Greetings from Michigan noob
08-22-19, 08:11 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Michigan USA
Posts: 883
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes.
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Greetings from Michigan noob
I've been lurking for a couple of months now, thought I'd get my 10 started.
Retired, more time for bikes now.
Retired, more time for bikes now.
09-02-19, 04:25 PM
#2
Member
greetings...from an former Michigander, now in Memphis.....go Tigers....go Wolverines......Retired now....busy wrapping up material for my upcoming 16th ART EXHIBIT , at crosstown arts.........in Memphis......the exhibit will be called * ASTERISK....
welcome to the forum....
welcome to the forum....
09-03-19, 03:09 PM
#4
Newbie
Another Michigan new member, long-time lurker. Late 30s with two kids who consume a lot of wrenching and riding time, but it's worth it.
Most likely I'll be most active in C&V, trying to learn from so many wise members and contribute something, someday!
The first bike I ever built up from a rescue: 1987 Specialized Sirrus. 56 CM. The fire-engine-red Specialized color. Pretty nice lugs.
A good friend was sorting through a pile of old bikes for a local charity (to fix and give to local kids) and found this neglected, dirty "frankenbike" of an old road bike with MTB stuff. Knowing the bike wasn't going to be "cool" for any city kids, and certainly too tall (for him and the kids), he brought it to me.
It had been built up with a 7-speed 12-28 shimano MTB cassette, and a "Mountain LX" triple crankset and RD/FD. Still had the original 105 aero brake levers, brakes, and indexed, 6-speed downtube shifters. Specialized stem and seatpost. Sakae SR seatpost that recently bit the dust. Some ugly white saddle off a BMX that was donated to the co-op years ago. Original wheels were on it at the time, I think some Wolbers, but with some cracks at the nipples. Replaced with almost NOS Matrix ISO C-II wheels with nice 600-series hubs that were a takeoff from a Trek the original owner held onto for 20+ years until his wife made him clean out the shed.
The story I tell myself anyway is that some kid down in Georgia (where the bike was originally sold and lived for it's first 30 years) outgrew it and replaced the worn out mechanicals with the MTB stuff, and handed it down to his little sibling who tore up and down red dirt roads all day long for years, and then got a car and the bike was parked for 20 years, as the caked-on dust and dirt and locked-up parts would attest.
A good cleaning and a trip to the LBS for them to put a 6' cheater on the bottom bracket removal tool, and we were in business. Over time, put on a Tricolor (6400) FD, RD, and 53/39 crank. Not original, but period-appropriate.
It's been rode hard and put away wet but the steel still sings. Unfortunately, I've concluded it's probably a size too big, and the frameset will probably make it onto a trading forum at some point once I "pass the bar." I may swap in a shorter quill stem before making that decision, as the stem on my recently-accquired 1984 Raleigh Racing USA 555 (the name of the Raleigh RacingUSA frame purchased as a frameset) is a bit short.
So many parts, so little time. . .
Thanks for reading.
Most likely I'll be most active in C&V, trying to learn from so many wise members and contribute something, someday!
The first bike I ever built up from a rescue: 1987 Specialized Sirrus. 56 CM. The fire-engine-red Specialized color. Pretty nice lugs.
A good friend was sorting through a pile of old bikes for a local charity (to fix and give to local kids) and found this neglected, dirty "frankenbike" of an old road bike with MTB stuff. Knowing the bike wasn't going to be "cool" for any city kids, and certainly too tall (for him and the kids), he brought it to me.
It had been built up with a 7-speed 12-28 shimano MTB cassette, and a "Mountain LX" triple crankset and RD/FD. Still had the original 105 aero brake levers, brakes, and indexed, 6-speed downtube shifters. Specialized stem and seatpost. Sakae SR seatpost that recently bit the dust. Some ugly white saddle off a BMX that was donated to the co-op years ago. Original wheels were on it at the time, I think some Wolbers, but with some cracks at the nipples. Replaced with almost NOS Matrix ISO C-II wheels with nice 600-series hubs that were a takeoff from a Trek the original owner held onto for 20+ years until his wife made him clean out the shed.
The story I tell myself anyway is that some kid down in Georgia (where the bike was originally sold and lived for it's first 30 years) outgrew it and replaced the worn out mechanicals with the MTB stuff, and handed it down to his little sibling who tore up and down red dirt roads all day long for years, and then got a car and the bike was parked for 20 years, as the caked-on dust and dirt and locked-up parts would attest.
A good cleaning and a trip to the LBS for them to put a 6' cheater on the bottom bracket removal tool, and we were in business. Over time, put on a Tricolor (6400) FD, RD, and 53/39 crank. Not original, but period-appropriate.
It's been rode hard and put away wet but the steel still sings. Unfortunately, I've concluded it's probably a size too big, and the frameset will probably make it onto a trading forum at some point once I "pass the bar." I may swap in a shorter quill stem before making that decision, as the stem on my recently-accquired 1984 Raleigh Racing USA 555 (the name of the Raleigh RacingUSA frame purchased as a frameset) is a bit short.
So many parts, so little time. . .
Thanks for reading.
09-03-19, 03:36 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Munising, Michigan, USA
Posts: 4,131
Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter
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Welcome! Always is good to see more Michiganders around here.
09-04-19, 09:22 AM
#6
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Delaware shore
Posts: 13,558
Bikes: Cervelo C5, Guru Photon, Waterford, Specialized CX
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Welcome to both of you new Michiganders
