rustystrings61 

I still haven't really bonded with the Bottecchia, but I felt sorry for the poor forlorn thing leaning against the pile of previous Clunker Challenge contenders, so back onto the workstand it went. I recycled the brake cables and housings that came on the Puch that has taken up most of my wrench time this month and found a quick-release rear cable housing stop in the bin and fitted all of those. The original Universal pads from Nixon's first administration are still in place, but they kinda sorta work on the textured steel Dolomiti rims, so they stay for a while - I mean, no way I'm riding this thing in the rain!

I felt pretty good, so far - $30 for the bike itself, another $5 for the yellow hoods (bought many years ago) and a generous $1 for the scarred Shimano aero levers missing trim. But I needed a seatpost and a saddle, and the steel seatpost I thought I would use wouldn't fit. A turn 'round the workshop brought me to the Unicamex (?) saddle and SR seatpost that came with a Jeunet 630 project I bought last year. Let's see - frame, fork, Stronglight P3 headset, SR bars and stem, SR seatpost and saddle, Sugino BB for $100, so let's call it $10 for the pair, taking me to $46. I scrounged through the Rubbermaid storage bin of Pletscher racks and scavenged bar wrappings and found enough black plastic tape to cover the bars. Two more wine corks for bar end plugs and I'll be done with the build!





Now to figure out where and when to ride this monstrosity ...

Millstone

The downtube shifters didnt fit, seems like Shimano Arabesque ones should do (we dry-fitted some at the bike shop but the owner was using them for another bike).
So,it's single speed for me so far. not too bad: the chain is on the small cog in front, and at the 2nd smallest in the rear. I can handle that, nice bit of training

Arabesque puts this bike in the mid 80 I guess, and it seems that although it has 6 speeds in the rear, 5 would fit better. Ah well.

I've put some miles/kilometres onit so far: few times for commuting, few times to ride to the LBS (well, the "old" local bike shop that is). I think I am halfway there.

Picture of the Arnhem Bridge I took today:



That's all folks!

ryansu

Was that A Bridge too Far? I visited your lovely city in 1999 and went to the War Museum as I was fascinated with Operation Market Garden as a kid. BTW my 1979 Miyata 912 had Arabesque shifters so your frame might be earlier than mid 80s.

Oldsledz

I was out on my Specialized HardRock sport tonight, went 17.7 mile , I now have 47.92 miles on the bike. 5 miles of tonights ride was dirt roads the rest paved riding through woods and farm land

This store is the only thing left of JAM Michigan.



Oil well , not sure if you can see the wind turbines in the background.


An old barn.
.

Manny66 

I think I got you all beat already, and I didnt even have to try.

I picked up a CIOCC Micro 84 from Chico81 a couple of weeks back for $80 total. Full Shimano 600 with mismatched Mavic wheels and a crummy seat. The paint polished up fine but the chromed Fork looks like trash. I completely disassembled the bike and everything looks like its in good working order minus the rear STI shifter lever which is stuck.

heres the bike,,https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-40-worth.html

The frame has minimal surface corrosion which cleaned up with a little effort. The chrome polished up and the paint was shockingly easy to buff to a nice shine. The Forks though...

noglider 

@rustystrings61, I'm very sorry. I've lost both parents and both stepparents. It's very hard.

noglider 

@Jp42, fantastic work!

Cyclist3098765

Thank you!
I've ridden about 15 miles so far, couple times around the neighborhood and once out to the frisbee golf course.
I forgot how nice these bikes ride, I don't know if it's the wide 27" tires, the butted spokes or the sheer road crushing weight of the thing but it is very smooth.

noglider 

@Jp42, most of those are factors to the ride quality (but not the spokes), as are the frame angles, which are pretty slack by modern standards.

Oldsledz

I put a few more miles on my HardRock sport last night and tonight, I am at 58.55 miles now, I want to get one more ride on the trails to get over the 100km mark. I had my 2 year old Grandson along with me tonight.

Millstone

Yes. It's about 5-6 kms from where I live now.
Lot of history about WWII here, espescially after Market Garden. I'll see if I can post some pics about that, including the bike .

Yes, the Benotto is probably more a late 70s-early 80s bike. Not sure if that puts it in the Mexican or Italian Benotto category. Honestly, at the moment I dont care. It's fun to ride and will definatly see more uses in the future. If I can get a small luggage carrier on it, and some fenders I might even make it my regular commute-bike.
Or just carry the stuff on my back and deal with the rain. No idea yet

ryansu

@Millstone since it doesn't appear your Benotto has fender eyelets you might look at the SKS Raceblade fenders which can attach to fork blades and seat stays on racier bikes. Or the Bike planet Speedez which are similar

88Tempo

Please do, my Great Uncle was KIA in that area shortly after Market Garden ended. He was in F Company 2/504 PIR 82nd Airborne. I'll never get to, but I'd love to do a tour of that area.

Cl904

So, been riding a 6 mile loop every day, and I think I passed 100k this weekend.

Also, picked up another clunker...
1988 Schwinn prelude
cost, $20
had a Shimano 600 group from a trek I paid 20 for, so let’s say $10 for the bb, cranks, front and rear d.
saddle was free
105 dual pivot brakes were free from the co-op
wheel set was $12 from the thrift store
tires and tubes were $7 from the thrift store
brake pads were $12 I think... this is the third bike they’ve been on.
total as it sits, $61


total as it sits,

Narhay

If you need the $17 then that would be reasonable to not count.

ryansu

I love that the ads talks about the tire holding air but not that it's literally falling apart and has spots devoid of any actually rubber! I never see a car advertised with the tires hold air description. Nice Centurion rescue @hazetguy

Oldsledz

Here is an update on my clunkers. I road some trails last Sunday to complete the 100 km, I am now at 102.78 km or 63.87 miles. I bought the bike in a package deal along with 4 others for 25.00 from a guy that runs the township recycling and trash compactor site. The other bikes were a Marukin. Fuji , AMF Sportmaster and a Motobecane. i sold the Sports master for 15.00, fixed and used the other 3 in the clunker challenge I used parts from the Marukin on the Motobecane and HardRock then sold what was left of the Marukin for 15.00. I also used parts from a couple bikes i found along the road in the trash. I used a seat with a rip from a bike I sold and a cable that was new but came from a yard sale, don't remember what I paid so I will call it one dollar that is what the cable was marked new. I put a used tire on the Fuji that came from a yard sale but took it off after finding a better tire with some other parts in the trash. After the ride Sunday I cleaned the bike up and put it on Craigslist and sold it the next day for 40.00. so I spent 25.00 on the 5 bikes + for parts 2 dollars sold 3 bikes for a total of 70.00 so I am ahead 43.00 and 2 decent bikes. i will keep the Fuji for myself and my wife will ride the Motobecane after I put a different seat on it and upright bars.
Last ride.


Last ride.


Last ride


The day I brought the 5 bikes home.


The 3 bike from this deal + one other after getting done with 100km on each.


The Hardrock sitting where I found it.

Oldsledz

Up date on my Fuji. I bought the bike in a package deal along with 4 others for 25.00 from a guy that runs the township recycling and trash compactor site. The other bikes were a Marukin. Specialized Hardrock Sport, AMF Sportmaster and a Motobecane. I sold the Sports master for 15.00, I used parts from the Marukin on the Motobecane and Hardrock Fixed and used the other 3 in the clunker challenge then sold what was left of the Marukin for 15.00. I also used parts from a couple bikes i found along the road in the trash, and 2.00 in parts from my parts pile from parts bikes. I put a used tire on the Fuji that came from a yard sale but took it off after finding a better tire with some other parts in the trash. After I was done with the 100km on the Specialized it sold on Craigslist for 40.00 So I spent 25.00 on the 5 bikes + 2 dollars for parts sold 3 bikes for a total of 70.00 so I am ahead 43.00 and 2 decent bikes. I will keep the Fuji for myself and my wife will ride the Motobecane after I put a different seat on it and upright bars. I am now at 71.74 miles or 115.45 km on the Fuji

Oldsledz

I got this Huffy Concours Professional a few weeks ago at a yard sale for 5.00. I started cleaning it up and greasing the wheel bearings last week, I still need to do the crank and head set. Trued the wheels and got the front derailer cable freed up.

Back wheel cleaned greased and new tire and tube.


Starting on the front wheel.


Front wheel greased and new tire.


Huffy Concourse Professional
I put on w new Kenda tires that cost 9.60 with shipping and one new tube that came from a LBS that was closing down for 1.25 so I have 25.45 into the bike.

Oldsledz

I done my first metric century ever on this Huffy today. The weather forecast called for rain at 4:00pm but it came at 1:15 so I was soaked by the time I got home. Other than that it was a good ride, I road alone but my wife met me at the restaurant for lunch.
First stop of the day.


The Tridge. 3 legged bridge


Midland County Court House.


Sanford MI.


Old railroad bridge , now part of the rail trail, Sanford MI.


Sandord MI.


Coleman MI


Lunch stop.


Gordenville MI , almost home.

eeuuugh

Posting this a few weeks after the fact, but I completed!
I rode the Azuki from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis Mississippi three weeks ago, 55 miles each way. I swapped out the uncomfortable seat for another free one, and threw on a rack, but had to spend a dollar on nuts and bolts, bringing my total to $28. The weather was beautiful on the way there. Highlights were the Pearl River bayous, the gas station in Pearlington Mississippi, and Old Lower Bay Road in Hancock County, a google maps inspired detour which turned out to be a mile or two of gravel with a mysterious and inviting pond of cold clear water 3/4 of the way down. Clear water is a rarity in swamp country and my traveling companion and I feared it was some kind of industrial drainage pond. I looked it up afterward and seems to be an old limestone quarry, so probably would have been safe to swim in.



On the way back we had rain the first two hours, but once we were back in Louisiana we dried up and it stayed overcast, which was nice. Took the rack off and sold the bike for $200 the following week

Fun challenge, can't wait for the next one!

tiredhands 

The Huffy popped several rusty spokes, and since I really don't want to put any money into that cavalcade of bad ideas I'm starting over.

My friend unearthed this Ross Signature 290s from his garage. It's nearly original aside from the bullhorns, including Ross branded tires. I've started a proper overhaul, and will keep the bullhorns and add the aerobars for a TT Klunker. I'm running out of time in the challenge, so I'll definitely complete the 100k in one go.

mrv 

see that rock? It’s a metaphor for how the bike rides and it’s mass.


I was hoping it would get towed away while I went for a run. That’s how awful this bike is. I’d rather run.

clipped of 12 miles today on this pig.
It’s really horrid. I can’t believe I signed up for this. I’ll probably die trying and for what!?!

mechanicmatt

Whoa, others may have said this, and I'm going completely by memory here, but that is a first 2 years of production Stumpjumper. The frames were made in japan and a lot of details are popular inspiration for other classic style bikes today. Bullnose bars, biplane fork, Avocet saddle, lugged frame, wide cantilever brakes, and bear trap pedals. I'd advocate for clean up and grease, and if you don't like it sell it. I don't know if it is truly worth a lot or not but a lot of mountain bike collectors look for this model. It's a true Klunker frame too. Worth doing a little bit of research.

harlond

I've looked at this post 3-4 times and laughed every one.