Pompiere

A lot of local stock car tracks have a "claiming rule" for engines in the low budget racing series. If you believe a competitor is cheating, they have to sell you their engine for the stated price. That discourages someone spending a bunch of money just because they can.

crank_addict

I would think whatever the 'unofficial' rules, the bike would have to be acquired only after the contest starts. Something you currently have would not count. There's quite a few freebies and absurdly low cost bikes I've accumulated (nearly the cost cup of coffee or lunch money). It wouldn't be right to enter one of them.

Also, someone mentioned above of the difficulty finding a bike in their area. Perhaps so but one needs to look outside of the CL posts. Disregard CL. The online Goodwill's, other oddity locations such as Habitat for Homeless (yep... I've spotted super cheap road bikes for sale there), rummage, estate sales or at estate auction houses.

crank_addict

How terrific and what a Christmas it will be! All the very best of wishes!

oddjob2

Lunch Money? In NYC, it's not too hard to spend $250 per person at lunch, without liquor.

Then again I snagged this Diamond Back Approach, a lugless True Temper chromoly hybrid 20 minutes ago for $15. It was on C/L since Wednesday morning.

crank_addict

^^^ Excellent... and it was on CL just quietly waiting for a buyer!

On that recent Campagnolo poster and parts thread, some member scored a pile of vintage Campagnolo NOS parts at a Goodwill. Granted I haven't been able to acquire high-end special interest for lunch change but more like the above. For one of the grand daughters, scored a like new Schwinn 24" alloy wheeled, aluminum framed, full suspension, Shimano equipped for $20.

I'll await what the rule makers come up with, but I know of a clean vintage '60's Huffy that's been sitting two years for sale..... and for pocket change Its one of those 3 speed IGH tourist models. Probably not worth much, or time with dealing with reselling / buyers. If anything, just another quick project and eventually give it away.

orangeology

i'm confused. pardon my ignorance, but:
is it a contest of 'buying' a cheapo or 'building' one?

-holiday76

i think it might be just talking about one on the internet and then forgetting about it

orangeology

ah, understood.

verktyg 

I always ended up going over budget when I've built up clunkers and beaters for myself...

I guess my standards are too high!

I recently picked up a candidate frame for this years wet weather beater:

Early 1990s Bertin frame with Reynolds 501 tubing. Guess what it's name is? (think quaint name for British dessert)

I'd probably have it done by now but the fork needs to be realigned so I have to take it to a friend's frame shop.



BTW, this is a case where the photos make it look better...


verktyg

Chas.

BluesDaddy

As I understand it, it is a contest to find something that needs work, buy it for as little as possible, and then see how much "C & V" style you can put into it for little or no money. The end result needs to be functional enough to ride for a meaningful distance.

bwilli88 

I just scored a Raleigh Grand Prix off the bay and won't see it until the beginning of Feb when I can get it brought to Cambodia, will that count?

oddjob2

Don't cop out with, "I can't enter the Velo-Cheapo because I can't find a deal because I live in Portland. "
Took me 10 minutes to find several decent deals in the Portland CL marketplace. Frankly, there are better deals in Portland Metro area than Detroit, A2, or NNJ.

$75 Bikes

Myata (sp) 310
Myata 310 bicycle for sale

GT Timberline
Mountain Bike, GT TIMBERLINE FS

Novara Aspen
Vintage Novara Aspen by REI (Tange tubing)

Zebra for $60
Vintage Zebra Road Bike

Giant Boulder for $35
giant boulder se mens 17.5 inch mountain bike

Trek Multitrack 700 for $30 - (a real beauty)
Bike need's TLC

Savagewolf

Detroit and the other places have those sort of deals too. The difference is that the special deals in Portland (of where I don't live anyways and have to drive an hour to get to) are gone quite quickly. If they stick around, there is usually a very good reason. I'll use your $20 Sprite as an example. If that was posted on Portland's Craiglist and you sent an email 20 minutes after it was posted, 10 people would of already beat you to it.

r0ckh0und 

You could also check with local scrappers, scrap yards, thrift stores, bike shops that take trade ins, look for facebook garage sale sites in your area and post ISO......etc.....etc.....

oddjob2

Not many in the D and the driving is far as well. Sprite, 8 minutes after ad and about 8 miles away.

Savagewolf

Just a quick collection of bikes found that were listed today without doing much searching.

CCM road bike frame ( Project )

1970'S SEARS 26" FREE SPIRIT BICYCLE 10 SPD.

VINTAGE HUFFY REGAL 27" 5SPEED

Woman's Ross road bike

27" Schwinn Varsity tall mans 10 speed road bike LEMON YELLOW

oddjob2

If you're interested in any of these RARE, high tensile beauties, let me know which one I can help facilitate for you!

Savagewolf

My bad, I didn't realize the stellar bikes you listed were that much more amazing.

Savagewolf

Like I said, just a quick search without digging much into them. Now look at Portland Craigslist. Ignore the prices, and just look at the better bikes there. You'll notice a trend of them sitting at $300+, and often they will be by the same sellers. The reason? People in this area scour every possible deal, clean up the bike, fix it up if necessary, and flip the bike.

I know my area quite well, and the different resources I can use.

nlerner

What would make this contest an interesting challenge would be to create a window for all parts to be acquired, say Dec. 1 to Feb 1. And that all parts must be acquired in that time frame so as to take away the advantage from those of us with deep parts bins.

Savagewolf

I would support something like that, even more so with the requirement of posting proof of where the bike / parts were acquired. Link to the eBay auction or picture of it at the garage sale or in thrift store, etc.

nlerner

I suppose we'd need some sort of verification, but I wouldn't get carried away. If someone really wants to cheat at this contest, that person is pretty pathetic.

Savagewolf

I think it would add an interesting touch to it. It would prove that they acquired the bike/parts during the time contest time, but it would also give a look to the search process it took to make the completed project, if if they needed to even do anything other than just buy it.

non-fixie 

Looks like the jury needs to hurry up with the rules, or you'll be done with them before they are and the contest will start without them.

Velocivixen

Yes, I like the idea of "having to acquire" the frame & components within a certain time frame - not use parts already have. I say this, of course, because I don't have much in the way of "parts bins". My personal rule to myself for this contest is that it has to be something I can work on that I have experience with. Now's not the time for me to learn how to get cotter pins out or rehab one piece Ashtabula cranksets. I also want the bike to be something I would actually ride. So, for me, that means no shocks or wildly alternative handlebars. Of course, we need to define "Vintage". How old is vintage? Would a bike from 1995 be vintage? So that needs to be addressed.

Judging standards will be tricky. Some have said the bike needs to be rusty and the like. Well, I don't want to spend days with a frame soaking in oxalic acid in order to participate. Standards will have to be a fine line of many things...vintage, "as found" condition, how many components were changed out, and that je ne sais quois (I hope I spelled that right). You know, that "something" or the "it" factor. The quality you can't describe, but you know it when you see it.