Your first "REAL" road bike?

[MisterMurray]

A Batavus Professional I bought off of Craigslist with a mix of Campy parts for $400. After a long hiatus from cycling it made me fall in love with bikes again.



A friend of my is still "riding" it. (Mostly it sits in his basement.)

[Volksbike]

If I don't count my first 10 speed, a heavy Green 1975 Columbia with 26" wheels, 1 piece cranks, Dia-comp side pull brakes and Suntour friction stem shifters with chrome steel derailleurs that I rode home from the bike store super fast when I was 10, it would be a Blue 1975 Raleigh Grand Prix 25" beautiful lugged steel frame and 27" wheels with Simplex derailleurs (request to shift) and Weinmann Center Pull brakes (Request to stop). Still have my dads mostly original version of this bike hanging in the barn but the cotter pin stamped steel cranks have been replaced with Campy Chourus 175's!! Still sporting steel rims and Simplex derailleurs and center pull brakes. Old Raleighs were Built to last a lifetime! Especially the 3 speeds


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[Retrodoug]

Wow, after my Schwinn Continental I bought a Univega Sport Tour in 1982. It was a beautiful light metallic blue. I thought it was so cool, because it had Shimano 600 drive-train components (less the crank). I ended up giving that bike to my son a few years back. However, I think my first "serious" road bike was my 1973 Super Mondia Special. Yes , it was an older bike , but to me it was fabulous!! I bought it in the early 90's and became the retro guy with my bike buddies. It was made in Switzerland and has chrome Nervex lugs , a three -color fade paint job and Campy Neuvo Records components. The brakes are MAFAC center-pulls. People still stop and stare at it!

[froze]

Originally Posted by Retrodoug

Wow, after my Schwinn Continental I bought a Univega Sport Tour in 1982. It was a beautiful light metallic blue. I thought it was so cool, because it had Shimano 600 drive-train components (less the crank). I ended up giving that bike to my son a few years back. However, I think my first "serious" road bike was my 1973 Super Mondia Special. Yes , it was an older bike , but to me it was fabulous!! I bought it in the early 90's and became the retro guy with my bike buddies. It was made in Switzerland and has chrome Nervex lugs , a three -color fade paint job and Campy Neuvo Records components. The brakes are MAFAC center-pulls. People still stop and stare at it!

I know I would stop and stare at it too!

[Ruimteaapje]

This Peugeot back in 1990: Reynolds 501 tubing and equipped with Shimano RX100 I worked all summer at the local supermarket to get the money for it. Here's 18-year old me in action in Austria in 1991...

[RocketPockets]

Built from the frame up and had it stolen last year :/

[T-Crush]

even though it was one with Raleigh connection. That makes it my Motobecane Super Mirage I purchased for myself in college in 1979. Then a long break to a Vitus 979 with Campy SR I picked up in 1989. Both were fun, but in very different ways.

[ceya]

1984 Cinelli Super Corsa with Campagnolo Victory.

Bought from Kissena Cycles in Queens NY , owned by Al Toefield and Sal .

Still have it.

S/F,
Ceya!

[lugee]

1994 Giant Kronos. Belonged to my dad, first bike I learned to take apart and fix, and first bike that got me deep into cycling.

[pobrien]

It would have to be my Bianchi 'Professional' in Celeste green. The frame and forks were made with Ishiwata 022 steel. Suntour Superbe running gear.

It is in my bike room. Bought it in either 1983 or 1984 from Varsity Cycles on West Broadway in Vancouver, near Alma.

I think my Eddy Merckx Corsa rides very similarly. Very responsive bikes.

I would post photos but no skill here for that!

[Cloozoe]

1969 Peugeot UO8. I don't care what anybody says - it sucked; a miracle I kept riding.

[Calnago]

Originally Posted by pobrien

It would have to be my Bianchi 'Professional' in Celeste green. The frame and forks were made with Ishiwata 022 steel. Suntour Superbe running gear.



It is in my bike room. Bought it in either 1983 or 1984 from Varsity Cycles on West Broadway in Vancouver, near Alma.



I think my Eddy Merckx Corsa rides very similarly. Very responsive bikes.



I would post photos but no skill here for that!

Just saw this. I was attending UBC and bought what I thought at the time was a pretty good road bike. Also from Varsity Cycles in Vancouver. Mine was a Bianchi Super I believe. It was probably of 1982-3 vintage. One of the first ones Made In Japan with Tru Temper tubing. It had Shimano 600 stuff on it. It was a maroon color... I wasn’t as clear then that a Bianchi isn’t really a Bianchi unless it’s Celeste and Made In Italy. Cost me $650Cdn. It was a very large frame, probably too big for me, and had a terrible speed wobble that I could invoke at will flying down West 10th Ave towards Alma Street. I eventually sold it to a friend for $100 when some years later in 1991 I got a Basso Loto from La Bicicletta on Broadway. Still have the Basso. SLX tubing and first generation Record Ergoshifters. Those who claim it took a long time for riders to accept shifting from the levers versus the downtube couldn’t have been cycling back then. I don’t remember any debates.

[glepore]

Poghliaghi TSX - around an 87-88.

[pobrien]

Hi Calnago,

What a small world! I was a student as well working on my first degree and living on campus. Great places to ride. Roaring down 10th could keep one focused!

I paid quite a lot for my bicycle at the time. We could have easily run into each other!

Great bikes though, both of them.

I had downtube shifters. I rode it on through grad school then stored it while other bikes came along. I am glad that I kept it, still looks very good.

Patrick

[earlofwarwick]

Trek 400. My Dad and I saw American Flyers, and promptly went and bought bikes. Haven't stopped riding since that day.