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Post by triitout on May 15, 2016 3:16:11 GMT
Another late night internet trolling led me to one Gary Showalter's memories,published in 2009 of a 1977 bike tour in Ohio, which is still going on annually in it's 55th year. Gary posted several photos of his Viscount Aerospace GP in it's red and white color scheme. He's got an email link so I will invite him to our forum and see if there is an interesting story to go with the photos and if he still has the bike. www.vwlocal.net/gary/cycle/TOSRV/1977/1977.htmlCheers, Michael |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 15, 2016 5:22:07 GMT
Those were the days! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Jim
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418 
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Post by Jem on May 15, 2016 7:26:14 GMT
Great patch and certificate! It would be nice if Gary did drop by with his recollections on the Pro.
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Post by 54roadie on May 31, 2016 22:56:42 GMT
Hey, Michael, maybe we should do TOSRV some year, on Death Fork equipped Viscounts of course. Early May, some year when the weather is less iffy than the last two (he said, while grumbling at the rain under his breath).
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Post by kickstandman on Jul 21, 2016 3:29:24 GMT
Amazing link, bookmarked.
Sometimes I don't think people realize how big the "bike-boom" was; I really wish it was that way still.
Somehow, I got in a debate about that and while I could be wrong, it really does seem bicycling was a lot more popular then.
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Post by 76Viscount on Aug 7, 2016 5:21:17 GMT
Hello Viscount bicycle fans! My email on the 1977 TOSRV page I have hosted for numerous years is defunct. triitout 's posting found me when I was searching for some unrelated material. I have taken photos of the 1977 Viscount Aerospace G.P. and hosted here: www.vwlocal.net/gary/cycle/Viscount1976/ I didn't ride after life got busy with kids and work that required regular travel. Only rode some local area rides and some with my kids when they were young. When I returned to cycling in 2008, the Viscount was replaced with a Cannondale road bike. The Viscount was bought when I was a junior in college. I knew nothing of bicycle riding long distance. I did have two guys in my dorm who were serious riders. They rode a chrome Schwinn (Paramount) tandem bicycle. They tried for the Guiness World record of continous hours on a tandem bicycle, near Greenville, Ohio, on the flatland there. I now only know their first names, Luke and Brian. Through them, I was invited to participate in the 50/50 bicycle race held on campus, on the old football field, on the cinder track. That lead me to buy the bicycle quickly one day so I could ride with the other guys on the team. I lived exactly 100 miles north of the Miami Univ. campus and I would commute home on this bicycle. I rode just one way and got a ride back. It was a great bicycle. It never fit me though and that is why it was replaced with a Cannondale bicycle in the 2000s. I rode the TOSRV only twice since 1977, in 2009 and 2010. Gary gbjja@vwlocal.net |
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Post by 76Viscount on Aug 7, 2016 5:34:03 GMT
The death fork . . . I have my original owner's manual, receipt, advertising booklet on the Viscount Aerospace bicycles, a newspaper clipping about 10,000 Viscounts being recalled. But I no longer remember the details of how I knew my solid aluminum fork did not need to be replaced. I wasn't going to have it replaced anyway as I did not think it would break. I had already put a lot of miles on it at the time.
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Post by kickstandman on Aug 7, 2016 16:51:59 GMT
76Viscount: Very nice, I sought to add your serial number to the data base per this thread: lambertandviscount.online/thread/1065/frame-numbers?page=2&scrollTo=8972Your Viscount appears similar to mine, serial number wise too, mine ends in EG and I've got the Titlist rear derailleur as well.. I did replace the fork on mine. A magnet happened to stick to the base of mine; but I think someone at bikeforums.net, classic and vintage ended up telling me, it still could have been one of the bad aluminium forks. Whatever, the bike store and I put in a new chromed fork. Thanks for sharing. |
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Post by triitout on Aug 9, 2016 1:42:16 GMT
Gary, glad you connected to the forum and filled in the the missing years with your update. Maybe it's time to turn it into a second bike? Looks like you've got the big 24 1/2" frame. I too didn't have the correct sizing on my Gran Touring but I put some upright cruiser style bars on and it has become a very comfortable ride for neighborhood and bike path relaxing, nostalgic rides. I recently posted a pic of said bike on a thread about milestone reached. Just came back from vacation in Mont Tremblant, Canada which features a beautiful rail trail (Petit train du nord) which was perfect for the "new" cruiser Viscount. Also perfect for getting the Mrs out on her early '80s Miata mixte to share the rides with. Mine sat from around 1992 till 2009 when I stumbled in the original and very useful Viscount Bicycles! thread on www.ctc.org.uk started by busaste. Rebuilt it but it really became useful after the cruiser conversion. Hope you are able to give yours a 2nd life! By the way, I'm now 5'10 1/2" (after shrinking an inch) and the 23 1/2" is a perfect fit if you find another one to buy! Cheers, Michael |
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