Puch bike : 40 yr-old : info sought

[Shoyu]

I have just rescued my Uncle’s Puch bike for my husband. I have a feeling this bike hasn’t been ridden for over 40 years, gears as yet are untested but it rolls well and the brakes work. New tyres will be on the list. My uncle was a bit of a hoarder and I found the original manual and another leaflet about it, both in pristine condition. It seems to be of the touring variety. I used to ride my dad’s Peugeot touring bike as a teenager and I loved it, kind of hankering after one myself now...

[thirdcrank]

You have posted this under "Does anyone know?" but you haven't posed a question.

If it's about the bike, a picture or two often help.

[Shoyu]

My apologies, I’m afraid my brain isn’t really working at the moment, I’ve just spent a frantic 4 days house clearing.

I suppose my point was, does anyone have experience of Puch bikes?

[drossall]

The Puch bikes I knew forty years ago tended not to be very good, I'm afraid. Heavy frames, steel wheels, low-grade parts. Built down to a price in an era when people wanted cheap bikes that, to an untutored eye, looked the part.

No doubt there were better ones.

[Cyril Haearn]

Photos please

[tim-b]

Hi
Puch made a range of bikes, some are well worth preserving

Photos please

Regards
tim-b

[geomannie]

The Puch bikes I knew forty years ago tended not to be very good, I'm afraid. Heavy frames, steel wheels, low-grade parts. Built down to a price in an era when people wanted cheap bikes that, to an untutored eye, looked the part.

No doubt there were better ones.

I had a couple of Puch bikes in the 70's & early 80's. I am afraid that they were as described above, heavy and with cheap components. On the plus side, I didn't really know any better as was quite happy with them.

[Brucey]

Puch made quite posh bikes too, but unfortunately these are/were vastly outnumbered by the other sort.

cheers

[TrevA]

I had a Puch in the early 80’s. 531 frame and decent kit (Sakae chainset, Shimano gears and a strange double step chainring set up -52/46/30). However, it had a design weakness - where the stopper for the rear derailleur cable was brazed onto the chain stay, created a weak spot and the frame broke after 18 months. They replaced in under warranty but it happened again and again, after a similar length of time. Eventually they gave me an MBK frame instead with no further problems.

[Shoyu]

Thanks for your replies. No photo at the mo as the shed isn’t ideal for photography and it’s chucking it down outside.

Upon further inspection the model is “Olympian”.

Even if it is a bit rubbish it’s a marked improvement on the no bike at all situation he was previously in! It’ll do for now.

[SimonCelsa]

I remember buying a bright yellow Puch 'Toledo', late 70's early 80's from Samways of Weymouth. It was either that or a Raleigh 'Arena' (which everyone else seemed to own in my area).

It must have been my first major life purchase, probably just over £100 and all earned from several morning & afternoon paper rounds and bottling up in the local night club.

I recall just walking in the shop with cash in hand and asking the old fella what he had for sale. In hindsight it was quite a bit too big at the time but it did me good for getting to school and back for a couple of years and some hostelling trips with mates. When I left school and went to sea my old man used it for work until some toerag stole it probably some time in the nineties.

Not a brilliant bike by any means, but I can never remember actually changing any of the consumable parts (except brake blocks). They must have built them more durable then or perhaps we have all become overly fixated on changing stuff for the sake of change!

[Shoyu]

I enjoyed riding my dad’s Peugeot but my mum got rid of it after he died (and it probably didn’t fit, I just rode it because it’s what we had at the time).

We haven’t had time to do anything to this one but when I got it home hubby sat on it and the basics worked. It’ll do
for picnics down the canal with me and our daughter (also, as it has a rack he can carry the grub!). If this gets him back into cycling we can look at upgrading.

[drossall]

Even if it is a bit rubbish it’s a marked improvement on the no bike at all situation he was previously in!

+1. I can't remember a bike that was worse than no bike

[pedalsheep]

I did my first 100 mile ride on a Puch 'Touring' when I was 14. 26" steel wheels, 3 speed Sturmey, bright yellow with a step through frame. I replaced the flat bars with drops to try to make it look more sporty! 104 miles from home into Wales and back on my own.

Loved it, biggest adventure of my young life!

[Shoyu]

Found a picture. We haven’t done anything to it yet.