Got one!

[DCBassman]

After mooning about the lovely mixtes seen on here lately, I've picked one up for a song locally. I was after bits to do up the Peugeot P18 I already have, but this one, although needing a fair bit of TLC, is, I think, the better bike. Certainly lighter! A quick and dirty weigh put it within half a pound of my alloy Scott roadie!

 

[All uphill]

I do like a nice mixte!

What are your plans for this one?

 

[biggs682]

Very nice @DCLane

 

[DCBassman]

So far, all I've done is go over it to see what's what. Badly neglected , yes, frozen hulk, no. There are some nice components on it, and some mismatched ones. The brake levers are Ritchey Logic MTB levers, and don't suit the bike at all. the DT shifters are Shimano, and although the FD controls seems reasonable, the RD shifting seems concentrated in a very narrow band of movement which works ok-ish low to high, but is very difficult high to low, goes from the 1st to the 4th sprocket almost immediately. Givne that all the shifters are Suntour, it might need Suntour DT levers.
It's been subject to a bad rattle can spray job. Simple things like brake block adjustment have been done as if by guesswork.
Good bits: Suntour drivetrain seems nice but needs serious cleaning. Cranks are mismatched. Lovely Stronglight 50-36t chainset up front, another of those wacky wide range 5-speed freewheels out back, 14-34t! Has 531 fork blades. Main tubes, no idea, but there is a partial decal, pictures below. Seat post and stem move freely (phew!).
Bad bits: paint job; rear axle has a little eccentricity; headset and BB need stripping and rebuilding, both jobs that I don't as yet possess the tools for. Needs new tyres, 27 x1.25x32mm. I suspect new tubes too. Ratty old bits of sponge grips, already ripped off and replaced from stock.
Chain fitted was a cheapo 10-speed! No wonder the shifting was carp...Needs recabling, plainly. Bars are steel, will find similar alloy ones or cannibalise the Peugeot. I may do that anyhow, then donate the frame to my favourite bike recyclers. Saddle is on its last legs. QR skewers are both seized, can replace fron from stock, but don't have a 120mm rear...
OK, more pics...

 

[DCBassman]

 

[DCBassman]

 

[DCBassman]

That was as good as I could get the decal without rubbing it out completely.
I've moved the stem and seatpost back to the safety limits. At those points, it's basically a reasonable fit, maybe a tad smaller frame than the Peugeot.
My intentions are to service all the bearings, if I can scrape together the tools and knowledge, and use this as a wet-weather bike - try and be less of a fair-weather wimp!

 

[DCBassman]

Forgot to talk make: Revell, sold by Madison Cycles, London. Any info on these names?
Another plus are those Maillard large flange hubs!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I like this, plenty of potential to create something rather nice and useful. I would guess it dates to the early-mid 80's, given the 27" wheels and who made it and what it is made from. Revell sold their own branded bikes, and had their frames built by the trade and badged by them. Most commonly their bikes were built using 531, but they also used Japanese Ishiwata tubing. Yours appears to be a mixture of both, Reynolds 531 mang-moly forks and Ishiwata 0245 cro-moly for the frame.
I swear there is something about 531 forks that imparts a tangibly superior ride to bikes fitted with them, compared to plain hi-tensile. My Raleigh Royal has them and it rides even better than my other 531 frames that don't have Reynolds forks. Even though your mixte currently looks like a tired station hack with it's crappy paint job I would absolutely take the trouble to strip and rebuild it sympathetically.

 

[biggs682]

That is ishiwata tubing so very nice indeed

 

[All uphill]

For me this is the perfect starting point for a project; you have a very good frame, but without the original paintwork that could dictate a sensitive restoration.

I could see this as an "under the radar" tatty commuter, or being given a quality respray and made into an elegant "Sunday best" or anywhere in between.

Great buy!

 

[DCBassman]

I also forgot to mention what the "song" was - £17.50!

 

[Hover Fly]

Forgot to talk make: Revell, sold by Madison Cycles, London. Any info on these names?
Another plus are those Maillard large flange hubs!

Madison were (are?) a distributor in London. They sold various bikes under the Revell and Romany names.
Once famous for the “ Freewheel“ catalogue.

 

[Hover Fly]

Scrabbled about in some old cats. and CTC mag adverts. Seems the frames were by good makers of the time, Mercian, Dave Yates etc, so looks like you got a bargain.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I also forgot to mention what the "song" was - £17.50!

That's the sort of price I like to pay for project bikes! 👍