Why I love my mom:

She is a natural bargain hunter and spends lots of her time on the weekends looking for deals at garage sales. When I started wrenching she was delighted to be able to add old bicycles to the list of things she was hunting for. Well this weekend she did pretty well for me. She's coming by in the truck today to drop these off, I haven't seen them yet. Pics will come soon.

1. A small green Eaton's Glider with working front/rear generator. Bought from a little old lady who was the original owner.

2. Some kind of run of the mill commuter bike. She doesn't know what it is, but says it's late 80's/early 90's and in perfect condition. She guesses I won't even have to fix anything (where's the fun in that?).

3. And the crown jewel: a Miele road bike that is in pieces (that she got for free). What I managed to get out of her about this so far: the frame is lighter than anything she has felt before, the RD says Campagnolo, one set of wheels (came with two) say Dura Ace on the hubs and Mavic on the rims, the shifter triggers say Dura Ace. It's aparantly in rough shape, but I'm still salivating. I hope the frame is my size.

Feels like christmas.

Royce Union
 

I came across two bikes at yard sales yesterday. One is a early 70s Schwinn Racer 3 speed with no front wheel. ($5).

The second was a Royce Union road bike ($15). Just need to replace brake cables, but the bike is solid. Does anyone know anything about this bike?

I found this 1979 Motobecane jubilee sport leaning up against a dumpster. The tires were off but next to it. I put the tires on and noticed the rear rim is bent due to a broken spoke and many being loose. Also the front derailleur is broken.
I tightened the spokes put air in the tires and road it around the block and it rides great! This is my find of the year.

Wow.... Great find Bianchidave, the bike appears to be in perfect condition.
Twoducks- get some pics up of the Miele.

I found this at the dump this morning looking in better shape after 35+ years, than all the other 'newer' walmart specials...I cleaned it up, but I have no before photos, I could just tell.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...Prix/Drive.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...Prix/Lside.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...Prix/Badge.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...Prix/Frame.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...0Prix/Frnt.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...ix/Shurman.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...rix/GPlogo.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...0Prix/Rear.jpg

Hey Bianchidave, are your forks ok on the Motobecane. Look a bit bent to me.

I went out to my back yard today and found this Columbus.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...5/columbus.jpg
I had sorted the mmans other bike a while ago. He was clearing his shed, so dropped the bike off at my house. It seems like a mid 80s German bike. The shop sticker is in German. Its got Maillard hubs. Might build a pair of Shimano hubs to the rigida rims. As i want the Maillard front axle for my Dawes Galaxy.
The rear mechs Simano 105. shifters and front mech are Huret. I replaced the cable clamp bolt on the front mech as it stripped. I moved the cables over. As here the front brake comes from the right lever. I will take that lever to bits as its bent. Think the plastic bushes have worn too.

As promised, pictures of the Miele that my mom scooped up for me. It's in pretty rough shape, worse than I had hoped it would be (there I was, counting my chickens...), but it's still exciting to get for free.

Take a look at the pictures, I'd love some information if anyone has any. I can't find a serial number or anything. Also, any advice on what to do with this/where to start?

More pictures on flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zweiduc...7622234227475/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/...5e8d89ed_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/...734f3449_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/...268ffba1_b.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zweiduc...7622234227475/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/...6328f086_b.jpg

No it’s not bent. It’s just my photography ability (or lack of.)
This might help http://equusbicycle.com/bike/motobec...moto197903.pdf

SLX was one of the best tubesets of the time so its worth doing something with it, question is does it fit you? If not all I could suggest is strip it down and sell the frameset or just hang on to it for a friend whom comes along who needs a bike. If it fits you it should be worth rebuilding with your parts of choice.

Ah no, frame and fork are DEFINITELY BENT and that is probably why it was headed for the trash. Grab a straight edge and put it under the top tube. I bet it doesn't sit flush against the frame. From the third pic it looks like the top tube has a slight bend from whatever caused the fork to look like that. Personally I would strip all of the parts of and then trash the frame/fork

I'm not seeing what's so rough about it? Wasn't it free? Sheesh, I've paid for bikes in much worse condition than THAT! :thumb:

Yep, bent as all get out.

Since you all got me so freaking paranoid all day today :twitchy:(and I was at work for 12 hours!) when I got home a checked using a strait edge level and rode it for around 4 blocks (beat the freak out of it) and IT IS NOT BENT! for sure 100%

I will take better pictures in the morning (and from now on at that):thumb:

It was a great find! the pics tomorrow will show that

You're right, it was free. And now I have something to work on. It's too small for me, so I think it's going to a friend. She's been looking for a good frame to start from.

bianchidave, maybe your fork is not bent, but your top tube looks bent.

mastronaut, your grand prix has had the questionable luck of having its original tires survive all those years. You will find that new tires ride much better, even if these still have some life in them. Those tires are awful. I highly recommend Panaracer Pasela tires.

Bike chopping will probably subside for a couple months once the locals see that : ) That is more ALT than ALT. Thanks for showing me one I've never seen, it was great.

None bent frame
 

Ok here are the pictures of the NOT bent bike:) I did notice there was pinesap on the tupe that maybe the cause of this debate. Thanks for the fun all. By the way the bike rides great:thumb::thumb:

Nah man...

That fork is obviously bent. The front wheel is just about kissing the frame.

Funny too, my bud has a Jubilee Sport in the same color with a bent fork.

My son and I just got back from the bike shop in Madison (budget bike) and the guys there in the shop said "the bike frame and fork is Not bent". My son and I hooked his attached bike up to it and took it for a nice long ride. Again the bike rode great.

You are off to an excellent start, your mom found a top of the line Miele that has seemingly been abandoned. Any pics of the wheels? If you can't find a good use for the shifters, let me know, I am building a Ciocc with Dura Ace and I am in Toronto too...

Bianchidave

I would agree that the frame does not look bent, the brake cable and garage door cable create a bit of an illusion. However, the forks do appear bent from the first photos posted. Stand it side by side with another road bike and I think you will see for yourself. Bent or not it's still a great score, looks to have some pretty decent parts on it.

Yeah, that right (drive side) fork blade is be-ent. No amount of photo distortion could account for the degree of "come-on-you're-going-to-sit-there-and-tell-me-that's-not-bent" bentness that that fork's bentness exhibits, in the sense that it is very, very bent.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...7&d=1252853744

But I agree, the main frame appears sound. You might even find a shop with the proper tool to bend the fork back into shape w/o compromising it (much).

It is a trick of the camera. You start getting a lense under 50mm it starts to fish eye if you are close to what you are photographing. Cheap camera have cheap optics and they are prone to "Fish eye" effect.

YEah, but the rim is closer than normal to the downtube too. I'll wait for the fresh pics.,,,,BD


EDIT: Didn't notice it was reshot. Still looks bent to me, and I can still see that in the rear 3/4 shot a bit.

He posted them in a differenet thread including onewith with a ruler on the top tube.