Believe me, this IS a beater. It's a P-6 made for the US market, second from the bottom of the line and everything on it is a weird size. Some folks turn them into single speeds but Sheldon says don't waste your time fixing them up. Now I know the French are "artistes" but, honestly, why do they have to make things so unique from model to model? Is it just to thwart the British, harkening back to Napoleonic times?

Thanks for giving it some thought, Corsair. I'm just going to have to do the ride/adjust, ride/adjust routine again or grow a cast-iron hinie. I do love my B17, though, and can't recommend it highly enough.