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It's 1973 - You must choose !!!!!!

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View Poll Results: Which would you choose?
Schwinn Continental
26
16.25%
Peugeot U08
43
26.88%
Raleigh Grand Prix
37
23.13%
Fuji (S-10-S) Special Road Racer
54
33.75%
Voters: 160. You may not vote on this poll

It's 1973 - You must choose !!!!!!

Old 02-10-13, 12:41 PM
  #51  
cyclotoine
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Originally Posted by wrk101
+1 Another senior in HS in the fall of 1973.

+1 French threading was not funky back then, it was just different with lots of affordable brand new parts out there (kind of like Italian now). OK, the french had to do everything different: pedals, stems, bb, freewheel threads, etc. Now the swiss threading, it actually made sense (but never got traction).

One month later, January 1974, I discovered my dream grail bike, a Nishiki International. Morrie Mages sporting goods in Chicago had just started selling them (store was kind of a precursor to the Dicks Sporting Goods). Unfortunately, I could not afford it at the time.

The International was priced at about what my Schwinn Continental cost, but had cromoly frame, alloy wheels, alloy cotterless crankset, good Suntour derailleurs, and oh yeah, weighed TEN pounds less. My interest in anything Schwinn at that point went to zero. Sure the Superior and Paramount were outstanding bikes, but they were at an entire different price point.

Of course, in the last three years, I have picked up about a dozen Internationals from 1973 and 1974, and right now in my project queue I have an American Eagle Semi Pro from 1973 and a Nishiki Competition from 1974 (same model, different name), both in my size. I might have to keep one of them. The American Eagle is kind of interesting as it has a Nishiki headbadge.

Here they are, in as found condition. The Nishiki has a cool, bronze/green paint color:

Hey I have a Nishiki-Semi pro the looks exactly like the silver one in my queue right now. it's in rough shape but damn near all original aside from the tires I imagine, but even those could be original. It will get a compact crank and maybe some 700c wheels and an overhaul and be ready for another 40 years of service. The wheels are actually pretty nice so maybe I will just clean, true and repack and buy some new tires.

as for the original thread topic.. I wasn't born yet. With the knowledge I/we have today it would, of course, be the fuji. Even in the early 1990s when I was still young, I remember my friend's dad having a schwinn hybrid and it being considered "the best bike in the family" because it was a schwinn. I was still riding my sears BMX.
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Old 02-10-13, 12:57 PM
  #52  
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In 1973, I was in junior high here in St. Paul. Right across the street from Ramsey Junior High, there was a funky bike shop that did not carry Schwinns or any other brand we knew about. They didn't last long, but they carried brands such as Batavus, Gazelle, RIH and Colnagos. I had a paper route and ended up with a Batavus Tour 'd Europe that I loved till some moron stole it.

After that I bought a gold Gazelle Champion Mondiale that my brother's kids use occasionally to this day.

As far as the choices above go, I would take the Fuji for sure.
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Old 02-10-13, 12:58 PM
  #53  
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This time around I have to go with the Fuji.

In 1973 I was in junior high and bought an opaque blue Connie from the money I'd saved.
Opaque blue, just like that leisure suit.
Eeesh.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:08 PM
  #54  
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I was in a similar situation in 1970 - for my graduation from junior high I picked a yellow Continental and rode the heck out of it all over the Palos Verdes peninsula for years. I was coming from a no-name 10 speed with low end Campy/Euro mix of components and it had 49/52 front chainrings and the 39-28 low gear of the Schwinn was heaven. 3 years later in 1973 I would have still picked the Schwinn as I really didn't know any better and still thought it was the shizzle. A year later, in college, I started reading cycling books and much to my horror I found out what a tank the Continental was. I sold it to a friend and bought a used UO-8 which was a few pounds lighter. I still feel a slight nostalgia for those old steeds but have no desire to ever own one again.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:08 PM
  #55  
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I turned 16 in 1973. I had a yellow Continental so I chose that one in the poll although I could be happy with the Raleigh or Fuji also in that order of selection.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:09 PM
  #56  
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Peugeot U08 - Just like the one I bought in 72 and put many happy miles on.

-G
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Old 02-10-13, 01:11 PM
  #57  
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I got my drivers license in 1973, so that decision was made a few years earlier. The decision was Schwinn all the way. For people in the financial situation you describe, Schwinn was the Cadillac of bikes. Japanese bikes were thought of in the same class as KMart or Sears bikes.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:12 PM
  #58  
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1973 was 8 years after I got my first tubular-tire-equipped racing bike---a Helyett Reynolds 531 track bike. My 1973 bike was either a fluorescent-orange Atala Professional or one of the white Cinelli-designed Raleigh Professionals---both all Campy. When I got the Helyett in 1965, the Peugeot PX-10 was going for $120 and a Schwinn Paramount was $175, which seemed insanely expensive at the time.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:28 PM
  #59  
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I'd take the Raleigh Grand Prix hands down. Actually a great riding bike, it was my first vintage bike, and I loved mine until it was stolen. + if it's the one pictured it's rockin' Huret Luxe, so style points to boot. If you switch out the steel wheels on these beasties they transform.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:30 PM
  #60  
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The Peugeot, no contest! In 73 Japanese bikes were still pretty much an unknown quantity and Japanese goods in general were still trying to shake that stigma of being shoddy. I grew up in England so Raleighs (usually second or third hand) were old hat. Schwinns were.....well, Schwinns. Only Peugeot had that mystique, that connection to European bike racing and the Tour de France, and who even knew or cared in those days that they had different threading or tube sizes, they were just....French and that explained everything.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:44 PM
  #61  
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In 1972 Uncle Albert built me a custom A Model. Built it up all Novo Record. Sold it two years later for $100. Not one of my greatest deals. Ed
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Old 02-10-13, 01:48 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by EhGiOeS
In 1972 Uncle Albert built me a custom A Model. Built it up all Novo Record. Sold it two years later for $100. Not one of my greatest deals. Ed
One of your greatest understatements though, this post
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Old 02-10-13, 01:49 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by oddjob2
Unobtanium for a golf caddy! If you don't mind sharing, what did that cost you back then?
I don't remember what was happening with the economy in 1973 (too busy working to pay much attention), but I have three retail price lists published by Schwinn during the first four months of the year.

January 1, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $350.00; P14 was $224.95.

February 1, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $425.00; P14 was $275.00.

April 2, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $450; P14 was $300.

That's a huge price jump in a little over three months.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:51 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by Barrettscv
I worked at George Garner Cyclery in 1973, I was 16 years old. I purchased this;
Graphics aren't '73. What's up?
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Old 02-10-13, 01:52 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by EhGiOeS
In 1972 Uncle Albert built me a custom A Model. Built it up all Novo Record. Sold it two years later for $100. Not one of my greatest deals. Ed
Wow, ouch! bummer.
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Old 02-10-13, 01:54 PM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by Scooper
I don't remember what was happening with the economy in 1973 (too busy working to pay much attention), but I have three retail price lists published by Schwinn during the first four months of the year.

January 1, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $350.00; P14 was $224.95.

February 1, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $425.00; P14 was $275.00.

April 2, 1973: P13, P10, and P15 were $450; P14 was $300.

That's a huge price jump in a little over three months.
Don't you remember odd and even days and waiting in gas lines? Every time I borrowed the family car, mom would say, "Make sure the tank is filled when you bring it back!"

It used to be go get a bite to eat and then get some gasoline. Today, it's go get some gasoline and see if you have any money left to get a bite to eat!

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Old 02-10-13, 01:56 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by dbakl
Graphics aren't '73. What's up?
It was repainted at the Chicago Schwinn factory in 1979.
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Old 02-10-13, 02:09 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by dbakl
Graphics aren't '73. What's up?
I noticed that too.
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Old 02-10-13, 02:39 PM
  #69  
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Peugeot UO8 is my choice as I was riding one in the early 70s. In 1972 I bought my PX10 for about $210 which was equal to a 40 hour paycheck before deductions.
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Old 02-10-13, 02:40 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by Scooper
In '74, the Continental retailed for $134.95 and the Le Tour was $159.95, so I'd have had to sweet-talk my parents into spending the extra $25.
That was late '74 after a price increase. At the start of '74 the Continental was only $125.95 and the Le Tour was $147.95.
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Old 02-10-13, 03:09 PM
  #71  
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I think the Fuji or the Raliegh,
it does not state if the Raliegh has steel or alloy rims-that would be a very strong selling point.

mike
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Old 02-10-13, 03:18 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by bobbycorno
Having actually RIDDEN these bikes, there's no question: PEUGEOT! The rest would be indistiguishable in a blind test (I know; howtheheck are you gonna do that?), but the UO8 rides and handles like something a few levels up in the foodchain. And for my money, that's what it's about when choosing a bike.

SP
OC, OR
Agreed, at this price point, Peugeots were a step above.
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Old 02-10-13, 03:20 PM
  #73  
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I was swayed by the cool-kid's argument that the smooth (we didn't know electro-forged ) joining of the tubes on his Schwinn was vastly superior to those gaudy painted things (lugs) on the European bikes.

We were just to opposite. Lugs were a sign of quality to us.

I left my lugged Raleigh in my parents basement when I hit the road at 19. (Not sure what ever happened to it.) When I started riding again almost 35 years later, I wanted a lugged steel bike. I understood that there are many fine steel bikes without lugs, but my inner child still wanted lugged steel.
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Old 02-10-13, 03:30 PM
  #74  
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I can tell you what my brother and I did at that time (1975), we were a year and a half apart. He took the Fuji, I the Schwinn. No question about it, he made the better choice! The Fuji was lighter and had better parts on it. I was pissed off the Schwinn dealer would not take the bike back! Really wanted the Fuji after riding it!
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Old 02-10-13, 03:52 PM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
I think the Fuji or the Raliegh,
it does not state if the Raliegh has steel or alloy rims-that would be a very strong selling point.

mike

The Raleigh GP had chrome rims.
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