Originally Posted by
dddd
If this bike fits, I would definitely want to get some miles in on it before making any changes, since these bikes are darn-near perfect as-is.
Even for sporting club rides, dare I say maybe even a training ride, it will make a good rider with a freewheel size suited to the terrain.
I went to the trouble of finding 1/2" clipless pedals and making a 13-26t six-speed freewheel work with the original French-made derailers, but I kept the rest of the bike near stock, including the original kickstand. OK, I did also swap the bars/stem/seat/post and remove the protector discs (they were surprisingly heavy), but the bike's stock configuration (wheels, shifters, cranks, etc.) and especially the 73x73-degree frame geometry (vs. 70-degrees for a Continental) imo makes for a viable road bike even today!
Mine's definitely not in as nice condition paint-wise, but this color is very good at making the blems invisible from just a few feet away. I found mine on Craigslist and was happy to drive an hour just to check it out (and paid close to the asking price since the original rims turned out to be in top shape).
It is pretty easy to punch out the reflectors and retrofit the 1/2" OEM pedals with toe clips -- been there, done that with the Varsity I briefly owned. The one change I would make is to replace the Twin Stick stem shifters with barcons, but that's just me. I like the 6-speed idea a lot, but I had to grind down the stop to increase the right Twin Stik lever's travel and cable wrap to make it work, even for a 5-speed with a SunTour VGT-Luxe on my wife's bike.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069