Good find for a fix or ss conversion?
 

I have been looking for a beater to convert for commuting. This way I can save my SS rigs for the trails.

Yesterday I noticed an older beater road bike at the LBS. I noticed it had horizontal drops. Its an old Atala (chromo lugged) with a six speed freewheel. The chainwheels are older french looking, they have a three bolt pattern. The frame fits me, just need to get a longer stem.

Is this a worthy bike to convert, or is it just too outdate (cranks/chainwheel)?

Sounds like a decent find, provided one of the chainrings is a good size for the gear you want to run. Don't pay too much for it though; I hear that old Altas --chrome lugs not withstanding-- are a dime a dozen.

thanks for the input. I have been looking for sometime now for something. Funny thing is a friend just offered his old chromo kona frame with Horizontal drops. Guess I have tapped into the SS frame surplus down here in Houston.

I love my old Atala, and yes, its true that you shouldn't be impressed by the chrome lugs. its very common. As for me, the French parts turned out to be a huge pain in the ass. French chainrings are hard to come by and cost more, and if it takes French pedals, you're pretty much stuck with the ones that come with it. So I say scrap the French parts immediately and replace them with newer more standard stuff. That drastically changes the cost of the bike though, which might cause you to re-evaluate the situation.