Re: [CR] How much when new?

I bought my first lightweights in 1971 to 1973. My first, a Peugeot UO-8, was about $90. A Peugeot PX-10 in 1972 or 1973 was around $180. A Cinelli Supercorsa was $500. I think a Paramount was about the same price as the Cinelli. The Grand Record wasn't quite the top model - many Grand Records had decals designating 531 DB main tubes and forks, which I always found odd, as it would mean only the rear stays were something else, probably Vitus. I always thought it would have made more sense to just go all 531 DB. But despite the not-quite-all 531 DB frame, the Campy NR derailleurs were more expensive than the Simplex Criterium on the PX-10, so I'd guess the Grand Record was very close to the price of the PX-10.

Sloan's Complete Book of Bicycling gives specs and prices for leading bikes of several quality levels. The book was published in the very early 70's, and the prices were lower than I saw in 1972-1973, but I think the information in the book may have been a couple of years old when it was published. I think a later edition, called the New Complete Book of Bicycling, also gave specs and prices, so comparing the two should give a feel of how prices increased in the 70's.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA