jethin

The lowly beater bike doesn't get its due. Sure it's not the fastest, prettiest, most comfortable or even the most reliable ride in the stable. But who do you reach for when skies are gray? When you want to lock up your bike on the street (gasp!) and not have to install a security camera to watch it while you get a cup of joe? When you just want to get from point A to point B without any pomp or circumstance? You know who…

Herein we want to see your beater bikes from the cream of the crop to the bottom of the barrel. Furthermore, I myself am also interested in learning more about what exactly folks consider a beater to be because 1) I'm in need of one and 2) I already have pre-traumatic stress about the possibility of ruining a "classic" bike by using it as beater.

So, show us what you ride when you're having more than one. Err, or something like that…

(Disclaimer: I don't think this is an exact double of an existing C&V thread, but if it is, well… maybe it's a good opportunity to post those old pics again?)

Sixty Fiver

My mid seventies Pug AO8... figure I will throw some cross tyres on her for winter and save the handbuilt wheels.

Vefer

That's your BEATER BIKE! That's way too nice! Of course your other bikes are gorgeous, so maybe this is the beater.
Here is mine, you can park this anywhere.

gomango

Switched a few items out on my Miyata since this pic.

New saddle, a beat up Regal.

A Dirt Drop stem.

...and Rustoleum silver sprayed racks front and rear.

I also just picked up Maxxis Larsen tt tires from CL of all places.

This pic will give you the basic idea.

Bring on the snow.

krobinson103

Thats the current beater. Though when the ice is down I intend to ride this...



With studded tires. She isn't a beater but still my favorite

boattail71

[QUOTE=jethin;16250767]The lowly beater bike doesn't get its due. Sure it's not the fastest, prettiest, most comfortable or even the most reliable ride in the stable. But who do you reach for when skies are gray? When you want to lock up your bike on the street (gasp!) and not have to install a security camera to watch it while you get a cup of joe? When you just want to get from point A to point B without any pomp or circumstance? You know who…
QUOTE]

Good prompt, jet. Beaters, which one do I start with? This is my dog. My first beater I bought for $8 the summer before college as my campus commuter/bar bike. It now has more miles on it than some of my road bikes over the decades - more rides without question. Many overhauls, parts and accessory changes over the years - shown now as my "truck." Lock it? It's not worth anything but I'd be sick if gone. And it's a 60's Roadmaster! - the thing rides real nice even when loaded.

After sparring with a coworker one day he fired back "ya, but you ride a bike with a basket!" Touche!




What do you have jet?

boattail71

Where do you get those panniers? Love it!

gomango

One heck of an ice fishing bicycle you have there.

lasauge 

I'd say that "beater bikes" are functional machines that the owner can use without being particularly upset if the bike is damaged, abused beyond repair, or stolen. I've got three at the moment:

1. My everyday commuter for the past three years, a mystery Peugeot (or Gitane? Motobecane?) that I bought as a powdercoated frame, I use STI levers on inverted North Road bars. I love the geometry, but not the frame - good thing, because this bikes days are numbered - the threading on the headset is stripped in such a way that the headset can't be opened for service (it's French anyways), the poorly done powdercoating has cracked and there's some rust, and it has quite a few peculiarities I've had to learn to live with. When it's done, I will find another frame with similar geometry and build another commuter just like this one.


2. This Giant Prodigy, a cheap mountain bike that's on the heavy side. This was the bike I saved for the worst days of snow, ice, and slush the past few years (but more often I went out skating on the bike above - icy hills CAN be ridden on 700x23 slicks, even if it's not a great idea. Right now it's set up as a cruiser with the bars turned back up the way they were meant to be, soon I'm going to give it to a guy I know who wants a beater of his own or sell it for cheap because I have...


3. This past Autumn I built this '83 Stumpy to be my new ice bike option, it's a lot faster for me, and more fun to ride than the Giant ever was when it's nice out. No snow here yet, so I'm not sure how it's going to handle on ice

WNG

This is a zero-cost beater consisting of a 92 Specialized Hardrock Cruz that's been put on a diet, and converted to a dropbar (sub)urban gorilla.
It rides quite well, made from Tange Cr-Mb MTB tubing, and has horizontal dropouts. I did some dirt and gravel trail riding and trips on tarmac. It will be replaced after discovering it's a tad small for gravel grinding. It may stay a bit longer as a single speed grocery getter.





For a traditional road bike, it'll have to be my 88 Benotto Triathlon presently shouldering that duty.

Vefer

They are cat litter pails, Tidy Cat! 35lbs size. add a couple of hooks on the sides, as small bungee cord at the bottom and they will hook onto almost any rack. Oh yeah, They REALLY are 100% waterproof, the lids snap on like Tupperware, never ever leak. perfect for the farmers market, shopping runs, I've put almost everything in there.

likebike23

Here's my early 80's BCA mountain bike. The paint is chipped in a lot of places, so it's not the prettiest bike. I threw some moustache bars and stem shifters on it which a lot of people don't like, but work great. Add some crappy plastic pedals, and you have a functional machine that most won't give a second look.

leicanthrope

My 1977 Motobecane Mirage would be really the closest thing to a beater that I've got that's actually a finished bike. Converted from 27" to 700c, and outfitted with leftover bits from a couple of other projects.

This photo doesn't really do justice to just how beat up the paint job really is...

Sixty Fiver

The AO8 is even lowlier than a UO8, although it does have a very nice ride and it is less than 28 pounds as a fixed gear with fenders and rack. If I build a custom integrated rack for it then it might move up the order a little.

I just bought a nearly mint BRC Ricochet hybrid (late eighties) that I plan to beat up this winter when we get those wetter and warmer days or when I don't really need studded tyres... it cost about as much as a night out on the town and is actually a pretty decent bike that rides well and handles really well.

old's'cool

I share that philosophy; also with "beater cars".

Here are my two beaters. I bought the Miyata 312 (now technically a 318) specifically to ship to Switzerland for my stay here, as I was loath to tear down one of my existing bikes for shipment. Both are in excellent mechanical condition, but not at all eye-catching, and equipped with low-to-middle rung Shimano and other Japanese kit, nothing to write home about. The Univega is a Viva Touring.




Ahem, that phrase is quite pregnant...

Paramount1973 

I'd steal that bike.

Gary Fountain

Columbus Max with Campy 9 speed but picked up for a 'song'. Nice to ride in any weather.

gomango

Very nice!

I keep looking for a bargain priced Max framed bike.

No surprise to me that I haven't found one.

Gary Fountain

Hi Gomango,

I was very lucky with this one. MAX is nice stuff. It's got a few dents but looks good from a distance. I must admit that I lock it up if I leave it for any length of time - perhaps that eliminates it from this thread.

I can understand why you want one so I hope you come across a good one at the right price.

randyjawa 

I can't help but believe that some people define "beater" differently than I do. My beater, a badly dented once stolen and miserably mismatced group Specialized, that is fast, agile and pretty darn comfortable to ride. I would not like loosing the bike to a thief, but "c'est la vie", if it happens. I would, however, feel bad about loosing the pedal set fitted to the Junker II. I still have the Junker II and it is still the workhorse in my dwindling stable...

For those who are interested, this old Peugeot Super Sport, quickly converted to a Poor Man's Single Speed was my bad weather bicycle for years. Pump up the tires and a bit of ProLink on the drive chain was, pretty much, total annual maintenance for the bicycle. It never let me down, attrackted almost no attention and was OK to ride for short, around town errand running hops...

jimmuller 

There ain't no subject that isn't already doubled or tripled or quadrupled or pentupled here in BF!

I'm with 65er. When skies are gray I reach for this, an upgraded early 70's UO-8:

bikemig 

Cool bike; actually lots and lots of cool bikes on this thread. My last real beater bike looked like a beater (an old beat up peugeot uo-8) and got ripped off. I like the high zoot and the low zoot beaters. A lot obviously depends on where you live and your uses for it. To be a beater=a utility bike and we all define this differently. I'm excited about a "new" beater I'm in the process of building up and which I'll get to commute on this winter. Now there is even have a thread on which I can post some pics when it is done, .

I keep my eye out on CL for bikes that might make a good beater. It's fun keeping a project beater or two sitting around. You never know when you might just need to build one up.

jethin

Some really interesting bikes and good ideas in this thread! I dig those inventive bucket panniers, and am surprised to see so many mustache-style bars (I've never tried 'em, maybe I'm missing out on something?)

Thanks for asking boattail, and neat old Roadmaster and dog! I agree with lasauge that beaters are first and foremost functional machines, be they handsome or plain jane. I didn't want this thread to turn into "show us your crappiest bikes", which is one reason I didn't post my last beater here, because I'm pretty sure it will take home the "Beatest Beater" trophy. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce what I used to call "The World's Most Dangerous Bike."

I found this orphan abandoned and wandering the streets so I adopted it and made it my neighborhoodie. I'm not proud of the fact that I rode and neglected it for years, eventually not even bothering to fix its front brake cable or pedal after they broke. But somehow it always got me where I needed to go and was always waiting patiently behind for me, even if I'd only locked it with some loose twine.

What was the end for TWMDB? I'm ashamed to admit it was a simple flat tire. I said goodbye to my old flat-footed friend and left it out with the recycling. Low and behold it had vanished by day break the next morning! Who knows, maybe it's still out there creakily coasting around somewhere.

John E

Here's mine -- 1970 Peugeot UO-8, which I bought for my new bride as a leftover bare frame when I was working my way through grad school at Bikecology, a Peugeot/Nishiki dealership. I originally built it up for her with a TA Professional crankset, upright UO-18 bars, and Schwinn stem shifters. I customized the gearing for her to use in the hills of west Los Angeles: 52-42 / 16-18-21-24-32, with a SunTour VGT rear derailleur. When she lost interest in road biking and had me build her a mountain bike, I converted the Peugeot into my commuter/beater, with drop bars, barcons, half-step gearing, and my trusty old cylindrical Bellwether handlebar bag. I kept the handy Pletscher mousetrap, which I still think is the best rear rack ever developed. Forty years later -- same wife, same bike.

I am showing a lot of seatpost because it is a 21" / 53.5cm C-T frame, and my ideal size is 55. However, that top tube is long, so it all works out pretty well. I often have to explain the 45-42 / 13-26 12-speed half-step gearing system to people not well versed in the classics. I am also happy to have found a modern Blackburn pump which mounts nicely on the Peugeot's pump pegs. The only thing I am missing is a water bottle, but son #1 gave me a (bright yellow -- thank you !) Camelback for Fathers' Day a couple of years ago.

skidder

This is a 1988 Schiwnn Prelude that I got at a garage sale for $20. It came with no set (it had a seat tube), no handlebars/brake levers, no pedals, rotted tires. I changed out the stem (original was a 26mm clamp) for a cheap NB version (25.4 mm clamp), and got th rest of the parts from my stash of bike stuff. Rides great. It now sports another brake cable, a rear rack, and I removed the DT shifters for a thumbie on the riser bars (yes, I saved the DT shifters).

I also have a 1977 Schwinn LeTour, but spent a few $$$ on it so I don't think of it as a 'beater bike.'