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Pulled the trigger on a Flying Pigeon!

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Just gauging how much I overpaid or didn't, ha. It's just cool to me and for the history. Flying Pigeon. The name alone is awesome plus I love how it looks. Not concerned about reselling at the moment, but with the Brooks saddle, I'm thinking I did okay.

Definitely one of those 'just have to have it' buys... 🐦🙂
The bike is probably worth whatever the seat will bring. If you like it that’s all that counts. I’ve overpaid more than once for a bike I really wanted but that didn’t matter to me because the purchase made me happy and I’ve always enjoyed the bikes.
 
The double bar frame is very robust usually, so that much is probably fine.

The big part to locate would be a matching fork. If it's a standard Chinese mail color, you might very well be able to find one. I think you'd have to source one through someone with connections in China. A black fork is easier to find, but maybe someone over there can get a matching/standard color green one if the mail bikes use it.

After that, it looks to me like stuff you should be able to fix or find if you have a connection in China that can send you the parts. Handlebars can be found there, but you might be able to straighten those. If the rod brakes were having issues, a bent set of bars (if bad enough) can cause it. Rims are available still from Chinese or Indian (or British) sources. A single speed free wheel or coaster hub would be OK. Most of these bikes are single speed anyway.

Chrome parts, I'd throw them in oxalic acid and clean them up as best as can be done. A little rust on a working Flying Pigeon is to be expected anyway.

The parts themselves in China are probably quite cheap and plentiful. You just need to get a connection to locate what you need. The Flying Pigeon is somewhat notorious for not matching British or US market type parts.

These bikes have moved more people more miles than any other bike model ever made - cheap transportation in a very populous country. They are kind of going by the wayside now that more people have modern bikes, scooters, and cars there (they love Buicks for some reason).
 
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I think it's an interesting bike, something I would've bought, for sure. Make it mechanically perfect, close to mint...I dunno. Whatever makes you happy. I could settle for just getting myself a new cup of coffee, and sit and stare at it. Congrats. It's fun, yes?
 
If YOU like it and it makes you happy when you ride it, then it does not matter if you overpaid. You will not make money on it, not everyone makes money on everything they buy, everyone has overpaid for something they really wanted. Ride it, enjoy it, and keep smiling.
 
A couple of years back i was in a used bicycle shop in Ballard (a neighborhood of Seattle) and they had one of these for sale at $350. At the time i thought that price was way too high.
 
Something about her, just spoke to me. Even after doing the research of it being the world's most mass produced bike and not known exactly for the it's reliability after speaking to the seller he informed me that he modified it to where he made it a reliable bicycle.

Whether or not that's accurate, I am not sure but I did take it for a quick spin as I just picked it up tonight and she seems to ride wonderfully.

Just something very unique about her. What do you think?!

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Reliability was the problem I had with mine, built in 2008. The wheels and hubs were so poorly made that my Guru level bicycle mechanic couldn't true them. I was fortunate enough to find an Avon (India) and use the wheels from that.

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A couple of years back i was in a used bicycle shop in Ballard (a neighborhood of Seattle) and they had one of these for sale at $350. At the time i thought that price was way too high.
Nice. I paid an amount well below that so I figure with the Brooks saddle being worth maybe 75-100 on a good day, I'm into the bike for a hundred bucks. I just didn't have any idea of what their values were in general except going off new prices on the website. I feel it was money well spent on a unique and historic bike!

Cruising it around as much as I can in Minnesota right now as we haven't gotten hit with snow this winter yet, fingers crossed the rumors of a warmer winter will pan out for us. Come spring she'll really get a workout!!

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Nice. I paid an amount well below that so I figure with the Brooks saddle being worth maybe 75-100 on a good day, I'm into the bike for a hundred bucks. I just didn't have any idea of what their values were in general except going off new prices on the website. I feel it was money well spent on a unique and historic bike!

Cruising it around as much as I can in Minnesota right now as we haven't gotten hit with snow this winter yet, fingers crossed the rumors of a warmer winter will pan out for us. Come spring she'll really get a workout!!

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Put 11.6 miles on her today! No snow December!

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Makes one wonder how that conversation about "reliability" went, and what the seller did to correct the reliability problem?
Did he pour some liquid reliability in the tires/tubes?

Not sure about the reliability of rod brakes, or if rod brakes might be affected by bent handle bars?
Liquid reliability, I love that. Haven't heard that one in years.
 
The double bar frame is very robust usually, so that much is probably fine.

The big part to locate would be a matching fork. If it's a standard Chinese mail color, you might very well be able to find one. I think you'd have to source one through someone with connections in China. A black fork is easier to find, but maybe someone over there can get a matching/standard color green one if the mail bikes use it.

After that, it looks to me like stuff you should be able to fix or find if you have a connection in China that can send you the parts. Handlebars can be found there, but you might be able to straighten those. If the rod brakes were having issues, a bent set of bars (if bad enough) can cause it. Rims are available still from Chinese or Indian (or British) sources. A single speed free wheel or coaster hub would be OK. Most of these bikes are single speed anyway.

Chrome parts, I'd throw them in oxalic acid and clean them up as best as can be done. A little rust on a working Flying Pigeon is to be expected anyway.

The parts themselves in China are probably quite cheap and plentiful. You just need to get a connection to locate what you need. The Flying Pigeon is somewhat notorious for not matching British or US market type parts.

These bikes have moved more people more miles than any other bike model ever made - cheap transportation in a very populous country. They are kind of going by the wayside now that more people have modern bikes, scooters, and cars there (they love Buicks for some reason).
And Lincolns as of late. The new Zephyr is quite the looker.
 
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