rossiny

I just bought as my birthday gift.☺Needs going through , seat is almost touching seat post. Needs bearing repacked, cables adjusted . I like a longer stem and brake levers . Any suggestions on what you'd do on it ?? It looks pretty original , Paid 275, seller would not budge much from his asking of 300. Was a long ride and paint and chrome looked pretty good , so I bought ,, how'd I do ?

randyjawa 

In my opinion, you did just great. The bike appears to be quite original sporting a more than acceptable patina of age.

I would do the clean, lube and set-up thing, same as the OP with two additions. I would get rid of the inappropriate bar wrap. To me, it stands out too much and looks out of place. The same tape, in black, might look better and work just as well. But for me and such a bike, my only choice would be cloth, in either black or even a dark green. I should add that I wear padded cycle gloves when I ride.

And second, I would look very carefully at the tires. Old tires, though I used to think differently, are not to be trusted. Even NOS old tires, in my opinion.

This one blew out with a bang. Lucky it was the rear and I was going slow...


These NOS hoops shredded themselves a year after put into use. Admittedly, I took the tires to Jamaica with me. Perhaps the climate change had something to do with the failures (both tires)...

oneclick 

1974+ Mk II, in good condition is seems. 275 is more than I would have payed, but

a) it's not outrageous when compared to the dreamers pricing bottom end Peugeots in three figures;

b) I already have one (and quite a few other projects); and

b) I'm cheap.

Prowler 

Nice bike in nice condition. And, as its winter and already a hard one there in WI from what I hear, I recommend you do everything. You have the time (April is a long way off) to be fussy and to learn what you don't know now. Accept that what lube is left is shot and should be cleaned out and replaced, everywhere. Everything else is dirty or oxidized and should be cleaned. Replace the rubber bits and any skanky cables, housing and damaged fasteners. The f/f is easier to clean and polish with all the components out of the way. Take the time and do it ALL. It will also give you the confidence and satisfaction that everything is just right and ready for those first sunny test rides on dry roads.

I've done the everything approach on 8 or 10 bikes now and it's enjoyble. And I've learned a lot.

beicster 

That is a beauty, I really like the green they used on this model. Is that crank steel? Can you post some more pics of it? I like the looks.

On the one hand, I want vintage bikes to be cheaper than that. On the other hand, that is a fine price compared to what is happening on ebay right now. I think you did fine and no one cares what I wish vintage bikes would cost. LOL.

nlerner

That looks very well preserved. Derailleurs aren’t original, and are the rims steel? They look very shiny in the pics.

OldsCOOL

Very nice example and great find. Have fun with that gorgeous classic!

Classtime 

That looks fantastic. I think you would need to wait some time for another to show up at a better price--intact with nice paint and nice chrome.

rossiny

daka

I'd flip that seatpost clamp over. A big bump might result in a painful surprise......

rossiny

was thinking same 😬

Pcampeau

I’d have paid $275.00 too. It can be easy sometimes to find good vintage bikes for less if you’re taking whatever comes along cheaply, but when it’s a bike you want in your size and in great condition you may have to pay a bit more. If it were mine I’d clean it and overhaul it with fresh grease and cables. Then I’d give it new Panaracer tires and new bar tape. That’s all I would do....well maybe add fenders too. I really like that steel crankset!

elcraft

My ‘75 Super Course is exactly same paint /decal scheme. The cranks could be Nervar steel/alloy combo, Nervar Star all alloy , or (like mine) Stronglight 93. The Weinmann Alloy rms were high polished and people often assumed they were steel. The derailleurs, clearly, are period correct Suntour “upgrades” (performance-wise). OEM on my Super Course were Huret Challenger. The pedals look like Atom 440s.

rossiny

Crank says Nervar Sport, yes the derailers are Suntour, hubs say Normandy. Just took one hub apart, grease is hard. The bike is like unused ...
yup, I flipped the seat mount .. looking forward to riding. I had a Super Course frame before with the Cappella lugs,, I gave away long ago,, and really liked the ride.. I do home remodeling and typically slow down a bit now. So looking forward to regreasing etc. The stem and bars are a bit small. I guessed that was the way they rode them in the 70s??

Hobbiano 

I'd gladly pay more for a bike in that condition. And I've done it a few times with no regrets. Even a year or so later, I think those were some of my best purchases. If you appreciate nice paint and no rust, and generally un-abused condition, how much would it cost to put a less well preserved bike back in that condition? Start by pricing a paint job, and new decals, or even a nice powder coat. I think you got a great deal.

daka

Those narrow bars take some getting used to. The bikes track well so not a lot of concentration is required on steering. If you find it impossible to get acclimated, Nitto sells wider bars that have the 25.4 mm center section that will fit the GB stem.

ascherer 

You did just fine. That'll be a great ride whatever you do with it. Given it's condition I'd enjoy that configuration until I got itchy... You could go in any direction with it. Ride it for a while and it'll communicate what direction to take, if any.

nlerner

I had one that color that came to me as a frame only, essentially a blank canvas for all sorts of builds. I went with a 5-speed Sturmey-Archer hub drivetrain:

75SuperCourseMkII_1.jpg