What bike is this

[JohnnyM]

I'm looking through marketplace and see this bike. Can someone tell me what it is please?

[Jesper]

@JohnnyM It is a "bike boom" model from around the mid-'70s. If in perfect condition, serviced and ready to ride value is ~$100-$150 depending on exact brand, model, and components. Not something to invest in.
If your bike it is worth cleaning and servicing to ride if done at low cost. Good set of new tires runs about $50 (cheapos at $30/pr); I would not spend more than another $50 to service unless it was your only bike required for daily commuting.

Low end recreational "racer" with steel cottered cranks, "safety" brake levers, heavier steel components, etc.

Those features do not necessarily mean a low quality bike, but instead a low cost mass produced bike where if quality control was good so is the frame with low cost/low performance parts. I assume the frame is made of high tensile straight gauge steel tubing. Occassionally some brands had a nice frame (Reynolds, Columbus, etc.) used on higher models, but bedecked with the cheapest parts to encourage novice racers who would upgrade parts instead of getting a more expensive bike to start. Those are not common, but if the frame displays a tubing manufacturer decal it might be a decent frame.

Perfectly good bike to ride. If steel rims braking will not be good; especially in rain (use newer pads; better yet find some cheap alloy wheels).

If for sale a good offer is $25. If bike requires any major service requiring parts (e.g. bad bearings) it is best left alone.

[JohnnyM]

Thank you for a great reply. I ended up passing as they wouldn't reply to the ad. I ended up buying a Puch frame.

(08-02-2025, 11:18 AM)Jesper Wrote:  @JohnnyM It is a "bike boom" model from around the mid-'70s. If in perfect condition, serviced and ready to ride value is ~$100-$150 depending on exact brand, model, and components. Not something to invest in.
If your bike it is worth cleaning and servicing to ride if done at low cost. Good set of new tires runs about $50 (cheapos at $30/pr); I would not spend more than another $50 to service unless it was your only bike required for daily commuting.

Low end recreational "racer" with steel cottered cranks, "safety" brake levers, heavier steel components, etc.

Those features do not necessarily mean a low quality bike, but instead a low cost mass produced bike where if quality control was good so is the frame with low cost/low performance parts. I assume the frame is made of high tensile straight gauge steel tubing. Occassionally some brands had a nice frame (Reynolds, Columbus, etc.) used on higher models, but bedecked with the cheapest parts to encourage novice racers who would upgrade parts instead of getting a more expensive bike to start. Those are not common, but if the frame displays a tubing manufacturer decal it might be a decent frame.

Perfectly good bike to ride. If steel rims braking will not be good; especially in rain (use newer pads; better yet find some cheap alloy wheels).

If for sale a good offer is $25. If bike requires any major service requiring parts (e.g. bad bearings) it is best left alone.

[Jesper]

@JohnnyM Glad you found something. Puch made some great bikes with quality frame tubes and parts. Same company who made Austro-Daimler. With few exceptions the Puch is most likely a big upgrade (even if a cheaper model) than the example bike you posted.

Can you submit a photo of the Puch please?

[froze]

I think it's either a Gitane Interclub (late 60s), or a Gitane Grand Sport (late 60s). Problem is the picture quality is very poor, and I can't zoom in on it, but the silver banding on the seat tube pointed me to Gitane which used banding similar to that.

But you bought a Puch instead, not knowing which Puch you got, Puch in general was a better built bike than the Gitane was in general, Puch was Austrian made and they're workers cared about their jobs more than France did. Gitane did have some nice high end racing bikes but the one in the pic is not one of those. Gitane being French was a more difficult bike to work on and for finding parts. The Puch better consistent frame alignment, better brazing quality, more reliable component choices (often Shimano, SunTour, or Austrian parts), they used standard threading (no French bottom bracket or headset nightmares), their durable steel frames were tanks meaning heavy but in a good way. Be glad you passed on the Gitane.