A Bargain?

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?

In article ,
"Richard Pattle" 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" wrote in
:

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

A bargain.

"Nick Kew" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Richard Pattle" 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 ;-)

"Richard Pattle" wrote in message ...
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!)

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.