Opinions/Advice/Help on Panasonic and Falcon

[spiderlake]

I saved post 500 to ask for help from the collective wisdom and knowledge of the Serotta forum. This is a bit long-winded so please bear with me......

A couple of months ago and perhaps a bit too enthusiastic about having a project, I purchased two older bikes - A Panasonic DX-2000 and a Falcon by Ernie Clements. Please see the pictures below. My original goal was to build a fixed gear commuter with the Panasonic and a "touring" bike with a proper british feel with the Falcon.

I have been riding my Fierte back and forth to work and it isn't too bad with the following caveats - I would prefer wider tires, fenders and a rear rack. Even sunny days are wet because people can't seem to aim their sprinklers properly. I have been carrying small items in my CamelBack but it would be nice to have a rear rack and the wider tires would aid in providing a bit more comfort. I have also learned that there are enough hills between home and work that a fixed gear might not be all that practical.

I should have prefaced this thread by stating I know next to nothing about bike maintenance and absolutely nothing about restoration of vintage bikes. Because of my total ineptitude, the bikes have basically been sitting in the garage with the occassional ride around the culdesac.

Based on the information provided what would you do? The Panasonic fits me better but the Falcon certainly looks cooler. As far as I can tell, equipment is mostly original on both bikes to include the 27 inch wheels. Campy Velox on the Falcon and Shimano (fitting, eh?) on the Panasonic. Friction shifters on the downtube but that is about where my knowledge ends.

Should I worry about paint? Would it be a waste of time/money to upgrade components? Where do I begin? Yes, telling me to start over is an acceptable reply since I do feel like I jumped in without really thinking. Get rid of the 27 inch wheels for 700's? Brifters? What makes the most sense? Which bike do you prefer?

As always, your wisdom in such matters is greatly appreciated and I'm looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

[spiderlake]

bump - okay, you may have to suspend reality for a few minutes and pretend these bikes are worthy of being mentioned on this forum. A little help? :)

[GoJavs]

I have an old 1960s Falcon. It's got great clearance for fenders and made the transition to 700c's from 27's a long time ago without a hitch. I'd look for some used 7-8 speed stuff. DT's is really the way to go. I'm sure the rear's 126 but 130 shouldn't take much work fitting in there. Worse case, you can do a little home spreading. Sheldon Brown's got a good article on that on his site.

The Panasonic sounds like a similar set-up. I'd definitely change that quill stem for something a little newer, lighter.

Suggestion - you'll get a lot more help if you ask the i-bob list...!

A lot of people might tell you not to bother, but it's obviously up to you. Only you know if it's worth your while.

[fiamme red]

Keep the friction downtube shifters. Paint looks fine. There are good 27" tires still being made (look at Harris Cyclery and Nashbar for some choices), so no need to change to 700c. Replace components as they wear out.

I recommend a Tubus Fly (minimalist) or Logo rear rack, Ortlieb for panniers.

p.s. The components on the Panasonic are probably better than those on the Falcon. I might think of making the Falcon a fixed-gear instead.

[fiamme red]

The Panasonic sounds like a similar set-up. I'd definitely change that quill stem for something a little newer, lighter. :confused:

[GoJavs]

I know....not a lot of hope there...but, there are some nicer quills than that thingy on there... :)

[spiderlake]

Now we're cookin' with gas! Thanks for the tips.

[GoJavs]

Darrin - the key to making projects like these work is having some good spare parts buckets. If you do, then you can change everything on those two bikes just with the stuff off your buckets. That makes it a lot more worth the while. You get some use out of your spare parts and you get to give new life to a needy steed. :D

[PaulE]

I often daydream about but always talk myself out of.

Upgrade the Panasonic by adding the wider tires, fenders and rack that you want, and change as little else as necessary.

It' hard to tell from the pictures, but the Panasonic looks to be a little newer vintage, because the front hub is a low flange hub vs. the Falcon which has a high flange on the front hub.

The Panasonic does look to be a higher quality bike than the Falcon. Again, it's hard to tell from the pictures, but the Falcon looks like it has a steel cottered crank vs. the aluminum cotterless crank on the Panasonic, and the Falcon looks like it has steel rims vs. aluminum rims on the Panasonic. The fork on the Falcon looks like it's all chrome with no paint to match the frame. This could be because it is a replacement fork. Back in the day this happened because the bike crashed into something and bent the fork. You should inspect the lug area where the headtube and downtube meet and see if you see any bends, deformation etc, indicating the frame is damaged before you invest anything in the Falcon.

If you decide to make the Falcon a fixed gear bike, buy a bike repair book - Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, Anybody's Bike Book or others out there and try doing the work yourself. You should look around for used parts and do it yourself on the cheap. Even if you don't end up riding it a lot, you'll gain some experience working on a bike with low risk of damaging something expensive. Just be sure you get things put together well before you take it on a long ride.

Also, the Falcon may look more like fixed gear because I bet the right rear dropout doesn't have a derailleur hanger, it's probably part of the rear derailleur and is held on with the rear axle.

[harlond]

I second the recommendation to build up a fixie or SS yourself. I had very little experience in wrenching when I converted my Serotta from geared to SS and was able to build it up from bare frame to bike without any real problems. Having done so, I think the SS is a great addition to the stable, and since you've already got frames and some parts, it's a good way to go.

[spiderlake]

Thanks again everyone for the tips!

Good eyes on the fork on the Falcon. I have the original fork and really don't know why it came with the chrome fork installed. It was also a correct assumption that the Falcon has horizontal drops and no rear der. hanger.

I do plan on "wrenching" these bikes on my own and think it will be a fun and inexpensive (hopefully) project through the fall and winter. I bought Zinn and the art of Road Bike Maintenance and look forward to thumbing through the pages.

Darrin