You may recall the story of my Puch Emerald, bought as frame + forks + headset (only) on ebay a few years ago, which we attempted to build up as my London Town Bike.
I've never known what the original factory build may have looked like, but there is a complete bike listed on Ebay UK at the moment, which the seller claims is "totally original and unrestored".
It's a 10-speed, not 5 as I'd have expected, with shifters mounted at the stem. The brakes look like Weinmanns.
The Ebay seller has not included any close up shots in the auction listing but I have enlarged and cropped from the full-view photos to "zoom in" on various components.
What do you think? Does anyone know the make of the rather interesting crankset? Presumably the rear mech is Simplex though it's hard to be 100% certain from the photos.
I thought I'd got over the idea of doing up a vintage bike sufficiently for use as a daily runner, but must admit they still tug at me somehow.
I cannot help you with your questions, but I am envious that you find Puch bicycles so easily. Much harder to find (or even have shipped) here it seems. I particularly enjoy the paint job on this model.
ReplyDeleteWell, I do actively look for them! They're not terribly common here. On average, I probably see one "in the wilds of London" every 2-3 months or so. I do see 10-12 Puch Princess mixtes come up on UK Ebay each year, so there are lots hiding away in sheds and garages up and down the country. The Emerald is very elusive - was so surprised to see this one come up. I love the look and yes, that dreamy colour. The 70s decals took a while to grow on me during the time I had mine but yes, love those too!
DeleteI love the minty color plus the mini chain guard (or is that chain ring guard?) There's something about these well-made older bikes that speak to us, eh?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious how the replacement bike is holding up.
Hi Annie, yes they do speak to us!
DeleteMy Puch Princess also had that chainring guard. I don't know if they were common in Europe in the 70s?
The Viking is holding up fairly well. I've had several very wet and windy commutes and have found the brakes are pretty rubbish! I've also had a little trial and error in carrying weight, as it was affecting the handling. Planning to report further on the bike in the spring - let's see how she survives the winter!