Rose tinted or not?

[screenman]

Do you have to wear woolen shorts when riding machines that old.

 

[Red17]

Looks like its a reasonable idea - anything particularly to look out for or avoid?

I'm assuming if I stick with something like a Raleigh or Peugeot I'm on relatively safe ground in respect of build quality.

Did they all have Reynolds frames at the time or are some of them likely to be a bit heavier?

 

[Drago]

Most of them are likely to be a bit heavier. That said, even their gas pipe frames could often be quite decent to ride, especially Peugeots.

 

[ChrisEyles]

Do it! Old ten speeds are wonderful to ride, and once you get used to DT friction shifters they are a joy to use. You may be 0.3mph slower on average (but then again maybe not, unless your other ride is super-snazzy carbon), but as others have said you'll have a lot of fun and a lovely looking bike. Old Peugeots are a good bet, and you see quite a few around. Anything in Reynolds 531 with original parts should also be nice, but probably a bit pricier.

Do stick some pics up if you find one!

 

[sidevalve]

Why the fixation on friction shifters ? Both my old Dawes and Falcon 'team banana' have indexed [rear only] downtube shifters and work very nicely thank you. Parts are cheap as chips on E Bay and the Dawes weighs in at less than 10kg [and that includes a Brookes saddle and small cable lock] Both are fitted out for mudguards [cyclists used to ride back then - not pose around] and have fittings for bottles.
Both are 14 speed but TBH I rarely use more than half of them. Of course if you buy some manky old wreck and treat it rough it will be a total pain but give a decent bike a chance and you will be amazed just how far we hanven't come in the last twenty / thirty years.
Especially when you consider that such bikes are available for less than £50 and with about £25 spent make great practical machines.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Why the fixation on friction shifters ? Both my old Dawes and Falcon 'team banana' have indexed [rear only] downtube shifters and work very nicely thank you.

I think it's because friction DT shifters are more common than indexed ones. The era of the indexed DT shifter was relatively short, before they were superseded by brifters and they never really dominated the market.

And also, because they rock!

 

[andyfraser]

Why the fixation on friction shifters ?

Because once you're used to them they just work.

 

[sidevalve]

Because once you're used to them they just work.

Don't need to get used to indexed and actually they lasted quite a long time on road bikes.
PS Reynolds 501 doublebutted tubing while not as good as 531 aint bad either.
As for 853 [and the later 953] - well carbon is ok for pencils

 

[andyfraser]

Don't need to get used to indexed and actually they lasted quite a long time on road bikes.

We get enough threads about problems with indexed gears here, problems that didn't exist on DT friction shifters.

 

[uphillstruggler]

you may be lucky, I picked this up for very little in near perfect condition.

when I picked it up, everything was original apart from the mudguards. the obvious additions of the saddle pack and bottle cage were mine.

its not top of the range, probably nearer the bottom at the time but if I were commuting day in day out, this is the one I would use. its sturdy, reasonably quick and comfortable. I would probably go for better brakepads also.

keep looking, there are bargains to be had.

which reminds me, I need to go and drop another charity donation to the lady that sold it to me.

good luck

 

[mjr]

We get enough threads about problems with indexed gears here, problems that didn't exist on DT friction shifters.

Yep. I was having a problem with indexing drifting on a folding bike each time it was folded. I replaced it with a friction shifter and it's dribblingly gorgeous to use. I hadn't noticed how much control/flexibility I'd lost from not being able to feel the rear mech.

 

[andyfraser]

Yep. I was having a problem with indexing drifting on a folding bike each time it was folded. I replaced it with a friction shifter and it's dribblingly gorgeous to use. I hadn't noticed how much control/flexibility I'd lost from not being able to feel the rear mech.

It's been a little while since I used friction shifters but you're right, you do have a lot more control and flexibility.

 

[mjr]

It's been a little while since I used friction shifters but you're right, you do have a lot more control and flexibility.

The thing that's often handy on a folding bike (and probably would be on any commuting bike) is that it is possible to shift at much lower cadence by pushing the lever beyond the usual position for the gear and then trimming back. It's not advisable, but it is possible and it's nicer on my knees than mashing!

Two reasons I think I do that more than some people is because I'm riding that bike in places I don't really know and sometimes get surprised by junctions/lights/whatever; and my oldest bike has hub gears where it's not so important to shift down before stopping so sometimes I just forget. (Can you tell which bike I enjoy most? )

Some people seem less able to interpret the feedback from the rear mech and so really dislike friction shifting.

 

[andyfraser]

Although my first geared bike had hub gears, the bike I learnt road riding on had DT friction shifters so I got very used to them long before I ever used indexed gears. Maybe that's why I still miss them.

 

[contadino]

Loving my 1980 Raleigh. The DT friction shifters aren't the challenge - that you just get used to (and pretty quickly). Having just 12 gears is. But I'm still riding around grinning. It takes time to develop thighs like Geoff Capes, and I'm conquering steeper hills each ride.