I bought my leftover PX-10 in 1984 ($400) as a high school graduation present for myself. (many lawns mowed and burgers flipped)
I remember it being less expensive than the current year Vitus tubed Peugeots in similar price range and rode much better as well.
It was my commuter in grad school since the parking at NC State was abysmal. Once I had kids it was parked under my parent's house.
Pulling it out two years ago and fixing it up, I took it out with two fairly "hard core" roadies. Totally out of shape, but still stayed up with them. Still had old style pedals.
Used as indoor trainer since.
Rode it again on Jan 1 for 70 miles since other bike was in shop.
Wonder why I ever bought another bike.
Chris Miller Greenville, SC
> Even though it burns the third of my four posts today, I have to agree.
The PX-10 was a great bike for the same reason the MG-TC and Triumph TR-3
were great sports cars. Sure the latter two were tempermental and
undependable by today's standards. Sure, a Ferrari or Maserati or even a
Jaguar XK-120 would outperform them by a wide margin. But they were fast
for the money, they were fun, and they were priced within the reach of the
masses. They opened a whole new world to their owners, and changed American
society, or at least added a new aspect to American society, one which
looked to UK and Europe for inspiration and began to break down traditional
American isolationism. The PX-10 did the same thing in the area of cycling.
It defined the European "10 speed" for a generation of Americans in the same
way that the MG-TC and Truimph TR-3 had defined the European sports car.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Houston, TX
>
> "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@starpower.net> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jan Heine"
> To:
> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 7:41 PM
> Subject: [CR]French Bicycle Culture in France
>
>
>
> "The great constructeurs Singer, Herse, Routens and others never were
> household words."
>
>
> Ah... well then.. can they ever be considered to have contributed to the
> "French Bicycle Culture" either in France or abroad?
>
> In so many fields we tend to equate superiority with greatness. What was
the
> greatest motor car in the history of the planet? A Ferrari or a Ford Model
> T? What defines greatness? Well if few have heard of you or it, greatness
> seems elusive at best. How can something that, whilst argueably superior,
> that few owned or rode contribute to a culture? Let alone define it.
>
> To me, the greatest French bicycle of all time was the PX-10. Why? It was
> priced within the reach of most. It raced (and won) with the best. It
> symbolised the great bike boom in the USA which remains a wonderous
> transformation of the ultimate car culture into something well.. at least
> more cycle friendly. And it had real staying power... for a good 13 years
c.
> 1965-1978 it was racing and winning. And it did so with its sloppy lugwork
> and finishing. That's part of its charm. It's like an old wooden tennis
> racket. The true racing bike, perfect only in its essentials. And finally,
> it belonged to a great brand, a "family" as it were of cycles that basked
in
> its reflective glory. So if you were like me and could only afford a UE-8
at
> age 16, it was painted like a PX-10.
>
> These were truly the machines that introduced much of America (and indeed
> elsewhere) not only to the delights of French cycle culture but to
> lightweight 10 speeds. Not just through the victories of Simpson, Merckx
and
> Thevenet, but because it was same bike was the one the cool guy down the
> road owned or it was the one you really, really wanted. And you had to be
> content with your UE-8. If someone had offered me a Rene Herse.. I would
> have held out for that PX-10. And still would.
>
>
> Peter Kohler
> Washington DC USA
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.7.0 - Release Date: 1/17/05
>
>
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.7.0 - Release Date: 1/17/05