CAAD4 Posted September 1, 2010 Share I'm still mourning the loss of my bikejacked, pristine 1988 Bianchi Columbus SL. To take my mind off it, I have been cruising eBay looking for a suitable replacement vintage Bianchi, for those great days when you just want to ride - nowhere in particular, where speed's not what it's all about, a classic entirely suited to all day riding, like for the 400Km weekends my mates and I get up to about twice a year. I recall my first new bike, a 1987 Peugeot Classique. Tange 2 tubing with 7-spd Suntour Superbe Pro and Rigida rims. Toeclips and all. It had a beautiful blue and white paintjob. Yep, I loved that bike. That's the bike I replaced with my new Bianchi in 1988. Funny thing though, as I started looking for 80s vintage Bianchi's to replace my pride and joy, I stumbled across some good old Peugeot PX10 and PY10 models (the latter being the hen's teeth works models), and thought back to my beloved Classique. As I result, I find myself now looking up Peugeot's instead of Bianchi's! So the question is, are you just as attached to your first real bike as I seem to be, and what was it? I bought a new Peugeot Mirage from Chis Willemse Cycles in Cape Town in 1988. Spent my whole paycheck. It cost R1000. It was one model below the Classique. Sold it when I was getting married, for honeymoon money, for R600 to a plonker from the North of Jhb who referred to his Nissan Sentra as a Coupe' (yes it had two doors, but was far from a coupe' in my eyes.) Chucked in my Patric shoes to seal the deal. No I don't miss it, as I was so unfit I only suffered when I rode it. Even in those days CWC offered great service and Chris was always around, when he was not riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuyP Posted September 1, 2010 Share I bought a new Peugeot Mirage from Chis Willemse Cycles in Cape Town in 1988. Spent my whole paycheck. It cost R1000. It was one model below the Classique. My Classique cost about R1300. The really aspirational Peugeot was the Galaxie though, which was something like a Vitus 979 as far as the frame was concerned, but cost about R2500 if I remember correctly, which was just simply stupid money! I still promise to visit CWC one day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Giant Posted September 1, 2010 Share I had a pick&pay invader. it was Candy-Apple red. It had 5 gears, 34/48 blades. A real iron horse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javadude Posted September 1, 2010 Share I had a Reynolds 501 Zini in 87, and then got a 525 Petini from Linden cycles in 89. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleming Posted September 2, 2010 Share 1995 steel framed, Kona Cinder Cone. I am so sad I sold it. If I could find one now I would buy it in a heartbeat. (Assuming the price was right) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuyP Posted September 2, 2010 Share Hey velo, was it one of those Dayglo Petinis? I looked at one before deciding on the Peugeot! Fleming, I have a soft spot for my first MTB too - A 1992 Bridgestone MB1 with steel forks, toe clips, Suntour XC Pro, Ritchey just about everywhere else - which I got during the formative years of the JMBC when I served on the committee. It was a great bike, but I don't miss it half as much as I miss the Peugeot! As for the Invader ... never had one of those, so can't comment on whether that would have good memories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermophage Posted September 2, 2010 Share First bike i bought while working at the American Fudge Factory back in 1998...It was AWESOME...I was paying it off like R50 a week...Then it got stolen! And I still owed like R900 on it And it was not specified on the insurance so they only paid out R900 ;( So no more bike ... sucks, but I loved that thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny K Posted September 2, 2010 Share Geez, what's with all those crashes! Nasty! Yep, the Alpinas, Zinis, DHCs, Hansoms etc... I wonder what happened to Gotty Hansen, esteemed frame-builder...The Cosmos bikes seemed to have only been around for a year or so in the late 80s I got a light blue Hansom at home - wife 'inherited it' (I took it). It was my mom's bike but was hardly ridden. Don't even know what rims. Suntour Superbe Pro 7 Speed with click shift Shimano down tube shifters. My dad had a Bianchi - custom made by a guy in Jo'burg. He wanted Columbus tubing but apparently was difficult to get hold of. Got written off while riding to work and a woman jumped the light - he went over the bonnet but frame and forks were bent. I have his latest Bianchi (2000ish model) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose1 Posted September 2, 2010 Share got my first road bike in 1982 , a beautiful read and blue Road master - 10speed.the only problem was that the redline BMX was the machine of "the manne" so i decided to jump my roadmaster at the local track ....... during a moment of madness i was dared to take part in the "long jump" comp of the day . round and round i went until i became air bourne, looking down i passed the longest jump line but the frame and my body didnt make the landing: fork broke , wheels buckled and rear derailer decided that the rear wheel was the place to hide. with a broken bike, broken arm and sore body i cried my way home only to get " bliksemed" by my dear dad. had to walk to school for the whole remainder of std 4 until "father christmas" bought me my redline........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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