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TheDoctor

Noble and true, with a heart of steel
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
My Carlton Gran Tour - think it's late 70'sor thereabouts.
phone stuff 037.jpg

531DB, 27" wheels, Simplex Retrofriction levers, SunTour front mech and a Huret Duoper Eco at the back. 14-32 block and a 50/30 (!!) chainset. I've left everything original, apart from NOS hoods, new bar tape, Koolstop pink brake pads and a set of SPDs. Oh, and a saddle that wasn't utterly horrid...
 
Thanks for the comments. The bar tape was next on my list but I didn't bother as I realised I probably wasn't going to ride it:sad:

Would it not be worth updating the shifters to sti if that's the only issue. I don't think I could leave that in the shed unused
 

DaveyA

Über Member
I did ask around about doing that. But it sounded as if it might turn out to be an expensive thing to do. I was led to understand that I would need some shifters, cables and rear mech. Also, the rear wheel has a 7 speed screw on block and I am not sure how to sort it all out with a more modern hub/cassette arrangement. If I had an idea of the cost I might consider it as I have found myself looking out for a new summer bike for next year and would likely spend around £1000. I suppose the cost of converting this one would still be cheaper, and I would like to ride it again if possible.
Forgot to add the little story about it.
When the bike was only a few weeks old I was on a club run and we stopped for our dinner at the regular cafe stop in Bellingham, Northumberland. It was a very popular place and sometimes there could easily be 25 to 30 bikes left outside. I came out to find no sign of the bike, thinking someone was having a joke and hidden it around the corner knowing it was new I didn't worry straight away. It soon became obvious that it wasn't a joke unfortunately and the bike was gone. Now I started worrying. There was nothing else to do but report the theft at the local police station and phone home for someone to come and collect me. No one could believe a bike had been taken, it had never ever happened before and to my knowledge I don't think it has since. I was sickened at the loss and resigned myself to the fact I would probably never see the bike again. The following day I answered the phone to the police from the station in Bellingham, they had the bike! On the day the bike was taken an officer was on his way up to Bellingham to begin his shift when he noticed a tramp on the other side of the road with what he thought at the time was a very tasty bike for a tramp to be riding. When he got to the station obviously he found out what had happened and said he had just seen the bike being ridden by a scruffy old tramp. I am not sure how far away the tramp had managed to get but the police soon tracked him down and recovered the bike. I travelled up to collect the bike wondering what condition it would be in, luckily there was nothing serious, the toe clips were all scraped so I think he must have pushed it some of the time. The saddle and bar tape were something else. The white saddle, same one as in the photos, was absolutely filthy with ingrained muck (to put it politely) and the bar tape was more black than white. The police asked if I wanted to press charges, I said no, I am just happy to have the bike back. But I think the police went ahead because the case was in the Hexham Courant newspaper and it turns out the tramp was quite a youngish bloke. I can still remember his name, it was quite a distinguished name to be honest and you wonder how someone finds themselves in such sad circumstances. A couple of weeks later we were once again at the cafe and the lady who ran it said she had something for me and from under the counter produced the water bottle that had been on the bike when it went missing. They came across it when they found the spot where the tramp had been sleeping rough under the bridge. I said thanks but I probably wouldn't be wanting to drink out of it again. People still mention it sometimes and ask if I still have the tramps bike, as it has come to be referred to.
 
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raleighnut

Legendary Member
I did ask around about doing that. But it sounded as if it might turn out to be an expensive thing to do. I was led to understand that I would need some shifters, cables and rear mech. Also, the rear wheel has a 7 speed screw on block and I am not sure how to sort it all out with a more modern hub/cassette arrangement. If I had an idea of the cost I might consider it as I have found myself looking out for a new summer bike for next year and would likely spend around £1000. I suppose the cost of converting this one would still be cheaper, and I would like to ride it again if possible.
You could easily stick some bar end shifters on it, shimano ones work either indexed or friction so would be OK (friction) with a screw on 7 or if you change the rear wheel and mech you could index them with matching cassette and rear mech.
 

DaveyA

Über Member
I have never used bar end shifters , I imagine they would be ok but I just don't fancy them. I have asked this question here a while ago regarding hub and cassette suitability. I will re-read the advice and seriously think about doing it. Many thanks.
 
Having just done a "modernising" rebuilt of my vintage frame, I can confirm that -- with a little ingenuity and lateral thinking -- just about anything is possible. We found that the one item that is potentially the One Big Insurmountable Deal Breaker is.... if you touch anything about the rear wheel/axle/mech etc that MIGHT mean you need a new rear mech hanger.... there is a very strong possibility that you will not be able to find any mech hanger on the market (short of scouring flea markets for vintage parts!) that will fit your rear drop-outs. Just saying.
 
@Katherine You mentioned on another thread that you're not sure what to do with it - just ride it! :smile:
I had a 1975 Puch Touring which was very similar to the Elegance model -- and it was the same colour as yours with very similar decals: https://www.flickr.com/photos/10938860@N03/sets/72157626517559110/.
The wheels were 26 inch and overall the bike was too small for me but it was a great ride round town and on local trails. I put it out on long term loan twice - the first time to a post graduate student from the USA, for the duration of her stay in London) and the second time to a friend who was thinking about taking up cycling but quite nervous about it and not wanting to spend much money in case she didn't enjoy it... and also at 4'11" she had difficulty finding anything other than a child's bike that she could ride. She eventually found a second hand bike of her own, and I sold "Izzy" to a woman in a similar situation via someone here on CycleChat. It's a great bike!
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Here's my 1978 Elswick Hopper Chinook. It's a 1978 model in JPS colours to commemorate JPS Lotus winning the F1 world chapionship that year.
 

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Katherine

Guru
Moderator
Location
Manchester
@Katherine You mentioned on another thread that you're not sure what to do with it - just ride it! :smile:
I had a 1975 Puch Touring which was very similar to the Elegance model -- and it was the same colour as yours with very similar decals: https://www.flickr.com/photos/10938860@N03/sets/72157626517559110/.
The wheels were 26 inch and overall the bike was too small for me but it was a great ride round town and on local trails. I put it out on long term loan twice - the first time to a post graduate student from the USA, for the duration of her stay in London) and the second time to a friend who was thinking about taking up cycling but quite nervous about it and not wanting to spend much money in case she didn't enjoy it... and also at 4'11" she had difficulty finding anything other than a child's bike that she could ride. She eventually found a second hand bike of her own, and I sold "Izzy" to a woman in a similar situation via someone here on CycleChat. It's a great bike!
Wow, they're very similar!
I'm only just starting to learn how to look after my other bike myself as one of my new year resolutions. Maybe I'll get it out in the summer. It's so heavy which is what puts me off the most.
I'd no idea that so many people have been collecting these old bikes but how often do they actually ride them?
 
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Wow, they're very similar!
I'm only just starting to learn how to look after my other bike myself as one of my new year resolutions. Maybe I'll get it out in the summer. It's so heavy which is what puts me off the most.
I'd no idea that so many people have been collecting these old bikes but how often do they actually ride them?
I'm not sure "collecting" is what all of us are doing...?

I certainly ride my Puch Princess whenever it's practical. I'd ride it all the time but don't want to put a rack back on it, which rules out commuting, and the fit isn't good enough for rides longer than, say, 40 miles. But it's certainly the lightest bike I have - even lighter than my custom titanium. (Yes, I know!)

City bikes like the Elegance and Touring, however, ARE heavy. They were never made for speed. The friends I lent my Puch Touring to both lived in ground floor flats with no steps to haul a bike up/down. :thumbsup:
 

Katherine

Guru
Moderator
Location
Manchester
Wow, they're very similar!
I'm only just starting to learn how to look after my other bike myself as one of my new year resolutions. Maybe I'll get it out in the summer. It's so heavy which is what puts me off the most.
Do you find that there is not a lot of information out there on these Puch bikes, I don't seem to be able to find anything about the Puch Buckingham I have online at all?
I did try Google once quite unsuccessfully.
 
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