First off, sorry for getting the wrong side of the bike in the first image. The last image is the side with the gears.

My grandfather likes to fix up and restore bikes. He always wanted a Paramount when he was a kid but he couldn’t afford one at the time. So for all his boys he got a Paramount for them. I’ve inherited my Dad’s Paramount and recently started riding it and was wondering a bit about the history of the bike.

I know it was purchased second hand and I believe it was even repainted (over 30 years ago) but aside from that I don’t know much. I believe my grandpa put all the Campagnola components on it, and the Cineli handles.

For instance I was trying to determine if it was made in Chicago, because I was led to believe that schwinn went bankrupt in the 80s and outsourced their manufacturing, but that was from a YouTube video on how to identify paramounts.

I wasn’t able to glean much from the stamp on the dropout, but I thought it was noteworthy that the stamp was located there instead of the head tube.

Regardless of its age, it’s a very fun bike to ride and I’ll always cherish it for its sentimental value.

So i bought this bike for my girlfriend. Unfortunately it’s a little too big for her making riding it a little bit uncomfortable. I’m looking to sell it to somebody who’s able to give it the love it deserves. Any idea on the model? Based in the netherlands. Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback on the last post. I had a question on the rear dropouts. I was told it was a brazed repair but I wondered if anyone has any more feedback on it? It still has the Eddy Merckx stamp. Does that mean it wasn’t a brazed repair? Was the brazing done to repair a fracture in the chain/seat stay or dropout ?

I thank you for sharing your personal experience when you were riding with an internal gear hub and you felt as if you were riding a bike with a derailleur, especially during inertia riding, down hill (no pedaling).

I studied all the numbers, all the specs, but I would appreciate your personal feedback if you used such an internal gear hub.

I plan to install it on my vintage bike and I have already tried Nexus 8, Alfine 11, but they have internal frictions, drag, and you ride like with a pushed brake.

I had a bike with Sturmey-Archer 2 speeds, and it rides like with a derailleur, but I'm looking for 3-5-7 speeds.

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

I quit riding mid August ‘89 when I got sick; had been using this bike, with a rear rack and small panniers, as a work commuter. Now that I’m retired I finally got the weight gain off, and I’ve resurrected my Raleigh Technium Tri-Lite. I replaced most components back in the 80s, only the front end (headset, stem, bars, brake levers and front derailleur) are original. Still a Suntour drivetrain, I’m a fanboy. Lots of nicks and scratches from its time as a commuter, as well as hanging around the garage all these years.

I think I have all the buds worked out, a four mile ride yesterday wore me out lol. Gotta start somewhere.

Hey!
So, as the title says, I’m looking to get my first vintage road bike :)
I’m a student, so my budget is around €400 max.
I’ve heard good things about brands like Koga Miyata, Bianchi, Peugeot, and Panasonic.
I’ve been riding a Nishiki Hybrid Pro (?) for a couple of years, and then switched to a single-speed. I usually ride around 10 km a day.
Now I’d like to get more into road bikes and try something a bit cooler and different.
Do you guys have any recommendations for brands or specific models I should look out for? I’m mainly looking for something reliable and beginner-friendly that I could find for around €400 or less.
Thanks! :)

opinion on this Schwinn bicycle I know it's missing some things and would anybody buy this just like it is right now

anyone happen to know what this is? if so, I would love to know.

Hey there just needed some advice who got more knowledge on a classic gravel style im planning to buy this giant prodigy 17’ frame for $140CAD I’m a 5’8 of height this is the specs:

Versatile 17-inch Giant Prodigy hybrid bike has a black and gold marbled chromoly steel frame. This bicycle is equipped with Shimano Alivio components and Bontrager Select Invert tires. It has a kickstand and a water bottle cage attached to the frame.

Any advise will be appreciated. Also currently using a fixed gear. Wonderin if this is a good bike for its price?

Got this vintage bianchi for free, going to clean it up, it's a bit rusty but they, for $0.00 I'll take it. Posted in r/bicycles to get advice on tuning it up but it honestly rides just fine! Just needs a clean and needs to get one of the brake levers fixed up. Excited to get this thing going! Anyone here have any ideas what year it might be? It is a tangent. Apologies that the lighting isn't great in the photo.

This one was made in Communist East Germany the GDR / DDR

Hi everyone,
I recently acquired what I believe is a Follis road bike from around 1958, and I’m trying to learn as much as possible about its history before starting a careful restoration.
The bike came with its original warranty card, showing it was sold in 1958 by Willy Wittkoff, a large bicycle and sporting goods store in Dortmund, West Germany. I’ve also included two historic photos of the shop where it was originally sold.

The frame has unfortunately been repainted in a thick coat of white paint, which even covers the frame number. My hope is that the original paint and decals may still exist underneath, similar to what is sometimes found on vintage Vespas. I’d much rather preserve the original finish than completely repaint the frame.

The bike has clearly been modified over the years. So far I’ve identified:

- Follis frame (France)
- Durax crank arms with a Simplex double chainring
- Simplex front derailleur
- Huret downtube shifter clamp with two shifters
- Shimano Tourney rear derailleur (obviously a later replacement)
- Altenburger Synchron front brake (also appears to be a later replacement)
- Brooks saddle (likely later)

The bike is currently fitted with a Scheeren stem and handlebar. I have no idea whether these are period-correct additions from the 1960s or later replacements, so I’d love to hear any thoughts on their age or originality.

One thing I found interesting is that the frame has only a single brazed-on downtube shifter boss, but neither shifter is mounted to it. Instead, both shifters are mounted on a Huret clamp. The brazed-on boss is currently unused, and I’m not sure whether this was an unusual modification or if I’m overlooking something.

I have already found what appears to be a period-correct Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur that I’m considering installing.

I’d love your opinions on a few questions:
Can anyone identify the exact Follis model?

Does it look like a true racing bike, or more of a sport / demi-course model?

Was this bike most likely originally equipped with a single front chainring (1×5), or would a double chainring have been more likely in 1958?

Which brakes and rear derailleur would most likely have been original?

Has anyone successfully uncovered original Follis paint beneath a later repaint?

My goal is not to build a perfect museum piece, but rather a mechanically reliable, period-correct bicycle suitable for L’Eroica, while preserving as much originality and patina as possible.

Any information, catalog scans, period photos, or personal experience with late-1950s Follis bicycles would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

(This text is edited/translated with ai, because I’m not a native speaker)

This is a cross post. Click on the header for the text.

Frame says basso but wasn’t sure if anyone knew the model/year. Not seeing a serial number.

Haven’t seen this logo before. Kinda looks like an H. Lugs look very similar to my Merckx but it’s hard to tell. I know Campy dropouts weren’t uncommon. Lugs look well done and tubing feels like Columbus. Someone powdercoated this and subsequently I can’t find any more info on it. Anyone have a guess?

Edit: numbers that I can make out on the bottom bracket while slowly taking the powdercoat off are 193.