79pmooney

I have a lesser French bike I saved from a dumpster. No, it wasn't there yet. At an "as is" sale at the community shop I'd been volunteering at. They set bikes they couldn't sell or re-use that might interest someone outside for one day. $20-40. No test ride. No returns. I went looking for a frame for a fun, light summer fix gear. I'd been riding fixed forever but on bikes set up as winter/rain/city bikes after I stopped racing. Brought a tape measure.

Well, $20 would get me a sport ~1990 Peugeot with internal lugs. Been hit from the side by presumably an SUV. Trashed fork. Dent in top tube, Didn't know it then but both chainstays were about to break. Tape measure said "yeah!". Knew walking up to the cash register that if the bike worked out, it was getting "TEAM DUMPSTER" on the down tube if it ever got painted because without my $20, that's were it was going that evening.

I spent another $85 on a French sized seatpost, brakes, a velodrome worthy 1/8" TA chainring (110 BCD) and a used, probably Bridgestone, fork. Seat, wheels, pedals and cockpit I had. Two weeks later I saw the chainstay cracks. I had some CF on hand, boatbuilder epoxy and old fiberglassing skills. (Used to build racing sailboats.) Fixed. Several months later I doubled the entire investment with a nice seat; the bike was that much fun. A couple of months later I learned this bike (already very much a she!) was named Jessica. Year later I again doubled the entire when my first TiCycles was built and Jessica got painted at the same time. The team on the DT and Jessica hiding the top tube dent.

Jessica served me well for 8,000 miles but I wouldn't ride her into the hills because of the known and unknown car damage. At that point, she served me again as the model for Jessica J, same overall geometry except much higher BB, slightly more trail (Jessica was quick!), titanium because why not and super custom horizontal road style with a twist dropouts for massive chain take-up and instant off with the wheel slid forward to the seat tube. Jessica J hit 20,000 miles a while ago and is my all time favorite ride. All thanks to TEAM DUMPSTER!

Edit: I forgot to say - Jessica's first ride around the neighborhood - more fun than anything I'd ridden since my racing bike in the '70s. Felt that instantly! Very, very quick "all hands on deck" steering, but absolutely perfect. Once I was trained, rode no-hands like a dream. Yeah, I dragged a pedal every time I even just looked at a corner (23c 700c tires and the low "slinky" Peugeot frame), but still - fun! (BB went up 5/8" on Jessica J. Now I rarely touch with 175 cranks.)