ChrisL Posted October 25, 2018 Share #1 Posted October 25, 2018 Who hear besides @No One and me has actually owned a bike with downtube shifters, floppy brake cables, toe clips and a steel frame? Im thinking @sheep_herder and maybe a few others... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #2 Posted October 25, 2018 I picked up a sweet bike from a foreclosure. Got it cleaned up & fixed up. Rode it a little bit. Had suicide levers. LOL Those things were dangerous! The down tube shifters were "challenging". gave it away IIRC It was then that i realized how much better my plastic bike is 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parodybot Posted October 25, 2018 Share #3 Posted October 25, 2018 4 minutes ago, ChrisL said: Who hear besides @No One and me has actually owned a bike with downtube shifters, floppy brake cables, toe clips and a steel frame? Im thinking @sheep_herder and maybe a few others... I have and still do own one, an 80s Falcon of England Europa. Reynolds 501 frame, down tube shifters and I have the original brakes, but converted them over to aero levers, so right now the cables are under the bar wrap. Also have an 83 Cannondale with all those features except the steel frame. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted October 25, 2018 Share #4 Posted October 25, 2018 I think a Schwinn Varsity was one of my earliest bikes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #5 Posted October 25, 2018 I did. It was a Centurion and it weighed a ton. I gave it to one of my not so stable relatives with the admonition that the brakes/steel rims didn't work so well in the rain. They parked it outdoors for a year and now the brakes work too well. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerrySTL ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #6 Posted October 25, 2018 1974 Schwinn Super Sport 1979 Raleigh Grand Prix 1990 Peugeot Tourmalet - had indexed downtube shifters. 1993 Trek 1100 - had an aluminum frame and indexed downtube shifters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted October 25, 2018 Share #7 Posted October 25, 2018 I had a late 70's Schwinn with DT shifters. I didn't ride it much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Far ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #8 Posted October 25, 2018 I bought a nice bike at @Airehead 's LBS in Rochester circa 1980. Nice bike. So nice that BiLof2Far sold it in ~1982 to fuel his cocaine habit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #9 Posted October 25, 2018 53 minutes ago, ChrisL said: Who hear besides @No One and me has actually owned a bike with downtube shifters, floppy brake cables, toe clips and a steel frame? Im thinking @sheep_herder and maybe a few others... My "steel is real" steed is an MTB with flat bars, so no downtube shifting for me. I am still rocking relatively unwieldy brake and shifter cables and flat pedal (no toe clips now) on it as well as a rack and a fenders. It works well in its current incarnation as an all-weather commuter. Oddly, it has never been rust-proofed (to my knowledge) but at over 20yrs old, rust is yet to be an issue. Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheep_herder ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #10 Posted October 25, 2018 My Holdsworth Record meets the criteria, but all are steel frames with steel forks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #11 Posted October 25, 2018 I would not own a beast like that..I thad a touring bike..1975 Sears Free Spirit..before that I shared my sisters old schwinn beast..got my first real road bike in the 90' when I got my Terry Symmetry..Cro mally with bar end shifters... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc2000 Posted October 25, 2018 Share #12 Posted October 25, 2018 1983 Raleigh Super Course 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Totin Jack ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #13 Posted October 25, 2018 Years back, my neighbor was cleaning out his basement and put a Holdsworth out to the curb. I snatched that up before his front door closed. Actually, I gave him $100 for it later. He purchased it in Belgium in the early 80's when he was stationed there. Set up in the European brake style; left brake lever worked the rear brake and the right worked the front. Campagnolo gruppo with downtube shifters. I liked owning it but couldn't keep it. Sold it at a bike swap meet for $400. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #14 Posted October 25, 2018 I’ve owned two Harley trikes with suicide shifter. I think two of my bikes came with pedals and toe clips. Those pedals may still be out in the garage. It doesn’t make much sense to put petals on a new bike, everyone switches them out anyway. My 520 is steel frame. I never had a bike with all those things on one bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2018 Share #15 Posted October 25, 2018 I did. I had a 1982-83 Peugeot steel frame bike. When I reall started riding in 2012 I rode it a few times then bought my current bike. Night and day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kirby Posted October 25, 2018 Popular Post Share #16 Posted October 25, 2018 I spent all my money on streamers. 2 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #17 Posted October 25, 2018 7 hours ago, ChrisL said: Who hear besides @No One and me has actually owned a bike with downtube shifters, floppy brake cables, toe clips and a steel frame? Im thinking @sheep_herder and maybe a few others... Yes to owning a bike. No to downtube shifters. No to floppy break cables. No to toe clips. Yes to steel frame. So I guess that's a NO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted October 25, 2018 Share #18 Posted October 25, 2018 The bike I rode until the wheels fell apart a few years ago had downtube shifters, but it was aluminum, a 1988 Raleigh Technium. My first real bike was a 1981 Raleigh Grand Prix with the stem mounted shifters, and it is steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted October 26, 2018 Share #19 Posted October 26, 2018 3 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said: The bike I rode until the wheels fell apart a few years ago had downtube shifters, but it was aluminum, a 1988 Raleigh Technium. My first real bike was a 1981 Raleigh Grand Prix with the stem mounted shifters, and it is steel. The bike you rode with me in Franklin had downtube shifters. That’s all I noticed but I’m not very observant. I didn’t even notice there was no glass in that big window in the brew pub until that guy on the street reached in the window and grabbed a mug of beer and took a drink. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Further Posted October 26, 2018 Share #20 Posted October 26, 2018 Early 70's Raleigh that I didn't like, Early 70's Peugeot that I rode the wheels off. Have some kind of old steel beast with 27" wheels, down tube shifters & floppy everything that I used to take to the beach. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted October 26, 2018 Share #21 Posted October 26, 2018 I have one that fits the bill, now. Back when, at least one was a Schwinn. I don't remember what the other was. I bought it used as a replacement because somebody stole my new Schwinn. Cable management is critical. One must ensure both cables rise above the handlebars exactly the same height and cross at exactly equidistant locations from the levers. Just so you know. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groupw Posted October 26, 2018 Share #22 Posted October 26, 2018 When I moved to Rapid City for college (1980), my parents bought a road bike from a police auction. It was rough, but had good bones. I refurbished it and it was a nice ride! It was stolen from work in 1983 It was sold through JC Penney but of European origin. I forgot the name, but years later our LBS owner knew it right away. Agreed it was a decent bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedalphile Posted October 26, 2018 Share #23 Posted October 26, 2018 Not I, though I do have bikes with some of those things, eg the down tube shifters, but I did away with floppy cables for the modern versions, frame wrapped, did away with floppy brakes again just for ones that actually brake, you know? No more toe clips either, so for this reason I cannot enter the retro events on my Kirk Precision, which is a great pity, there are few of these about, and it deserves to be seen by the many, since when I’m out on it it allus turns heads and sparks interest. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=ipad_bm&tbm=isch&source=hp&ei=UujSW86yKIO4kwX8oaPICA&ins=false&q=kirk+precision&oq=kirk+pre&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.1.0.0l5.5987.8600..9719...0.0..0.253.1254.2j6j1......0....1.......0..0i10.BefyYlx3Jbs#imgrc=mrHN0xlfbukh1M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tybeegb Posted October 26, 2018 Share #24 Posted October 26, 2018 I rode my first century (and first ever organized bike ride) on an old Schwinn Grand Touring steel bike that I bought at a garage sale for $15 and "fixed" up to ride. Down tube shifters, toe clips, iffy brakes, cheap tires, hand-sprayed silver Rustoleum. I did put a computer on it. It must have been a sight to everyone else to see me in a paceline of 20 high end bikes going 20mph like I knew what I was doing. I kept that up for 15 miles and then rode the "last" 85 miles solo. I was hooked after that even though I could barely walk afterwards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
late Posted October 26, 2018 Share #25 Posted October 26, 2018 I did, a long time ago, but I switched it to bar end shifters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parr8hed Posted October 26, 2018 Share #26 Posted October 26, 2018 My first road bike was a Schwinn Le Tour. It fit all of your standards. Rode my first 100 mile ride on that one. I have also had a World Sport. I currently have two steel frame, downtube bikes. One is a single speed though. The other one never gets ridden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizeye Posted October 26, 2018 Share #27 Posted October 26, 2018 Bought when stationed in Great Britain in 1986 and still ride today. A little large for me as I have shrunk a couple inches in the 20 years, but still rideable as the topbar doesn't stretch me out like newer geometries for that size bike. Worst thing I did was build new wheels (Mavic Open Road Pro on Chorus hubs) which took away my excuse to get rid of it. Had some closeup photos which have published here before but can't find them. Not where they should be in the "Bike" folder. Reynolds 531c frame, Campy downtube shifter and rear detailer - upgraded with wheels to 9sp Centaur from original Campy Triophe 6sp. The rest is more generic of the day. Here are a few photos I did locate. I do have the original toe clips in the 'junk box' in the garage...but the leather straps (no nylon back then) has long since rotted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizeye Posted October 26, 2018 Share #28 Posted October 26, 2018 11 hours ago, Kirby said: I spent all my money on streamers. Steel streamers!? Now that is hard core but probably makes a great windchime. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedalphile Posted October 26, 2018 Share #29 Posted October 26, 2018 1 hour ago, Tizeye said: Bought when stationed in Great Britain in 1986 and still ride today. A little large for me as I have shrunk a couple inches in the 20 years, but still rideable as the topbar doesn't stretch me out like newer geometries for that size bike. Worst thing I did was build new wheels (Mavic Open Road Pro on Chorus hubs) which took away my excuse to get rid of it. Had some closeup photos which have published here before but can't find them. Not where they should be in the "Bike" folder. Reynolds 531c frame, Campy downtube shifter and rear detailer - upgraded with wheels to 9sp Centaur from original Campy Triophe 6sp. The rest is more generic of the day. Here are a few photos I did locate. I do have the original toe clips in the 'junk box' in the garage...but the leather straps (no nylon back then) has long since rotted. Nice bike and post, the leather toe straps are still available new if you wanted to restore btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisL Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share #30 Posted October 26, 2018 2 hours ago, pedalphile said: Not I, though I do have bikes with some of those things, eg the down tube shifters, but I did away with floppy cables for the modern versions, frame wrapped, did away with floppy brakes again just for ones that actually brake, you know? No more toe clips either, so for this reason I cannot enter the retro events on my Kirk Precision, which is a great pity, there are few of these about, and it deserves to be seen by the many, since when I’m out on it it allus turns heads and sparks interest. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=ipad_bm&tbm=isch&source=hp&ei=UujSW86yKIO4kwX8oaPICA&ins=false&q=kirk+precision&oq=kirk+pre&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.1.0.0l5.5987.8600..9719...0.0..0.253.1254.2j6j1......0....1.......0..0i10.BefyYlx3Jbs#imgrc=mrHN0xlfbukh1M I remember those bikes! Can't say I ever saw one back in the day tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted October 26, 2018 Share #31 Posted October 26, 2018 On 10/25/2018 at 12:19 PM, ChrisL said: Who hear besides @No One and me has actually owned a bike with downtube shifters, floppy brake cables, toe clips and a steel frame? me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted October 26, 2018 Share #32 Posted October 26, 2018 On 10/25/2018 at 12:33 PM, Prophet Zacharia said: I think a Schwinn Varsity was one of my earliest bikes. this was my first 10 speed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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