rekmeyata

I haven't seen a many good deals on used bikes either in about 3, maybe 4 years, people are selling old junk bikes labeling them as vintage and selling them for far more then the junk value they're actually worth. Apparently by putting on the vintage label it makes the bike worth another $350; but this phenomenon isn't just only the used cycling market it's also a lot of other stuff too. I guess with the baby boomers coming of age and wanting to buy things that were in their past is driving up prices like crazy, once the baby boomers die and the buying frenzy of having something vintage is gone then prices will drop...by then it won't matter to me either since more than likely I too will be gone.

rjhammett

I am sure it was easier to cut through the top tube than the lock.

game_player_s

The junkyards I've been to to sell scrap metal at will absolutely not sell you anything out of their metal piles! Except at one sort of of you go to the management office you can arrange to buy future like items if your willing to negotiate a price that makes it worth their time to have the men sort it out. Personally I've never bothered trying this as I truely couldn't afford what I've already spent on bicycles and parts for them this year. Two broken down cars and the third car having issues and I'm putting money into bicycles, my priorities are messed up.

Same around here most people have been asking consistently $100 or more for old department store bikes, such as those marked "J.C. Penny" and "Sears" because they're *gasp* "vintage". At an estate sale being handled by and estate liquidation company just back in August I found what looked to be a 1980's model 10-speed huffy, they wanted $175 for it!

rekmeyata

the junkyards around where I live pile the bikes up into one pile, but I've only gone to a junkyard once (I don't have the time to go every week or whenever and look) and found all the bikes to be in horrible condition, not sure if that's because they get dumped into a pile of metal with a dump truck then scooped up with a bucket loader and dumped into another pile, who knows, but on a rare occasion I do find a bike in a dumpster that was a nice bike in it's day and the cleaning up I have to do is minimal, I have found a couple of once upon a time nice bikes in a dumpster that were so terrible in condition that it would have been either impossible to restore or not worth the money and time to restore. But like I mentioned before I've found some pretty decent bikes in the trash; I never go out of my way and just look in dumpsters, I found those bikes because I saw some part of a bike sticking up above the dumpster so I would go look to see if it's any good, I probably missed a few good bikes that were in dumpsters simply because I couldn't see them from street level as I was driving by. I found a few more bikes than I've kept, I given away several to youth, friends, and a family member over the years after I've fixed them up.

Dougbloch 

Apologies for the cross-posting from the Single Speed and Fixed Gear Forum, but I did actually dig this out of a pile of bikes destined for the scrap heap. I'm going to build it up into a fixed gear. My first bike build! More pics and info here.

juvela

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hello dweenk,

have encountered this marque as well and like you assume it to be that of a chain store. do not know/recall which one. cycle made by steyr. chainset is a thun. you may discover that what appears at first to be a wedgebolt is rather a pinchbolt. these sets are easily serviced without recourse to special tools. also sometimes referred to as thompson-simplex. they do not employ the shell's threads.

there has been a discussion of this badge over at the schwinn forum. one poster suggested it may belong to one of the kresge group of companies: https://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/index.php?topic=22806.0

my guesstimate would be that it is slightly later than the mad men era.

you may wish to post it to the "show us your austrian bikes" thread:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ian-bikes.html

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rdjohannes

I saw I was quoted about my local junk yard. It's a small, small town scrap yard. I know the owner and his family. But they do let people just walk in, look through the piles and buy things. I've picked up Weber grills, fencing for my garden, and dozens of bikes. But on the bikes, it's just not the same as it was 10 years ago or even last year. In fact, I haven't picked up a bike from there this year!

thumpism 

My only dumpster experience left me so crushed that I gave up on it. Many years ago went to the local Goodwill center (both donations and retail outlet) to donate some household goods. I'd recently gotten my Raleigh Sports and wanted some nice alloy DC #135 touring levers to replace the clunky steel items on the Raleigh, and maybe some nice DC sidepull calipers. After dropping the stuff I noticed the end of a handlebar poking up out of one of those huge construction dumpsters and the bar had a rubber grip and just what I was looking for, the coveted DC #135. I had to have a look. Climbed up on the side to peek in and spotted a perfect Motobecane Nobly 3-speed from the mid-'70s; sparkling yellow paint (frame, fenders and chainguard), good chrome, Sturmey rear hub with straight wheels sporting the Rigida Super Chromix serrated rims, and 23" frame. My size. Beautiful bike, just resting in the metal recycling bin.

They would not let me pull it out and set it aside, since items not sold at the auction were destined for the recycler or the landfill. I had no cash or checkbook with me so raced home and back prepared to spend enough to make my wife mad and when I returned they'd heaved several washers and dryers into the dumpster on top of the bike. I didn't even want to see what might have happened.

game_player_s

Goodwill is notorious for destroying donated items, one of many contributing factors to them loosing charitable organization status in both the states of Georgia and South Carolina. Sadly this has not stopped people from donating goods to them.

Back in the late 90's my parents had the unfortunate experience of discovering they were victims of credit fraud and because it had not entirely been caught in time found themselves on the hook for nearly $100,000 in bills that were all fraudulent. We survived by raiding the dumpsters behind one of the local Goodwill's on Friday nights and flipping the stuff we found at the flea market the following morning for nearly two straight years. Goodwill eventually caught on to how popular their dumpsters were and eventually replaced them with fully enclosed compacting disposal units. It's rather tragic to think about the wastefulness they get away with.

LouB 

Before and afters

Murray Missile 

Just took this in trade, has quite a bit of chipped paint but otherwise is in great shape and surprisingly the decals are all in excellent condition. Wheelset is an oddity, matching Araya rims with a DuraAce front hub and a Deore XT rear hub. FD is a Deore LX and the rear is a long cage 105. TA Specialties triple crankset. First order of business will be a stem and handlebar change.

2cam16

Many years ago, I found and saved a "17 Specialized Hard Rock from the side of the dumpster in our complex. All it had was the rear wheel, no tire, no seat. Added some parts to it including front susp. and turned it into my first "real" mountain bike. (red bike in the foreground which was replaced by my present HardRock Disc in the background).
Today I kinda saved a Shogun 300. A lady gave it to me. Garaged, hardly ridden, bought new mack in the late 80's to early 90's. Will give it a cleaning and once over probably tomorrow. I'll probably ride it for a bit or forever, lol

Vonruden

Found my new bar bike, old Atala city bike.


Patina





The big shift

Dork disc needs to go

smontanaro 

Easy to find the shift lever if you're a little tipsy.

pfaustus

Nice barcycle.

thinktubes 

That should be great once you get rid of the cobwebs....

SloButWide 

Great bar bike - 90% of the public would think, "too ugly to steal".
Just watch out for us C&V types - "wow, cool bike!"

Post pictures if you clean and update it!

Vonruden

Will do, once I ride off the Cobb webs and shine the Patina.

2cam16

Two bikes, a few wheels, and some parts today. All free. lol

blart

Terrible shot but for 10$ I got what appears to be a ~1980 Nishiki International. I figured I was up due to the bar end shifters but the drivetrain is also 100% suntour cyclone:

Maxacceleration

Hello all. Here is my catch of the day. Been sitting on it for close to 20 years. Bought it for $40 out of a barn where I was doing some work.
I believe it to be a 1971-ish PX10. Yes I have the crank, pedals & front derailleur. I truly hope to get it into like new condition ...I will need help!

rumrunn6

got a bike for $50 yesterday. was shopping, ideally, for something newer, that costs 5 times more than that (used) but maybe I'll ride this as is for a while. this is a Schwinn Crisscross

guzziee

couple of weekend flea market finds:

smontanaro 

1960s Dawes Galaxy from Craigslist. Not 100% sure I'll keep it, but I'm beginning to lean that way. The seatpost came out without any problem, which is always a good sign. I don't think the fork is bent. The appearance is just a side effect of the angle and bad background. It looks straight with a more direct view.

Dawes Galaxy by smontanaro, on Flickr

Narhay

I vote for keeping it, or at least showing us when you're done.