[CR]My "new" Paramount

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 20:04:05 -0400
From: "Tim Fricker" <tymncycle@gmail.com>
To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]My "new" Paramount

Hey folks!

As some of you may remember, I recently bought a '73 Paramount P15-9 from my predecessor at the shop. Vacation and other things interfered with putting the finishing touches on it and riding it, but now it's up and running. Pictures are at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/

A few comments and observations...

It's mostly original, the exceptions being the front derailleur (a SunTour MounTech of all things... I think I have a period correct Record kicking around), the rear rim (an Araya copy of the original Weinmann... I need to find the correct one one of these days), and the saddle, which is a Brooks B.17 (when I bought it it had an Avocet). Cables and housing and tires are not original either, but everything else is. Oh, and I took off the "safety levers" and added some DiaCompe gum hoods to the Weinmann levers... so far there hasn't been any "transplant rejection" there. :-) Oh, and while I have the original Campy SL pedals, I'm currently riding with off topic SPDs, because I like my Lake sandals too much to give them up for daily use.

I've been riding it to and from work lately, and really enjoying it. It's a smooth riding bike, light and nimble, yet hands-off stable. And gosh it's pretty. About the only "complaints" i have are that I'm just not used to half step gearing these days (14-31 freewheel, 36/49/54 chainrings), and I kinda miss barcons. We'll see how it goes on the half step... maybe I'll get used to it. As for the barcons, I do have a set Schwinn-Approved/SunTour powerratchets from the 1973 World Voyageur that I may put on there. Oh, and when I swap out the pedals to clips and straps for the odd occasion (like, say, Cirque), I'll try to find the set of Campy track SLs I have somewhere, because my big feet don't really like quills.

-- Tim Fricker bikes@vienna, llc Vienna, VA, USA Recumbents, folders, tandems, commuters, etc.

http://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/