20 February 2013

To The Sea On An A-D

 Now I'm going to talk about another "parts bin bike" I built and rode.




I got the Austro-Damiler "Team" frame in the photo in a trade for one of my last sets of tubular (sew-up) wheels.  I don't recall which model it was, but I remember that it was made of Reynolds 531 tubing in the late 1970's.

As I understand, bicycles were sold under the "Austro-Daimler" name only in the United States. The company that made them was called Puch and marketed some bikes under their own name during the 1970's and 1980's.  With a name like that, you know why they felt the need to come up with another for their higher-end bikes!

My A-D had what many now call "old-school" road geometry--73 degree head and seat angles, and a somewhat longer chainstay and wheelbase than what are found on today's racing bikes.  Any number of racing bikes from the time had similar geometry:  think of the Raleigh "International" or "Competition," Peugeot PX-10E (and its descendants), and other rides from makers like Gitane, Falcon, Frejus and Fuji.  Racing bikes in those days were more versatile than they are now:  It's not uncommon to see them used today as randonneuring or even touring bikes.

As a matter of fact, I took my A-D on a tour:  In August of 1994, I pedaled from Paris to the sea near Bordeaux, and up the coast to Lacanau.  As I stayed in hostels and pensiones throughout my trip, I didn't pack camping equipment except for a sleeping bag.  Everything fit into a small set of panniers and a handlebar bag:  I'd guess that I carried about 15 kilos with me.  Still, the bike gave me a stable and comfortable ride.  The top tube was a bit longer than I have on my custom frames, but I still was able to use a stem with a reasonable amount of horizontal extension.  Thus, the steering was still pretty responsive, but not overly twitchy.

I probably would have that bike now, even after getting my Mercians, save for its unfortunate demise a few months after that tour.  I was running an errand a few blocks from where I was living (in Park Slope) when, in order to dodge an opening taxicab door, I ran into a chuckhole that seemed not much smaller than a manhole cover.  The areas of the top and downtube just behind the head lugs folded like accordions, but the sounds that came out of my mouth weren't as pleasing.

9 comments:

  1. The bike was earlier called the Puch-Steyer and was imported by RVC Cycle in Rockville Center LI

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  2. Anon--You are right. The A-D name was only used in the US.

    Puch/Puch-Steyr/Austro-Daimler seemed to disappear from the US market some time in the early or mid-1980's.

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  3. I have a Puch Pacifica that was given to me a few years ago, I think around 2009. I didn't get around to riding it until we had a transit strike in the San Francisco Bay Area. The bike was practically brand new except of course it needed new tires. I bought new tires and had it tuned up prior to the strike and test road it; I only had mountain bikes, since 1986, up to that point. I love riding the Puch even though it's too big for me. I think it is about 62 cm and even though I am 5'9" I also have a Peugeot PGN10 that is 56 cm and it fits me fine. Anyway, the commute went fine (riding two different trains plus biking just to get around during the strike.)

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  4. Anon--You're 5'9" and you rode a 62cm frame?

    But it says something about the bike that you could feel what a good ride it offered in spite of the fact that it was too big for you.

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    1. Yes, I still trade off and ride the A-D/Puch for exercise; I just like the darn thing but I have to be careful and lean it over to stop as it is a men's' bike and I am female. I should sell it but I just can't. I practiced leaning over in sudden stops before I used it for my commute and was as careful as I could be in heavy city commute traffic.

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  5. I had memory of seeing these here in the UK, they were not cheap...

    http://www.jimlangley.net/ride/austrodaimler.htm

    Seems that they even thought of girls...

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  6. Coline--That's interesting. A-Ds and Puchs weren't cheap in the US, either. That might be a reason why they were imported here for only a few years.

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    1. Last year I saw on Craigslist in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, a AD/Puch for sale almost identical to mine, including the 62cm size, listed for $450. I occasionally check CL for these bikes as I like mine so much and wish it were smaller but I haven't had any luck so far finding a smaller replacement.

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    2. Anon--AD/Puch has quite a devoted following. I can understand why.

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