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Post by jaydub on Sept 11, 2015 0:35:29 GMT
Hi, My name is John or "Jay".. Ive been riding bikes for a while now. I Have an 88 steel Bianchi and a 89 schwinn aluminum 754 a dented japanese OS series 3 Paramount a old steel gary fisher mt. bike , a 76 schwinn mini scrambler stingray (was my first bike) ,,a 74 schwinn girls continental ,,and now a 76 Viscount!! Nice to find you guys..... I got this bike for 90 dollars in gulf port, Mississippi couldn't pass it up , Iam always looking for old road bikes now..and so happy to own this one..it'll be cool to get to know you guys and share our lovely bikes!! now to figure out how to post a pic...    |
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Post by stoatie on Sept 11, 2015 1:37:38 GMT
Hey John/Jay welcome to the forum. I don't think anyone here owns a viscount per se, you'll find that once you've got one they start multiplying.
That's a nice original looking G.P you've picked up too.
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Post by 54roadie on Sept 11, 2015 2:21:16 GMT
Hi Jay, welcome to the fun. Your Viscount looks just like one of mine, except you got lucky with the OEM stem, bars and seatpost intact. Good score! $90.00? VERY good score!
I'm afraid Stoatie is right. I had one years ago, sold it, bought another last year. It was too small, so I gave most of it to a friend and replaced the frameset with two more Viscounts. They are fun bikes to collect, noodle a bit, and ride. I've found the folk here to be welcoming, and very knowledgeable, and hope you do, too.
Frank
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,385 
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Post by Jem on Sept 11, 2015 5:19:50 GMT
Jay - first of all welcome!
That story about how you got it and the price, is the thing that keeps us all on the hunt. I for one don't need any more bikes , but if that were on my door step at this price I would snap it up in a flash.
I love that colour scheme and yours looks in really decent original condition.
You sound like a man who knows his bikes, so it will be interesting to hear what you make of the ride.
Those original toe straps might be fading but they look great with that bike. Don't throw the reflectors away as they are original too - they were advertised and most often sold attached to the spokes though.
And as for the old time mileometer - I quite like it. Very in keeping for the time.How many 'on the clock'?
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Post by triitout on Sept 11, 2015 14:31:33 GMT
Welcome to the club Jay! When you see the half brake hood covers still on, you know you've found an unmolested original. With a bit of scrubbing it'll clean up nice. About the brake hoods, I salvaged mine by painting on clear silicon caulk and it's still holding 2+ years into the application. Enjoy the ride  |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 11, 2015 16:18:46 GMT
Thanks my new friends!!! Sooper8--yea was wondering about the reflectors ,wasnt sure if they came with the bike since they were made in the U.S.A.. not much of stories , but all my bikes i got for cheap ..My first road bike was the paramount that my wife wrecked , it was the most expensive $600 or so ...my bianchi Kinda started me looking for more...I got it for free a goodwill while doing some community service in colorado..lol,,, My Schwinn 754 i got for $20 at a thrift store.. I made them all kinda my own by painting them.. But I want to keep this Viscount original..And if I find more old vintage bikes I would do the same,, cause I respect them more then when i first did starting out on this journey.. ..especially looking at all the bikes people have out there..TRIITOUT-- Yea I was wondering if I Could get new brake hoods for it, mine are a little ratty.. ..sorry for my grammar and punctuation ,,just the way I type. Wonder If these are all the miles only put on the bike???  |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 11, 2015 16:40:19 GMT
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Post by jaydub on Sept 11, 2015 16:44:15 GMT
sorry images are large..to make smaller press "ctrl" and the minus key "-"
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,385
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Post by Jem on Sept 11, 2015 17:29:13 GMT
Jay - actually that makes sense about the made in US reflectors. I only really think I have seen them on US Viscounts of that era - maybe they all got fitted to comply with some law or other when they arrived in US? But I have seen it enough times to know it is original. In fact, I think I have seen an advert with them in... But they were on the bike from new for sure. Those 'V' shapes red into white with gold edging has NOT been touched up. That is original too. EDIT - here is the original placement of reflectors, from a bike owned by Triitout.  gp1 by Sooper 8, on Flickr |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 11, 2015 17:57:11 GMT
thats a super nice bike!! Ok so its supposed to be trimmed in gold..i couldnt see that,,I'm colorblind..
wish i had the "V" emblem on my pedals .:/
yea you're probly right about the reflectors being put on after being shipped to the states..
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Post by triitout on Sept 11, 2015 21:45:20 GMT
Jay, I put on Dia-Compe (Cane Creek) tan non-aero brake hoods and they look great. Never seen a half hood like the originals. I'll bet that is the original mileage. Lots of 10 speeds bought during the bike boom years of the 70's were quickly forgotten and are sitting in someones garage waiting for a second life. I bought the same red and white GP that was sitting in a barn about 2 years ago for $100. A little TLC and it rides great. I'll bet after you try that saddle, you'll be looking for an upgrade and that's coming from someone who'll tolerate almost any saddle! Here's the brake hoods on my GP  DSCN0911 by Michael Pitzer, on Flickr Sooper8, nice to see the Mojave in it's native environment again, and yes it still looks the same! I have a responsibility to keep it as is  |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 22, 2015 18:53:17 GMT
Hello friends!! Getting there!!    was gonna try to replace the spokes, I cant even get the back hub off (dont have correct tools and tried the punch and hammer trick- didnt work) and plus i don't even know how to lace a rim anyways.. so I'll probaly just keep the old ones on there..All I need now is some shifter cables and some tires and I'll be good to go!! |
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,385
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Post by Jem on Sept 22, 2015 19:05:21 GMT
That is looking great!
The porthole chainring is a top class design, a thing of beauty!
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Post by jaydub on Sept 22, 2015 19:07:17 GMT
QUESTION....... TO PUT BACK ON OR LEAVE OFF?   |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 22, 2015 19:12:32 GMT
That is looking great! The porthole chainring is a top class design, a thing of beauty! Thanks soop!!! Yeah, that's what caught my attention when i first saw the bike! Its great ..couldnt get one stinking screw out, and of coarse it was the last one...so I couldnt properly clean and polish it like i wanted to.. |
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Post by triitout on Sept 22, 2015 23:02:59 GMT
I think I'm seeing the double of my GP! White saddle and red handlebar tape almost screams '67 Vette! I vote to get the speedometer back on |
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Post by jaydub on Sept 24, 2015 21:18:22 GMT
Not trying to copy your bike triitout,, Just a saddle I had laying around That came off my '89 Schwinn ,,if i can find a cheap red one i'll buy it..and of course I had to go with the red tape,,,and like you mentioned the hoods , I just asked the guy if he had some to fit my brake levers and it just so happened he handed me the same brand as yours and the ones you suggested (Cane Creek)..had to cut out a little on bottom so the lever would go down all the way,, no biggie. ..and yes i'll put back on the odometer (glad it cleaned up nice) to keep track of all the miles the bike had and will be put on it..hope it's accurate .. just wish i could lace a rim,,,ughhhhh! |
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Post by triitout on Sept 25, 2015 2:35:33 GMT
Jay, I'm happy you went with the white saddle. It's a bit of a blend of old and new with so many modern bikes spec'd with white saddles. Keep it on! If you are looking for an inexpensive white saddle, check out the one on my bike from Nashbar. Excellent value and the extra length give me lots of room to slide around on. It's like a bargain Fizik saddle. www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_540909_-1___204721I feel your pain on the rims  . Love the hubs, but hate the rims. I'm OK on light mechanical work but I'm more of the designer type. We need Stella (forum mechanic) over here to redo those wheels. I hated not running high pressure tires so I recently switched over to these. www.niagaracycle.com/categories/wheel-master-weinmann-lp18-wheel-set-700c-36h-5-6-7-speed-fw-qr-silver They also have a similar set with 27" rims. Weird part is they need to be dished a bit more so I can shift up to the 28 tooth gear. I bought the same ones 3 years ago for my Pro and they're still running great with no dish issues. For now, I'm sticking with low pressure tires/non hook bead rims on the Gran Sports. |
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Post by jaydub on Oct 22, 2015 19:33:18 GMT
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. Love the hubs, but hate the rims. I'm OK on light mechanical work but I'm more of the designer type. We need Stella (forum mechanic) over here to redo those wheels. I hated not running high pressure tires so I recently switched over to these. 
