twentys.

sailorbenjamin

Oh, and at the Essex-Peabody Museum they've got a traditional old family house. I didn't get close to this bike but it made a nice picture;

dddd

I'm also interested in the earliest Road Bikes (racing style 10 speeds) from Asian countries other than Japan, i.e. Hong Kong, Taiwan or Korea.

The oldest example I've owned (or know of) is a good-riding, 1977 Kobe Cobra, made in Hong Kong, with all-alloy Japanese componentry.

sailorbenjamin

Did you catch that thread about the oldest japanese road bikes last month?

lostarchitect 

The chrome on these is terrible. Every one I have seen is very rusty.