How about an original '59? 58cm Bianchi "Competizione", only the front derailleur, the saddle, and the tires of course, had been changed. The Universal lever hoods have long since turned to dust. All paint and decals are intact, and even the plastic handlebar tape looks old enough to be original. I had to clean up the chrome, but other than a few scratches and faded candy red paint, she's an excellent find in a thrift store for $75.00 and change. The best part is that it's only 17 digits (on the serial number) older than the blue 60cm Bianchi "Competizione" that I already owned.
The same day I found an original, also with few non-original parts, about 1973 or '74, 24-1/2" Raleigh "Grand Sports", at another thrift store only two blocks away, for only $5.00 plus sales tax !
Both bikes were purchased after already purchasing the bike I had gone after that day, an early 20th century Columbia "Junior Roadster" that I believe I have mentioned earlier. But I'm not sure if that one fits this group. It has a Persons leather saddle and dropped handlebars though, although I'm not yet sure if either are original to the bike.
You asked ! Some very rare days just seem to happen that way.
On Thu, 4 Jan 2001 16:18:17 EST Huthornton@aol.com writes:
> Seems to me that $250 is quite a lot for a classic bike. I paid less
> that
> that, admittedly about 3 years ago, when I purchased a substantially
> original
> Gitane Tour de France. I think this was a model peculiar to the US
> (I
> haven't seen one in Europe anyway) with 531 butted throughout,
> Simplex
> dropouts, chrome ends, Mafac Competition brakes, Simplex plastic
> gears (the
> less bad ones), Stronglight pentagram chainset and Mavic tubular
> rims on,
> surprisingly, Campy Nuovo Tipo hubs. The foregoing shows that this
> bike was
> absolutely nothing like the Gitanes raced in the Tour de France,
> with the
> possible exception of the frame tubes.
> This bike rode really nicely unless I took my hands off the bars, in
> which
> case I had to lean it over about 20 degrees to keep it running in a
> straight
> line. Turns out the problem was a bent steerer. Getting that fixed
> probably
> put the cost over $250, but it is now one of the best-riding bikes I
> have.
> This bike is similar spec to a lot of PX-10's but doesn't seem to be
> so well
> appreciated.
>
> Hugh Thornton
>
> _______________________________________________
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