Take 1/2 the world to the dump and return with magic beans

[Gravity Aided]

I work in a bicycle co-op, and people are encouraged to drop their bicycles off there, as opposed to putting them out for trash. But people still put them out with the bins, and the metal recycling amateurs take them. Anything that isn't used by the co-op is put in a fellows' truck he leaves there for filling, and taken to the recycler. But most recycling of metals is done by junkyards, if too big for the bins.

 

[Cycleops]

Unless you can date it from the frame number the derailleur might be the best indication. If it is the all plastic Prestige which ran from '62 that might give you a clue but I don't know when they found out they were dreadful and discontinued them. Even the later model Prestige which looked metal was in fact mostly plastic.

 

[randynewmanscat]

I'm going with mid 70's, but I'm almost certainly wrong. Great project.

Case of beer for your guess Drago. The maillard hubs are marked "40 75". I have a few Maillard hubs and am sure the second number is year of production. That is if the wheels are original. I took a look on the net and it seems I have found a bike with the cheapo gas pipe tubing "Luxtub" while the models "200" and "300" are Reynolds 531.
The posher models are equipped with Hutchinson alloy rims, Maillard LF hubs and Stronglight 49D, the cheaper "100" models with 3 pin spider cottered steel cranks and Rigida steel rims.
It appears I have found a bike with everything 200 and 300 apart from the 531 frame.
I am weighing up how sympathetic (and cheap) a restoration to embark on. Normally I lose control of spending very quickly on my own bikes and the price escalates, mission creep. For the first time in my life I will likely try hard work and patience, citric acid in the ultrasonic bath, light polishing instead of shaping the alu parts with a 2kw 12" buffing wheel type of thing. We shall see which way it goes. One thing in favour of a gentle restoration is that time is not on my side, I have a lot of work at home due to the 40C temps of last month when concrete was supposed to be poured and a short window to Autumn to get a lot done.
One thing, I need a chain and have run out of the Sedis and Regina 3/32" chains I squirrelled away in the 80's, who makes a chain that actually fits the wider teeth of old blocks well?

 

[midlife]

Putting anew chain on an old block might cause skipping etc, might be easier to get a cheap replacement "block and chain"..... sunrace freewheels are OK, KMC chains are about six quid.

 

[randynewmanscat]

I went digging amongst my crates today hoping to find an old Atom 5 speed block, I think it may be in England with not so cherished bits. There is nothing in the crates here worth less than the salvaged Mercier.
Worthy of gloating is part of my freewheel collection. I'm going to ask the neighbours to ask their neighbours and see what turns up.

 

[KneesUp]

Recently picked up similar, early 80s Pug. Looking forward to doing it up.

Can confirm - have 1979 Peugeot in the shed with the same Simplex stuff on it.

 

[midlife]

I went digging amongst my crates today hoping to find an old Atom 5 speed block, I think it may be in England with not so cherished bits. There is nothing in the crates here worth less than the salvaged Mercier.
Worthy of gloating is part of my freewheel collection. I'm going to ask the neighbours to ask their neighbours and see what turns up. View attachment 480736

Are those New Winner blocks? Don't they need a thinner chain or am I getting confused...

 

[randynewmanscat]

Are those New Winner blocks? Don't they need a thinner chain or am I getting confused...

Oh don't! There has long been confusion on this and I offer no clarity either. I know only this: They work with Sedisport, Regina and DID from the dark ages and sold as "6 speed". They are a little prone to chain wrapping or climbing over the sprockets on KMC until a few miles have been put in.
That is all I can say. I have a link somewhere which explains the evolution, could be Sheldon Brown.

 

[midlife]

Oh don't! There has long been confusion on this and I offer no clarity either. I know only this: They work with Sedisport, Regina and DID from the dark ages and sold as "6 speed". They are a little prone to chain wrapping or climbing over the sprockets on KMC until a few miles have been put in.
That is all I can say. I have a link somewhere which explains the evolution, could be Sheldon Brown.

Yep, the Ultra 6 and 7 along with the Winner series were always a bit of a black art. Suntour made things up as they went along, a bit like Falcon but with more imagination lol

 

[Mo1959]

Well done.
We are not allowed to pull anything out of the skip at any of our local recycling centres.

We are not supposed to either, but the bike bit is kind of out of sight of the council workers so you would probably get away with it. I think ours go to a recyclabike type of place so at least they will be of some use to someone.

 

[DCBassman]

R UAE

 

[randynewmanscat]

We are not supposed to either, but the bike bit is kind of out of sight of the council workers so you would probably get away with it. I think ours go to a recyclabike type of place so at least they will be of some use to someone.

Its good if old bikes find a new life, the thought of a machine that could still have use being crushed or fragmented then sent to the other side of the world to be converted into tomorrows fad gadgets is depressing.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Yep, the Ultra 6 and 7 along with the Winner series were always a bit of a black art. Suntour made things up as they went along, a bit like Falcon but with more imagination lol

I wish you hadn't, its like a bone to a dog! Your comment reminded me and then I remembered the other article I have a link to on another computer. An article about Suntour blocks, if I find both links I will post them here, they are both informative and migraine inducing and possibly useful to me and others.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Not much to update. The new owner has been pressed into service cleaning the stripped components for me, the Simplex dérailleurs are almost shot but I will take a look to see if they can be salvaged. The rear wheel will provide no end of fun, drive side bearing cup is well pitted with rust, deep pits, the sort that make for a coffee grinder action when spinning the hub.
I have every type of bearing extractor known to the world of tools and none will fish the cup out because the good folk at Maillard decided to use a cup with the exact same size through hole as the hub shell axle hole.
I have some Pelissier SF hubs (dreadful things with plastic chrome plastic fairings over the axle tube) and am told they are the same cups. Those hubs I have had in a box since the early 70's and I just kept them "in case". "In case" has arrived and I intend to drill two 2mm holes in the hub shell and drift the cup out using a silver steel drift and heat from a heat gun. Other dirty way for the duffed up cup will be to run a bead of weld around the inside of the cup, the cup will shrink and fall out but I still have to scare the replacement out of the Pelissier hub without damage.
This hiccup is strike 1, it will cost no money but it does cost time. I don't foresee any other hiccups as the rest of the bike is stripped and inspected.