Congo_Powers

This is my first post here.

A couple of days ago I bought an old touring/race bike. Dead cheap. It seems to be fitted with pretty descent components (SunTour Spirt/Seven derailers, Araya 7000 wheels, Sakae drop bars and crank set, Dia-Compe brakes, MKS track pedals with Cristophe rat traps).

What puzzles me is the frame. It is a steel frame labelled "Perfekt del luxe" on a sticker in the front and the form ends are Suntour GT (i think it reads).

Har anyone heard of this brand of bikes? Where they were made, what kind of tubing etc.
I would greatly appreciate any input on this.

Thanks!

tomd7

Everyone is going to ask for pics. Post some up and you'll get a lot more help.

Congo_Powers

Of course. Here are some.

Pompiere

All the components are decent, so the only unknown is the frame. Having Suntour dropouts is some indication that the frame is good too. In may not be a great bike, but it doesn't look bad, so I would shine it up and ride it. That will tell you all you need to know. I like the color and I don't usually like purple.

Sigurdd50

color is definitely hipster cool.
cut off the der hanger, grind off the braze ons and whack the bars and make it a fixie
(dodges ball bearing rain)

OldsCOOL

Hipsters are overrated. Make the alloy glisten like chrome, polish/wax the paint (very nice color), new tires and tape.....ride it like you've owned it for 30yrs.

Scooper

The frame weight and seat post diameter should provide some indication of the tubing quality.

Congo_Powers

Since i'm too old to be hip my plan was to clean it up, polish it and ride it. I will absolutely keep the color. Since I only paid about 30$, I think I did a pretty good deal no matter the maker of the frame. However, since I've never heard of the brand I got curious about where it is from. I get a Central European vibe from the name and logo, like Czechoslovakia or something.

Congo_Powers

Am I better off with a light frame and a thin tube than the other way around? How light is a "light" frame?
I'm new to this...

Btw. Thank you all for your interest and feedback.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Cousin?

Congo_Powers

Now that's nice! Norway... So much för my czech guess.

Scooper

Higher quality steel alloy tubing has higher tensile strength and can be drawn with thinner tubing walls than lower strength alloys, thereby reducing the frame weight compared to lower strength alloys.

Most higher end bikes use seatposts with a minimum diameter of 27.2mm if the frame has a 28.6mm O.D. seat tube. If the seatpost diameter is smaller than 27.2mm on a frame with a 28.6mm seat tube, it usually means the tubing is lower quality so to get the required strength the tubing wall has to be thicker (and heavier).

Congo_Powers

Thank you!
I have no way to weigh the frame but the seatpost is marked 26,4 mm and the seat tube, as far as I can read my sliding measure, is 28,8 mm.
This would indicate a not so high end tubing, am I correct?

I am sure this will not affect my cycling, but it is nice to know what I have.

Scooper

Correct; it's not a high end bike. That certainly doesn't mean it's a bad bike, though.

Congo_Powers

Well, I am no high end cyclist so we'll make a nice pair, Perfekt and I.
I'm sure it will be a fast and fun enough bike once cleaned up and put together.