Bikedued

I am sitting here minding my own business, waiting for a friend to show up and help replace some sheetrock on my bathroom ceiling, and my phone rings while I am vacuuming up insulation. Hey there's a couple of bikes over here? I guess at his other buddies house that he's picking up. One says Fuji Special Road Racer on it, and the other says Bianchi. Well after much coercing to get rough measurements, and find model names, I asked about the Bianchi. It says Special.... Hmmm. what does it say on the rear derailleur? much noise, dropped phone, are you there, etc... Campagnolo? Bring both I said! They should be here in a little while. I am going to offer $200 for the labor, and see what happens...? We can work a deal, even if I have to hit the ATM for more....

Both bikes have a standover of 34 inches. Right on the money, if they measured correctly. I sure hope so... Pictures in a few hours, after they've gone.

plonz 

^ Looks like that bathroom will have to wait for another day!

16Victor

Not bad for $0.00...some tool made it into a fixed gear, so it's missing shifters, derailleurs, and large chainring, and has non-original wheels (Campy Record hubs and unknown aero tubular rims in great shape

A bit small for me so it's fate is undecided. I may part it out, or may restore the derailleurs and freewheel, and leave it at my lady's place so I can ride with her without toting my main ride.

francophile 

Indirect save from the dump.

This 59cm (1988?) Moser Sprint was dropped off at a local charity rusted and missing the original Ofmega Mundial FD/RD and pedals. They tossed it in the scrap metal pile, a bike-savvy volunteer grabbed it and I bought it from him for $25.

Looks all-original except maybe the Miche hubs, everything else matches the mid-late-80s ads (ITM 200 stem, ITM seat post and bars, Ofmega Mundial drivetrain, Modolo Corsa calipers/levers). Has to be post-'84 based on the 51.151 designation, and the Mundial stuff would put it '87-'88 at the earliest. Looks like damn near this exact same bike: https://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psorrshchk.jpg

Initial soak of the QR skewers with Evap-o-rust revealed beautiful chrome underneath a very thick and solid coating rust, so I'm hoping the fork crown has the same luck.

Pity those cheap ass vinyl decals, though!

Seat post calipers out at 26.6, so likely 26.8 ST dia. Owner's name and phone number etched into BB shell, interesting.

Lots more pics: 80s Francesco Moser Sprint - Album on Imgur

flyfisherbob

Wow! Beautiful Centurion.

Bikedued

Yeah I wish. I just now finally got a shower after being covered with 70 year old rock wool insulation and drywall dust all day. Yep, he only brought the Fuji of course, and it has now turned into a buy all of these bikes or none, but got the Fuji free as bait.

It's filthy and a little beat on, but yellow and a LOT of original components. The wheels have large flange Sunshine hubs, which are correct for my 74 Newest. It also has a Compe V front derailleur, and a V GT Luxe rear, and a few other neat little parts like power shifters. The bad part? Replacement fork, and cracked rusted paint behind the upper and lower head lugs, sigh. The good part? It looks like it was professionally straightened? Not so much as a visible bend, or even a ripple under the down tube. Decent quality replacement fork from back when it was still a fairly new bike. The fork crown is kind of pretty. I will post a pic of it tomorrow.

Hell or high water I am going to go look at the other bikes after work tomorrow. Gonna bug my friend all day about it, as it is a friend of his he has known for decades. Apparently there is a full suspension Ironhorse with VERY large frame tubes, so that could be decent. A Trek 800, meh... And the Bianchi, which is the real prize. From what little info I got on it, it has a pantographed stem, and at least a Campy rear derailleur. It also has the Made in Italy decal, my friend's friend remembered that part. They are not out for public sale, just on a friends property. The Bianchi is red, not Celeste. I am okay with that, as long it's not wrecked. Probably at least Columbus tubing, and I have my fingers crossed.

rjhammett

I picked up this 90s Schwinn Paramount a couple weeks ago. It was missing the saddle and front shifter, the front wheel was a 27" road wheel and it had a mis-matched crank set. I volunteer at a non-profit fixing bikes. You earn shop dollars for the hours you work that you can use to buy used parts. I picked up everything I needed to get it back on the road without having to spend any money. I have a total of $20 into it.

rhm

Coming back from the grocery store on my Lambert fixie yesterday, I spotted two bikes in the trash just a block from my house. On closer inspection one proved to be a complete POS MTB; I left it there. The other was this 1969 Raleigh Sports. I walked both bikes home and took these photos when I got there:





All original except for the seat. Complete except for the chain guard, rear brake lever, rear brake cable, grips, and seat post bolt. Original tires still hold air.

The shop that sold it is still in business, at the same location, hasn't even changed their phone number.


By the time it was getting dark, the bike was in rideable condition, though still with only one brake. Grainy photo taken in failing light:

After my wife rides it a bit this week I trust she will give me the go ahead to do a complete overhaul.

quattroG

Nice Continental. Brings back memories. I had one as a kid. It was at my parents home for a long time. Still in great shape. I sold it to a friend who wanted a starter bike. Funny, I found the owners manual for it and it's listed as a "light weight" bike. I guess everything is relative.

francophile 

Cool find, @rhm !

thumpism 

Years ago I was walking the dog and found in an alley blocks from home behind a church that had had a big yard sale a black ladies' 3-speed. It was missing the rear fender and chainguard but was sound otherwise, and it had a FREE sign taped to the seat. I gave it to a single mom down our block for her oldest daughter.

fender1

Picked up this Motobecane Grand Record for $125. Everything works, just needs some elbow grease.

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Bicycle Addict

Sounds annoying as hell BD, sounds also like a friendship in endship!?(see what I did there? Lol I need to get out more)

rsandoval75002

Converted blue & black 1980s Sannino to red & chrome, check these pics, saved...

https://goo.gl/photos/BmL2UF7MypzVXrpp8

curbtender

Aren't you supposed to bag it and light it on fire before you ring the bell?

Bikedued

Well, this crow tastes a lot like a quesadilla(it's lunchtime), but anyway. The guy just called me said nothing was wrong, and that we're good. Umm okay. You couldn't answer three texts and two voicemails in a 24 hour period? Anyway, he's still who he is, and no argument. Oh well. Might get the Bianchi after all. Who knows.,,,,BD

And it's growing on me. Messing around with it a little, swapped wheels with some Shimano/Araya's, and the bars are Nitto GR's.. It's a good start, hehe.

Just a heavy old school Fuji with fancy head lugs, but I love it still. Kind of the same feeling as owning a 70's Peugeot from the P or UA series. I am thinking hammered fenders and fat 1 1/4" skinwall Pasela TG's. I am leaving the patina. It has earned it.

tcpasley

2000 Lemond Buenos Aires

Reynolds 853 tubing. Rolf Vector wheels. Full Shimano 105 2x9 groupset. All original except for the saddle and pedals. Even appears to have the original Michelin Axial Select tires. Paint is VG+. One small dent in a seatstay between the brake bridge and the seat tube. A real creampuff. $200 at pawn shop.

I put the Fizik Arione and the yellow bottle cages on it. At 55 cm it's a little on the small side, but not much smaller than my 1998 Steelman Stage Race (56 cm st, 57 cm tt). I'll get the bars up a little to give my aged neck and back a break and ride it like I stole it.

Robert C

Picked this one up on this week's dump run.

Bikedued

Talk about luck. My friend who found the Trek 760 a couple of weeks ago, just made another find. An aluminum Vitus. Silver "lugs" and black tubes, with a tri color 600 group. His price? $120... The frame is my size or so he says, so I will end up with it probably, but at 230ish I may be more human than the bike is meant for. I may trade it for something on the frame doesn't fit thread. Maybe build for the weight weenie thread instead, haha. While texting with him last night, he was determined to use that Modolo stem. I told him they're notorious for the clamp separating from the rest of the stem, but he wasn't buying it. I told him if it broke I would laugh at him and keep riding, lol. I think he got the message. Not that I would mind you, but purposely using a stem known for failures is just asking for a hospital bill. My humble opinion.,,,,BD


https://bikexprt.com/witness/product/...and%20bars.jpg

rekmeyata

^^ For some reason the posting button doesn't show up when I try to quote a previous post?

That Vitus was a fantastic fine. I would not buy that bike for yourself, I had a friend that bought one back in the 80's about when they first came out, he weighed 245 pounds but he was also a body builder so he was all muscle, he broke two of those in 6 months at the bottom bracket, but Vitus was very good about warrantying the bikes; the 3rd one he got after the 2nd one broke he never rode, last I heard it's still in his garage having never been ridden! I tried to buy from him about 15 years ago because it was my size but he wouldn't sell it, I guess he liked looking at it.

But he also had 2 Kliens break at the BB, and 2 or 3 Cannondales, but each of those lasted about a year or two longer than the Vitus bikes did. After all those bikes failed he contacted Grant Petersen of Rivendell and told him his situation and Grant designed a custom built bike that would handle him and a load for touring, he's had that bike for about 15 or so years and it's still going strong last I heard and has taken it on many touring trips. I'm not sure if Grant does that kind of custom designing based on a person's weight and load it will be carrying since he's moved his production of the Rivendell branded bike to Waterford.

shipwreck

Bikes of any quality are pretty rare in my area, so when I see anything bike shaped at a yard sale I always stop to check it out. Picked this up yesterday for 25 bucks. I ride a 60cm, so the 49cm frame is way on the small side.


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Now I have the quandry on what to do with it. 27" araya rims are nice and true. I have lots of ideas for the parts, but might just see if the frame doesnt fit thread can snag me something interesting in a 59 to 60cm range. Other than some top tube storage scratches its very clean.

I asked if they still had the original bars and brake levers, but no dice. Original owner, she says she probably rode it less than 50 miles.

thumpism 

This turned up on CL several days ago for $85, being sold by the local co-op. I had passed on one for $100 in April, even though I was preparing for my four-pannier TransAm attempt. Turns out I borrowed a friend's B.O.B. to try out on one leg of the trip but was not a convert following that experience. Still, I was sorry to have missed the one earlier and, surprisingly, did not jump on this one immediately. Called them today and said to hold it for me and just returned from picking it up. Included three skewers but no bag, no fender and no retaining pins; a real deal nonetheless.

Murray Missile 

Just snagged this off CL a couple hours ago, 23 inch '86 Schwinn Prelude. It was C-H-E-A-P! It had been on there for about 3 weeks and somehow I overlooked it until last night, I was positive it would be gone but I lucked out. They said they had it on CL before this listing and didn't get any calls and figured they'd give it one more shot. It has all it's original components, wheels are true and no corrosion on any of the aluminum but it has some pretty good scratches and it needs a complete overhaul. The brake hoods look almost new and are very pliable, they may have been replaced recently. I've paid as much for replacement hoods as I did this whole bike. But even with the rock hard and cracked tires, petrified brake pads, rusty chain and cables and unraveling bar tape it rode nicely. I've been riding 25 inch frames for years but this one seems to fit me well, I was very comfortable on it, I had no issue reaching the shifters. I'm finding reaching DT shifters on 25 inch frames isn't as easy as it used to be as I get older. I went to look at it with the idea of flipping it but I believe this one is a keeper. Which means one or two others will be looking for new homes.

vintagerando

I love that rear derailleur. Great catch.

Primitive Don

Nice looking frame and a great set of parts! Helluva deal for 25 clams.