I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8! It's a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably be called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in flat scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice lugwork, Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic mudguard in gold.
Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order with no wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a hack bike.
I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past. Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be worth spending much on restoring it?
"Richard Pattle" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:
Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be worth spending much on restoring it?
Not certain about the bike, but only restore it to the state where it can work reliably as a hack bike. Doing a "museum piece" type restore (if that's what you were getting at) would just be a lot of hard work.
8 quid is a damned good price though. Mind you, I can beat that, a neighbour was chucking a reasonable but mucky bike out and it was next to his bin with "please take" written on a chunk of wood through the frame. Whether or not he meant me or the bin man mattered little to me and it is now sitting in my garage with various bits soaking in paraffin. Come to think of it, they've been soaking for about 6 months now, maybe they're done? :-o
"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>,
Richard Pattle said:
I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot
And did you exercise due diligence in ensuring it isn't stolen goods?
-- Nick Kew
It turns out the vendor was one of my son's teachers, asked him this morning how his Dad was getting on with it, so I think I'm probably OK.
If I wanted a stolen bike I'd go to our local 'country market' on a Saturday morning, where bikes that have obviously been stolen are auctioned off for some amazing prices..... ....... but then of course they are the unclaimed ones being flogged by the local rozzers ;-)
"Richard Pattle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8! It's a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably be called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in flat scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice lugwork, Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic mudguard in gold.
Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order with no wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a hack bike.
I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past. Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be worth spending much on restoring it?
I think Saracen MTB started up in early 90's, previously they were Bluemels of mudguard/pump fame IIRC. Was there not another Saracen small independant manufacturer? (no I'm not think of Mercian!)
I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8! It's a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably be called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in flat scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice lugwork, Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic mudguard in gold.
Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order with no wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a hack bike.
I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past. Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be worth spending much on restoring it?
Yes, a bargain. I'd change the brakes for modern Shimano ones though - they're not too expensive on eBay as everyone dumps their old non-STI levers.
