- Feedback
- View
Yesterday I drove to Germany to collect this beauty. It's all original (Altus A10) except for the rear mech, which has been replaced by a Shimano Acera.
The owner (a very nice and friendly guy) didn't know what it was, so his kid used it as a kid bicycle for years.
Unfortunately that means it has also been maintained with all the love and care that most kid bikes get. None whatsoever, that is.
I managed to acquire it for slightly less than £50.
There weren't many red 503s built, which explains why you only ever see the blue ones and the occasional black one. In fact I dismissed the rumours of the red ones as fairytales until I spotted this bike.
After a close and thorough inspection I am 100% certain that this is the bike's original paint and decals. However this particular example has the "SBIKE" logo upside-down on the left downtube.
So not only is it a very rare colour, it also managed to sneak trough QC and out of the factory with such an error.
My plans for this one? It'll be a spare bike during the summer and my main ride during the winter.
I'm going to take it apart this weekend, de-grease everything and give it a complete once-over with new grease, oil, cables, brake pads etc. Then I'll look into the chain and cogs, as they seem to be completley worn.
The owner (a very nice and friendly guy) didn't know what it was, so his kid used it as a kid bicycle for years.
Unfortunately that means it has also been maintained with all the love and care that most kid bikes get. None whatsoever, that is.
I managed to acquire it for slightly less than £50.
There weren't many red 503s built, which explains why you only ever see the blue ones and the occasional black one. In fact I dismissed the rumours of the red ones as fairytales until I spotted this bike.
After a close and thorough inspection I am 100% certain that this is the bike's original paint and decals. However this particular example has the "SBIKE" logo upside-down on the left downtube.
So not only is it a very rare colour, it also managed to sneak trough QC and out of the factory with such an error.
My plans for this one? It'll be a spare bike during the summer and my main ride during the winter.
I'm going to take it apart this weekend, de-grease everything and give it a complete once-over with new grease, oil, cables, brake pads etc. Then I'll look into the chain and cogs, as they seem to be completley worn.