Greetings,
I was in Western Massachusetts last week, and stopped for a coffee in Northampton. It was a nice day, so I decided to walk around a bit. As I strolled along, I saw a white Raleigh Grand Prix chained to a pole. It was kind of dirty, but looked all original, down to the Simplex Prestige derailleur. Clearly a bike that had seen a lot of use.
Half a block farther along someone on a bike pulled onto the sidewalk. This person was riding a white Peugeot of similar vintage and level (cottered cranks, etc.: U-08, U-10?) with a trailer attached. It too, looked like it had most if not all of its original equipment.
Very surprising to see two white 1970's bike boom bikes so close together. Maybe the women and men of Smith College are preservationists. Maybe these bikes have been handed down from generation to generation of students. Fun to think so, anyway
Best regards,
Marcus Helman
Detroit, MI