A ride down memory lane

[raleighnut]

I miss my Raleigh Equipe from when I was a kid. I used to love that bike. Sigh.

I love mine mind you I might have 'uprated' it a fair bit with more modern components,


Although the hubs are earlier Maillard 'wideflange' from 79 and 80 (the bike is an 85 'Super Equipe) that I had laced up with new rims and despite the transmission being 105 10spd it runs a 6spd freewheel with friction shifters (126mm rear dropouts, you can get a 130mm wheel in but I wanted to use these lovely hubs I'd rescued and refurbished)

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I love mine mind you I might have 'uprated' it a fair bit with more modern components,
View attachment 389697

Although the hubs are earlier Maillard 'wideflange' from 79 and 80 (the bike is an 85 'Super Equipe) that I had laced up with new rims and despite the transmission being 105 10spd it runs a 6spd freewheel with friction shifters (126mm rear dropouts, you can get a 130mm wheel in but I wanted to use these lovely hubs I'd rescued and refurbished)

Very nice bike. Never let it go!

 

[raleighnut]

Very nice bike. Never let it go!

Never, it rides lovely is very comfortable and has solid predictable handling unlike my 'posh' 531c Raleigh Road Ace which can be a bit of a handful if you don't concentrate whilst riding as the handling on that is 'razor edge' and very lively. Don't get me wrong it is very comfortable but if you swerve round a pothole/drain etc. too quickly (cos you hadn't noticed it) then it'll spit you off in a second but that is due to it being a pukka racing bike as opposed to a 'Racer'.

 

[BalkanExpress]

Please forgive my sentimentality, but over the christmas period I have been reunited with my much loved Peugeot. I built the bike from a secondhand but never built frame in 1989. It was my first bike built with new components having never been able to afford such luxury before. I rode miles on this bike upgrading and changing things along the way. Then I got married. Ex wife didn't like or approve of cycling and its financial indulgence so I sold the bike to my brother for a bargain price. Anyhow to cut a long story short, (too late I hear you cry) I now have the bike back and today I refitted the original brake and gear levers and went for a test ride. I had forgotten just how nice it rode and for the first time in 20 years used downtube shifters again such joy. View attachment 389662 View attachment 389663

I love a peugeot...and that is a lovely peugeot