New rider- Puch Bike, please help

ATH94

Hi, Im new to cycling, and have recently acquired a Puch bike.

I only have one picture so far, but from what I can make out, it is a Puch Medallion bike, made in 1971, with decals that say "Medallion UK" "1971 Le Touring Bike" and "BT".

Any ideas on the value/status of the bike? Is it any good? Have I come across a hidden gem or a cheap knock off? And how/should I tinker with it?

pblakeney

I think you should ride it and forget about monetary value.

If you enjoy it keep it. If you don't then you will find out what it is worth when you try to sell it.
Any item is only worth what someone will pay for it.

FWIW, I doubt it is worth very much but it does look in excellent condition.

ATH94

Wow, thanks for the quick reply! Yeah I hope to keep it for a while and look forward to being able to ride it! Should it be okay to ride straight up, or should I get it checked out first?

Matthewfalle

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19649589#p19649589]ATH94[/url] wrote:

Wow, thanks for the quick reply! Yeah I hope to keep it for a while and look forward to being able to ride it! Should it be okay to ride straight up, or should I get it checked out first?

As with anything with an unknown provenance that could lead to you getting dead disease: if you don't know what you're doing with it get some advice (in this case get it checked out) by someone who does.

If you ask them nicely they will explain to you what they are doing and why whilst they do it so you can learn - at the end of the day though, it's a bicycle so a lot of it is common sense.

simon_masterson

That looks like a perfectly usable old bike. It could be gaspipe or slightly better plain gauge, or it could be butted 531 throughout, I can't tell (but would hazard a guess at the former), but it's mass produced. I would expect it to be fairly comfortable to ride. Worth? I would agree with the poster above, forget about that. In all honesty, very few old bikes (or parts of them) are particularly valuable, and quite a lot of those that are, are things like big name old Italian racing frames, and NOS Campag bits. What you've got is an affordable touring/utility bike. If this were a car from the same year, it would be a Cortina or an Allegro. (etc)

As for what to do with it, ride it and as bits wear out, replace. In many cases I'd recommend modern (e.g. BB, brakes), but freewheels are easy to find at good prices, and you'll find a far better selection of gear ranges than in what little is still being made today. (mostly 14-28)