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For the love of English 3 speeds...

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For the love of English 3 speeds...

Old 12-29-20, 10:11 AM
  #23626  
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Hercules

Thanks for the good words about the Hercules. Unfortunately good words don’t prevent me from being a bike hoarder, placate my concerned loved ones, or provide funds to use on new projects aka the mongrel Lenton.

What is the solution to offloading excess bikes? Is it worthwhile to become a premium member so I can advertise on the site? It seems like that would be like preaching to the choir.
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Old 12-29-20, 12:35 PM
  #23627  
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Truth in Advertising
Another example of a bike flipper.
Listed @ $240.00
Raleigh built Rodeo bicycle.
Built for the Canadian hardware chain Beaver Lumber
Listed as a "fixie" with a coaster brake....
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Old 12-29-20, 12:38 PM
  #23628  
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Originally Posted by bluesteak
Thanks for the good words about the Hercules. Unfortunately good words don’t prevent me from being a bike hoarder, placate my concerned loved ones, or provide funds to use on new projects aka the mongrel Lenton.

What is the solution to offloading excess bikes? Is it worthwhile to become a premium member so I can advertise on the site? It seems like that would be like preaching to the choir.
Earlier this summer I decided to cut back
20+ bicycles were too many.
I had set myself a limit of 10 a few years back.
I advertised locally and sold 5 of them.
There was a real bike shortage last summer and they moved quickly.
No profit but it freed up some space.
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Old 12-29-20, 04:44 PM
  #23629  
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Originally Posted by gster
Earlier this summer I decided to cut back
20+ bicycles were too many.
I had set myself a limit of 10 a few years back.
I advertised locally and sold 5 of them.
There was a real bike shortage last summer and they moved quickly.
No profit but it freed up some space.
So I am reading that always have at least one bike advertised locally, and don’t be too aggressive on price.
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Old 12-29-20, 04:48 PM
  #23630  
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Originally Posted by bluesteak
So I am reading that always have at least one bike advertised locally, and don’t be too aggressive on price.
i would think so.
Most people don't want to pay for shipping and I don't want to spend time breaking a bike down to ship..
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Old 12-30-20, 06:45 AM
  #23631  
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Most of the buyers I've run into on CL over the past few years likely couldn't even fix a flat tire let alone put a bike together out of a box.
What happened to the days when every kid knew how to fix a flat tire on his bike by the time they were eight years old?
I've actually had neighbors come to me wanting me to replace their tires because they were flat. When you ask if they tried putting air in it they just look at your funny.

Bikes have been a tough sell around here all year, it seems junk sells and decent bikes just sit. They go crazy for Walmart bikes but older or classic bikes never get a reply. When they do, its from someone far away who's willing to make the drive. The last bike I sold went to a guy who drove 350 miles each way. It had been listed for over four years.
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Old 12-30-20, 11:09 AM
  #23632  
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Originally Posted by 2fat2fly
As neat as the idea of a three speed road bike sounds, I don't think it would fit my needs as well as a stock Sports type bike.
Many of the places I ride have lengths of dirt trails, some are hard packed dirt, some sort of look like fine mulch over sand.
A road bike doesn't go through that well. What I really need is a Sports type bike with the widest tire made.
I thought about converting a mountain bike but don't like the feel of that type of bike. ( I might consider an earlier mountain bike as they tended to have more relaxed angles than the bikes that came after around the mid 80's or so.). The relaxed angles of the Sports or any of the clones fits me better. I don't ride nearly as much as I used to, or likely should but I do so both to get some exercise and to get around the immediate area. Fenders are a must, a low enough gear to pull a few minor hills, the ability to mount a basket and rear rack, and tires wider than most. I did buy a set of Michelin World Tour tires off CL for another bike, I like how they look, they're nearly as wide as most middle weight tires mounted on Schwinn S5 rims, so I'd expect about the same look on a Raleigh with Westrick rims.
The wider tires also handle my size and weight better. They seem less likely to pinch flat over curbs and potholes.
For something like this I would consider going one of three ways: 1) get a Sport and use the 650A tire size which is a pretty good compromise for pavement and gravel, although it favors pavement. 2) get a rod brake frame and build wheels for it using modern SA hubs with drum brakes front and rear. The rod brake frames are nice and long and really work pretty well on trails and it doesn't hurt that you have better rollover with the increased diameter and tire width. 3) get a frame that allows for 650b rims and tires. The 650b tire size is meant to do well on gravel, trails and pavement since that was/is what's around if you do a randonneur.
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Old 12-30-20, 11:34 AM
  #23633  
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Originally Posted by dirtman
Bikes have been a tough sell around here all year, it seems junk sells and decent bikes just sit. They go crazy for Walmart bikes but older or classic bikes never get a reply. When they do, its from someone far away who's willing to make the drive. The last bike I sold went to a guy who drove 350 miles each way. It had been listed for over four years.
Dragging this thought back to 3-speeds, I will say that to me its all about familiarity.....I am now over 60, but even when I was a kid 3-speeds in general and "english 3-speeds" were becoming a rarity: I was an enthusiast in my area (itself a huge rarity) and no one in the enthusiast space would bat an eye at a 3-speed, decent or not. Fast forward to today and you have potentially 2 or 3 generations of riders that have never seen anything except department store bikes (none of which are 3 speeds); the audience looking to buy from the local online ads are either enthusiasts who will drive 12 hours for the right bike, and the general public who don't know crap about decent bikes and are looking at names they know and price. We are actually quite lucky in the sense it keeps a pretty decent supply going for our hobby.

There's another thread here in C&V about a $300 mountain bike challenge....its an interesting thread but in one of the attached videos they illustrated a search for their target bikes (under $300) - i was shocked at how many bikes in one sequence were listed in that person's locality of decent quality mountain bikes for under $75..... sure they might be junk but the quality bikes were abundant; one of the participants ended up with a wally-world hybrid that was (as he put it) museum quality (he knew it was crap!).
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Old 12-30-20, 01:16 PM
  #23634  
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Originally Posted by markk900
Dragging this thought back to 3-speeds, I will say that to me its all about familiarity.....I am now over 60, but even when I was a kid 3-speeds in general and "english 3-speeds" were becoming a rarity: I was an enthusiast in my area (itself a huge rarity) and no one in the enthusiast space would bat an eye at a 3-speed, decent or not. Fast forward to today and you have potentially 2 or 3 generations of riders that have never seen anything except department store bikes (none of which are 3 speeds); the audience looking to buy from the local online ads are either enthusiasts who will drive 12 hours for the right bike, and the general public who don't know crap about decent bikes and are looking at names they know and price. We are actually quite lucky in the sense it keeps a pretty decent supply going for our hobby.

There's another thread here in C&V about a $300 mountain bike challenge....its an interesting thread but in one of the attached videos they illustrated a search for their target bikes (under $300) - i was shocked at how many bikes in one sequence were listed in that person's locality of decent quality mountain bikes for under $75..... sure they might be junk but the quality bikes were abundant; one of the participants ended up with a wally-world hybrid that was (as he put it) museum quality (he knew it was crap!).
I saw that thread. Initially I thought that the premis was to find or build a bike for as little under $300 as possible. Now I see people stripping frames, welding/brazing, and repainting. I don't get it.
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Old 12-30-20, 01:37 PM
  #23635  
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Originally Posted by dirtman
Most of the buyers I've run into on CL over the past few years likely couldn't even fix a flat tire let alone put a bike together out of a box.
What happened to the days when every kid knew how to fix a flat tire on his bike by the time they were eight years old?
I've actually had neighbors come to me wanting me to replace their tires because they were flat. When you ask if they tried putting air in it they just look at your funny.

Bikes have been a tough sell around here all year, it seems junk sells and decent bikes just sit. They go crazy for Walmart bikes but older or classic bikes never get a reply. When they do, its from someone far away who's willing to make the drive. The last bike I sold went to a guy who drove 350 miles each way. It had been listed for over four years.
Sadly its a different world and changing very quickly (for some of us)
There are few 35 year olds who know how to work with their hands (other than computer/video games)
A large % don't have a driver's licence.
I still have a flip phone..
No apps, no GPS, no funny cat videos, selfies or photos of my lunch.
I packed up my stuff and came down to Mexico last month and will stay here
until things at home return to something tolerable.
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Old 12-30-20, 08:08 PM
  #23636  
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Originally Posted by gster
Sadly its a different world and changing very quickly (for some of us)
There are few 35 year olds who know how to work with their hands (other than computer/video games)
A large % don't have a driver's licence.
I still have a flip phone..
No apps, no GPS, no funny cat videos, selfies or photos of my lunch.
I packed up my stuff and came down to Mexico last month and will stay here
until things at home return to something tolerable.
Which bike did you bring with you?
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Old 12-31-20, 12:51 AM
  #23637  
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Originally Posted by gster
Sadly its a different world and changing very quickly (for some of us)
There are few 35 year olds who know how to work with their hands (other than computer/video games)
A large % don't have a driver's licence.
I still have a flip phone..
No apps, no GPS, no funny cat videos, selfies or photos of my lunch.
I packed up my stuff and came down to Mexico last month and will stay here
until things at home return to something tolerable.
Its sort of the same here, but I find guys as old as 50 who don't have a clue.
I really don't understand the not wanting to get a driver's license thing though?
I see that here more and more. I'm in a neighborhood that's been slowly changing as the older folks die off. There's couples in the early 20's with multiple kids and no license, a huge mortgage, and no clue how to do anything themselves.
I really don't get the not wanting to learn to drive, when I was 15 I was building my first car, I got it up and running in a few months and was sneaking out with it pretty often. I couldn't wait to get my license so I didn't have to worry about getting caught.
I had my license three days before I headed to FL for a week with a bunch of buddies in my van. These days these kids can't fathom driving around the block let alone 1500 miles away. This isn't an area where you can do without a car either. Nothing is close, its 5 miles to just about anything you need. One young couple rely on uber or neighbors, and the neighbors are getting tired of giving them rides. Now there's 5 more just like them.
I asked the one guy why he never got a license and he said he didn't want to contribute to the destruction of this planet. Yet he's got no issue asking me for a ride in my F350 diesel when he needs something from the store. The bad part is that most don't even own a bike, they walk, call Uber, or bum a ride.

I also only have a flip phone, I never saw the need for anything else. Its a phone and that's all I want it to be.
I also don't get texting, to me its like going back to those little pagers they used to sell. It takes the same amount of time to dial a call as it does to send a text, with less typing. My phone is capable but I block all texts. I feel if someone needs to get hold of me they can just call me.

I haven't been to Mexico in 35+ years when a bunch of us spend a drunken weekend or two in Tijuana in the middle of a trip to San Diego.
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Old 12-31-20, 01:14 AM
  #23638  
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Originally Posted by dirtman
I really don't get the not wanting to learn to drive, when I was 15 I was building my first car, I got it up and running in a few months and was sneaking out with it pretty often. I couldn't wait to get my license so I didn't have to worry about getting caught.
Well, why would young folks get a car? Most cars are way too expensive these days and require folks to go into debt in order to drive. And most modern cars are too complicated for most folks to work on them themselves.

I owned cars for five years of my life in my late teens into early twenties. Most were crappy $500 cars that had things that broke monthly. One time I decided to "step up" and get a "quality" used car from a dealer. I ended up paying $200/month in payments, $150/month in insurance, and add on gas. And I was making $800/month take home. I needed a car to get to my job so I can pay for my car. That got old fast.

I decided to skip buying another car and moved to a city like Portland where I didn't need to drive on a daily basis, a place where I could walk, take transit, or bike. Yes, I still keep my license current. The past couple years I've had access to my girlfriend's van, but I try to limit using that as much as possible.

I'm pretty happy to see a new generation that's not that excited to drive. And hopefully more of them will get on bikes.
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Old 12-31-20, 01:18 AM
  #23639  
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Originally Posted by dirtman
I also only have a flip phone, I never saw the need for anything else. Its a phone and that's all I want it to be.
I also don't get texting, to me its like going back to those little pagers they used to sell. It takes the same amount of time to dial a call as it does to send a text, with less typing. My phone is capable but I block all texts. I feel if someone needs to get hold of me they can just call me.
I hate talking on the phone. Hate. Didn't like it much before cell phones and the like, either, and yes, I am old enough to grow up using a rotary dial phone.
Texting gets to the point. No pleasantries and beating around the bush. Plus, if someone texts me important info (like their address) I have it stored on the phone. I don't have to worry about remembering it or look for something to write on.
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Old 12-31-20, 01:20 AM
  #23640  
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Originally Posted by markk900
Dragging this thought back to 3-speeds, I will say that to me its all about familiarity.....I am now over 60, but even when I was a kid 3-speeds in general and "english 3-speeds" were becoming a rarity: I was an enthusiast in my area (itself a huge rarity) and no one in the enthusiast space would bat an eye at a 3-speed, decent or not. Fast forward to today and you have potentially 2 or 3 generations of riders that have never seen anything except department store bikes (none of which are 3 speeds); the audience looking to buy from the local online ads are either enthusiasts who will drive 12 hours for the right bike, and the general public who don't know crap about decent bikes and are looking at names they know and price. We are actually quite lucky in the sense it keeps a pretty decent supply going for our hobby.

There's another thread here in C&V about a $300 mountain bike challenge....its an interesting thread but in one of the attached videos they illustrated a search for their target bikes (under $300) - i was shocked at how many bikes in one sequence were listed in that person's locality of decent quality mountain bikes for under $75..... sure they might be junk but the quality bikes were abundant; one of the participants ended up with a wally-world hybrid that was (as he put it) museum quality (he knew it was crap!).
I find that they not only 'recognize' only the cheap bikes, they search for them.
I've had buyers tell me they don't want any old junk, they're looking for something new that's cheaper than Walmart.
It don't help either that many of the younger crowd don't even ride bikes anymore.
As a kid, I don't think there was anyone I knew that couldn't ride or didn't own a bike of some type. Most had brand new Schwinn or Columbia 10 speeds from one of two local shops, the rest had department store Huffy bikes, but at least they knew how to ride.
Many of us rode our bikes to school, so having one was a necessity. Now you don't see kids on bikes, they get their parents to chauffeur them around by car or they walk. I had a pair of older BMX bikes that came from a garage clean out I did, they were lower end models but both were in nice shape. I offered them to the neighbor who had two boys, 8 and 10 years old. I was told "Absolutely not", "we're not going to deal with all the problems that come with kids on bikes". That was a dozen or so years ago, the kids never learned to ride, they played video games. One is in his 20's and don't drive, never got his license, the other is also old enough but has no intention to drive a car either. They still play video games all day.
When I was in my teens, there were dozens of kids out and about all day long, we all had bikes, we all used them to go places. I used to ride 30 miles each way a few times a month to go visit my grandparents. I used my bike to deliver newspapers for almost 10 years as a kid, I delivered 250 newspapers every day of the week on a bike, up to the point I got a motorcycle and I used a 350cc BSA for the last few months before getting a real job and moving to another state just after high school.
Now that's unheard of. Kids don't have paper routes, kids don't have bikes, and kids don't go outside, they just sit around and play games on their high dollar smart phones.
Although I wish I wasn't passing the 60 year mark myself sometimes, I'm kind of glad I'm not growing up in today's society. I couldn't imagine not being able to ride a bike, fix my truck, or fix things around the house. As I get older, I and choose to do less myself I find it hard to find someone who is capable of doing repairs correctly. Its gotten to the point those doing the work were trained by those who didn't really ever learned how themselves. They all just seem to skate by these days not really knowing what they're doing. I found out the hard way that there's no longer a bike shop around that stocks spokes, or parts of any kind, and not a one that knows how to build or true a wheel. They all rely on a guy who travels shop to shop fixing wheels. In my opinion, its just sad that its come to this these days.
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Old 12-31-20, 08:26 AM
  #23641  
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Originally Posted by IsleRide
Which bike did you bring with you?
I didn't bring one but I'm asking/looking around.
The streets here are pretty rough.
I'm considering getting one of these


Italika Spitfire
200 cc
$1,300.00 (US) brand new.....
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Old 12-31-20, 08:47 AM
  #23642  
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I think I've jump started a good rant here about the good ol' days...
Growing up in the 60's we were all obsessed with wheels..
Cars, bikes, motorbikes, go carts etc.
Any chance we had we'd be out searching on garbage day
for wheels and then tried to cobble together some sort of
go cart thing..
My mother would literally kick me out of the house in the morning
and tell me not to come home until suppertime.
"Get on your bike and go find your friends but you're not hanging around
here all day watching TV.."
Of course I'd often come home covered in mud and scraped up pretty good
with a field mouse in my pocket......
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Old 12-31-20, 02:04 PM
  #23643  
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Last Bike Find of the Year: 1965 Rudge Sport!! Happy New Year To Me!!

I started collecting vintage British 3 speed roadster bikes this year, veering off from my regular prewar American balloon and motorbike style bikes. These old Brits have saved my sanity during the pandemic, having accumulated 11 so far.
My most recent find was an Ebay find, a 1965 Rudge Sport. It was local pickup only, and being 4 hours away gave me pause (for a short while, anyway...) until I told myself "It's a 65 Rudge, you fool! Fill up the tank and hit the road!"
What you see is the condition as found, with the addition of tires, tubes, a quick wipe down with a damp rag and a favorite Brooks B72 saddle with my lock and cable bag bearing my 1974 LAW (League of American Wheelmen) Century Run patch, the year I got serious about biking, and I'm still going strong at age 67!
It's a 23" frame (perfect for my 6' body) and has very nice Dunlop stainless steel rims. Everything is original, paint in rather exceptional condition with the exception of the dinged up chain guard and some flaky decals, which I've decided not to replace to maintain the authenticity of the beautiful bike. The eye is drawn to the shiny Open Hand chainring, one of the most beautiful chainrings out there, IMHO. Pedal blocks are original and dusty, but not much wear at all.
A unique item (to me at least...) it the chrome steel Oxford frame pump. Never seen one, and couldn't find anything on the internet about it. The head badge is pristine, and such an iconic design.
As Brits would say, I'm quite chuffed with my find, and happy to end a pretty dismal year with such a find.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!









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Old 01-01-21, 01:59 AM
  #23644  
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It must be nice to find older bikes that aren't rusty. Everything I look at around here is rusty, either its been stored outdoors for 40 years or the salt air got to them.

I looked at a bike the other day, a late 70's 23" frame Raleigh Sports, it was in a guys garage down the shore, about 5 miles from the beach. The rims and all the chrome were pitted, every last spoke nipple is rusted to the point you likely couldn't get a spoke wrench on them. The bike has original tires that still have flashing on the tread. Its likely not been ridden 5 miles over the years but it was left to rust in a garage for 40+ years.
I drove all the way there on a few pics he emailed me that were too small to show all the rusty bits. He wouldn't budge off his price so I left it. He wanted $250, I didn't think it was worth more than $150 in that shape. He called me when I was half way home to say he'd take $200, but I was too far away by the time he called. The next day the ad was gone. I guess someone didn't mind the rust.
It needed tires, lots of cleaning, a full regrease, and rims unless you don't mind pitted or missing chrome.
I never saw spoke nipples that rust like that. Most ever spoke nipples I've seen before were plated brass.
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Old 01-01-21, 02:57 AM
  #23645  
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since the lockdown from the plague ive also restored a few British three speeds .....a 69 superb a 71 sports a 63 Triumph and just finishing up a 63 Dunelt......beauties when they are all shined up

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Old 01-01-21, 03:56 AM
  #23646  
Johno59
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Bikes: 1903 24 spd Sunbeam, 1927 Humber, 3 1930 Raleighs, 2 1940s Sunbeams, 2 1940s Raleighs, Rudge, 1950s Robin Hood, 1958 Claud Butler, 2 1973 Colnago Supers, Eddie Merckx, 2 1980 Holdsworth, EG Bates funny TT bike, another 6 or so 1990s bikes

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Really nice bike but replace the chain ASAP. If it continues to eat your chain-ring (look at the teeth they are almost shark-finned) you will have to replace that as well - and a decent Rudge 'hand' crank-set is difficult to replace.
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Old 01-01-21, 04:30 AM
  #23647  
barnfind
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Originally Posted by gster
I think I've jump started a good rant here about the good ol' days...
Growing up in the 60's we were all obsessed with wheels..
Cars, bikes, motorbikes, go carts etc.
Any chance we had we'd be out searching on garbage day
for wheels and then tried to cobble together some sort of
go cart thing..
My mother would literally kick me out of the house in the morning
and tell me not to come home until suppertime.
"Get on your bike and go find your friends but you're not hanging around
here all day watching TV.."
Of course I'd often come home covered in mud and scraped up pretty good
with a field mouse in my pocket......
I was the same way as a kid, 10 bikes in the shed, a couple of go carts, an old tractor or two, and a few motorcycles.
When I was a kid, we weren't allowed in the house during the day unless it was pouring rain, even then we didn't much care. I remember riding in the pouring rain a lot. I even remember a buddies dad handing me the keys to one of the big trucks and telling me to go pick something up at the store, I was really tall even as a kid, so I was the only one of us kids who could reach the pedals in the truck. We knew not to do anything dumb, and never once had a problem. Off the road was a different story though. We all had all sorts of 'field cars' to beat on, even as kids. Not to mention an old Yamaha street bike with knobby tires and the fenders cut off to run the trails in the woods with. I got the bike from a guy on my newspaper route when I was maybe 10 or 12, three of us pushed it home and got it running. I have to admit, the big street bike back then really concerned my mother, but dad just smiled and said don't do anything stupid.
The next day we lopped off the exhaust, drilled a few carb jets, cut off the fenders and found two big nasty knobby tires to fit it at a local junk yard. I'm sure all the elderly neighbors back then loved that thing ripping up and down the street all day long. I sort of figured my parents knew so long as they heard it running around the neighborhood we were all good.

I was 9 or 10 years old when I got a welder for Christmas, from that point on things got fun.
As I got older a few motorcycles got stripped down to provide faster power for the go carts.
One go cart got a 1200 Katana engine and but we never gave it any brakes and a CB400 engine on a garden tractor.

I suppose its no wonder they never minded when I brought home another bicycle back then.
They were a lot quieter than most of the other toys. Of course, a common sight was the Yamaha street bike going down the road with a couple of other guys on bicycles hanging on to the back being towed way too fast.
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Old 01-01-21, 04:41 AM
  #23648  
barnfind
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Originally Posted by 2fat2fly
It must be nice to find older bikes that aren't rusty. Everything I look at around here is rusty, either its been stored outdoors for 40 years or the salt air got to them.

I looked at a bike the other day, a late 70's 23" frame Raleigh Sports, it was in a guys garage down the shore, about 5 miles from the beach. The rims and all the chrome were pitted, every last spoke nipple is rusted to the point you likely couldn't get a spoke wrench on them. The bike has original tires that still have flashing on the tread. Its likely not been ridden 5 miles over the years but it was left to rust in a garage for 40+ years.
I drove all the way there on a few pics he emailed me that were too small to show all the rusty bits. He wouldn't budge off his price so I left it. He wanted $250, I didn't think it was worth more than $150 in that shape. He called me when I was half way home to say he'd take $200, but I was too far away by the time he called. The next day the ad was gone. I guess someone didn't mind the rust.
It needed tires, lots of cleaning, a full regrease, and rims unless you don't mind pitted or missing chrome.
I never saw spoke nipples that rust like that. Most ever spoke nipples I've seen before were plated brass.
I just pulled this one out of the trailer, its a 1978 model in brown, with two old Kenda tires with Raleigh logos on little white tags on the one side of each tire. Likely the original tires as well.
I've seen rusty spoke nipples on a few later models, its as if they didn't plate or protect the spoke nipples at all. This one has rust on the spoke nipples but they're only rusty, not pitted or flaking away or anything. The newer chrome wasn't as good as the older bikes but it still lasted okay, none of these were ever meant to be stored outdoors without any sort of maintenance.
The new style chain guard, gumwall tires, and missing front light bracket were the big changes for the later models, the rest of the bike was pretty much the same. The padded saddle was the same as was used on a Sprite 27. I'm not a fan of gumwall tires on a bike like this. They look so much better with black tires.
My guess was that this bike didn't see much use either. Most of what it needs is just a relube and some polishing here and there.

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Old 01-01-21, 08:37 AM
  #23649  
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This came up on my local CL. Too rich for my blood, but price can usually be massaged.
Indpls CL
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Old 01-01-21, 09:38 AM
  #23650  
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Morning of the New Year: It’s supposed to rain pretty much all day today, so I did a quick run on the Sprite this morning to try and get my daily 5+ in before it hit. Managed .75 miles and the rain started. Then quit after I’d put the bike away.

New Year’s resolutions: Finish the 55 Royal Enfield. Finally build the PX-10. And find myself a nice condition 70’s Sports with a 23” frame. Haven’t had one of those in 45 years.
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