A Bargain?

[Richard Pattle]

I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8! It's
a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably be
called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in flat
scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice lugwork,
Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks
professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic
mudguard in gold.

Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order with no
wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a hack bike.

I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past.
Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be
worth spending much on restoring it?

[Simonb]

A bargain.

[Graeme]

"Richard Pattle" <Richard.pattle@puhleezenospam.talk21.com> wrote in
news:cajtc1$8fu$1@titan.btinternet.com:

> Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would
> be worth spending much on restoring it?

Not certain about the bike, but only restore it to the state
where it can work reliably as a hack bike. Doing a "museum
piece" type restore (if that's what you were getting at)
would just be a lot of hard work.

8 quid is a damned good price though. Mind you, I can beat
that, a neighbour was chucking a reasonable but mucky bike
out and it was next to his bin with "please take" written on
a chunk of wood through the frame. Whether or not he meant
me or the bin man mattered little to me and it is now
sitting in my garage with various bits soaking in paraffin.
Come to think of it, they've been soaking for about 6 months
now, maybe they're done? :-o

Graeme

[Nick Kew]

In article <cajtc1$8fu$1@titan.btinternet.com>,
"Richard Pattle" <Richard.pattle@puhleezenospam.talk21.com> writes:
> I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot

And did you exercise due diligence in ensuring it isn't
stolen goods?

--
Nick Kew

[Richard Pattle]

"Nick Kew" <nick@hugin.webthing.com> wrote in message
news:n0f0q1-oe2.ln1@webthing.com...
> In article <cajtc1$8fu$1@titan.btinternet.com>, "Richard
> Pattle" <Richard.pattle@puhleezenospam.talk21.com> writes:
> > I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot
>
> And did you exercise due diligence in ensuring it isn't
> stolen goods?
>
> --
> Nick Kew

It turns out the vendor was one of my son's teachers, asked
him this morning how his Dad was getting on with it, so I
think I'm probably OK.

If I wanted a stolen bike I'd go to our local 'country
market' on a Saturday morning, where bikes that have
obviously been stolen are auctioned off for some amazing
prices..... ...... but then of course they are the unclaimed
ones being flogged by the local rozzers ;-)

[Martinm]

"Richard Pattle" <Richard.pattle@puhleezenospam.talk21.com> wrote in message news:<cajtc1$8fu$1@titan.btinternet.com>...
> I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8!
> It's a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably
> be called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in
> flat scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice
> lugwork, Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks
> professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic
> mudguard in gold.
>
> Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order
> with no wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a
> hack bike.
>
> I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past.
> Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be
> worth spending much on restoring it?

I think Saracen MTB started up in early 90's, previously
they were Bluemels of mudguard/pump fame IIRC. Was there not
another Saracen small independant manufacturer? (no I'm not
think of Mercian!)

[Zog The Undenia]

Richard Pattle wrote:

> I bought a bike yesterday at our local carboot for £8!
> It's a Saracen road bike with what would nowadays probably
> be called a light touring/audax frame, UK made in 531 in
> flat scarlet with Gold lettering, and some rather nice
> lugwork, Suntour drive train, Weinmann side pulls, Brooks
> professional saddle, and some very smart Bluemels Olympic
> mudguard in gold.
>
> Scruffy but well loved and in perfect working order
> with no wear or play in anything. Intend to use it as a
> hack bike.
>
> I never knew that Saracen had made road bikes in the past.
> Does anybody know what I've bought and whether it would be
> worth spending much on restoring it?
>
>
Yes, a bargain. I'd change the brakes for modern Shimano
ones though - they're not too expensive on eBay as everyone
dumps their old non-STI levers.