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A very interesting mix and match of a bike.

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A very interesting mix and match of a bike.

Old 05-31-21, 08:24 AM
  #1  
FelixScout
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A very interesting mix and match of a bike.

Because I keep looking at used bikes, because reason,s the algorithm keeps tossing me bikes to look at all over the spectrum.

So this one showed up a couple days ago and that huge chain ring guard caught my eye. Than I look closer and it seems to have one piece cranks. Then I look even closer and the chain and cogs seem rusty.

This seems to be a Frankenstein of a bike. And my mind seems to think it is a 70's/early 80's road bike with 26" wheels and long reach brakes plus a new stem and a flat bar. Maybe it is late 80's early 90's mountain bike/hybrid with a transplanted crank and front fork. So very odd and fascinating.

Link here: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...9027312319717/






Thoughts?
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Old 05-31-21, 08:42 AM
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That yuuge clearance at the fork bridge, plus the mismatched hubs tell me this is most likely an old 27" bike with 26" wheels.
Drivetrain looks like 'department store ten-speed' c.1980s, the bars and gripshift probably came from whatever bike donated the wheels and tires.

A lot of the early 'ATB's (especially the inexpensive ten- and twelve-speed versions) looked like that, though. Go see the For the Love of Mediocre 80's MTBs thread in C&V for more. ( it's a hoot )
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Old 05-31-21, 10:17 AM
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The ad description is pure comedy.
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Old 05-31-21, 12:24 PM
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While buying older used bikes can be fun, you already have a Trek, a Centurion, and a Bianchi. There is nothing to see nor fascinating about this one.

My advice is to stay in your lane and don’t bother with unknown dept store bikes. There are all sorts of fairly inexpensive Univega, KHS, Fuji, etc. bikes that will be a better choice.

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Old 05-31-21, 01:49 PM
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There is nothing at all interesting nor attractive about this POS. It's worth about what that starting bid is...$1.00. To be clear it's junk.
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Old 05-31-21, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
There is nothing at all interesting nor attractive about this POS. It's worth about what that starting bid is...$1.00. To be clear it's junk.
I would bid $1.01, Price is Right rules (and I do mean Bob Barker and Rod Roddy). However yes that bike is an official POS though double check the serial number just to be sure.
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Old 05-31-21, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
There is nothing at all interesting nor attractive about this POS. It's worth about what that starting bid is...$1.00. To be clear it's junk.
Ahh.... But what is its value as a troll post?
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Old 05-31-21, 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
Ahh.... But what is its value as a troll post?
You really can't put a number on that
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Old 05-31-21, 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Ironfish653
That yuuge clearance at the fork bridge, plus the mismatched hubs tell me this is most likely an old 27" bike with 26" wheels.
Drivetrain looks like 'department store ten-speed' c.1980s, the bars and gripshift probably came from whatever bike donated the wheels and tires.

A lot of the early 'ATB's (especially the inexpensive ten- and twelve-speed versions) looked like that, though. Go see the For the Love of Mediocre 80's MTBs thread in C&V for more. ( it's a hoot )
No, that’s a department store mountain bike. The fork bridge clearance was common on late 80s bikes. The Austabula crank, the (very) long reach side pulls, clamp on cable guides, crappy welds, etc., all say cheap mountain bike copy that’s probably worth about 1¢ per pound, so about 40¢...as scrap.
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Old 06-01-21, 12:22 AM
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I think you’re overthinking it.

It’s the type of bike I would buy to strip the parts and rebuild a beach cruiser. Or the type of bike I’d buy to learn how to do stuff like braze on a cable guide. Because if you ruin the bike you aren’t bummed.

Or if you use it around town and it gets stolen, no big deal.

I guess any bike that functions I could see some value proposition for.
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Old 06-01-21, 04:23 AM
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Originally Posted by 70sSanO
My advice is to stay in your lane and don’t bother with unknown dept store bikes. There are all sorts of fairly inexpensive Univega, KHS, Fuji, etc. bikes that will be a better choice.
I have no intention to buy it, I am just curious about what it is. Also who says 3 is enough? Also "stay in your lane"?

Originally Posted by cxwrench
There is nothing at all interesting nor attractive about this POS. It's worth about what that starting bid is...$1.00. To be clear it's junk.
For those who are selling 2nd hand goods online a $1 price is not a bid its a "make me an offer" price. Since a $0 value is means free. Though in this case it is hopeful since the seller should just say $40 or something.
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Old 06-01-21, 04:56 AM
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Originally Posted by FelixScout
I have no intention to buy it, I am just curious about what it is. Also who says 3 is enough? Also "stay in your lane"?



For those who are selling 2nd hand goods online a $1 price is not a bid its a "make me an offer" price. Since a $0 value is means free. Though in this case it is hopeful since the seller should just say $40 or something.
Basically, you posted a listing for a dime a dozen garage sale bike and asserted it was "very interesting." I'll be honest and tell you that the title of the thread had me hoping for better than that. And I think everyone understood that it wasn't being offered for $1, but you're being told that's about what it's worth.
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Old 06-01-21, 05:03 AM
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OK, this got funnier:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...code=undefined
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Old 06-01-21, 05:11 AM
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You can pick up bikes like that in the trash in Australia.
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Old 06-01-21, 05:15 AM
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Originally Posted by FelixScout
I have no intention to buy it, I am just curious about what it is. Also who says 3 is enough? Also "stay in your lane"?
Typically when someone posts an ad, it is because he or she is thinking of buying the bike. My bad for assuming you were planning on buying it because of some value based on perceived uniqueness.

The “stay in your lane” reference was probably not the best phrase to use for a bike forum now that I think about it. Years ago I worked with a woman who used it in reference to staying in your swim lane. If you are building a collection of older bikes, stay with what you know and don’t wander in the lane of someone trying to hustle a bike with little value.

John
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Old 06-01-21, 06:20 AM
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Just to clarify for everyone, my interest in this bike is not to buy it but what it represents: The sort of needs based bike creation for those who need a bike. Though the new ad posted in the quote below looks like someone trying to jump on the bike shortage.

Originally Posted by livedarklions
So the initial bash together bike is interesting to me because it is the kind of bike one can find among those who need a bike as a primary mode of transport when the normal routes of BMX bikes and Xmart bikes are are too much. In my time living in much poorer neighborhoods you would run into these hack job bikes here and there. Usually the wheels were mismatched or the fork was from something obviously different but these are people who are doing what they can to keep this mode of transport going and that means taking these unconventional routes. This represents that.

But bicycles are mobility for everyone at their core, are they not? And yes there are many levels and roles in that broad definition.
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Old 06-01-21, 06:40 AM
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Dude, it’s not a bashed together, Frankenstein, hack-job bike, it’s an old, run-of-the-mill, department store bike with some replacement twist shifters and probably newer tires. That’s it. For those who know what they’re looking at, there’s nothing interesting about that in the slightest.
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Old 06-01-21, 06:52 AM
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
At the bottom picture, there's a weird metallic object sticking out of the saddle at the right.

The object is not present in the top picture. The description seems like a robot from the 80's wrote it.
It's a can in the street gutter behind it.
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Old 06-01-21, 07:07 AM
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Originally Posted by cubewheels
At the bottom picture, there's a weird metallic object sticking out of the saddle at the right.
That's debris in the street, which is why you don't see it from the other angle. But I suspect you know that.
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Old 06-01-21, 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Dude, it’s not a bashed together, Frankenstein, hack-job bike, it’s an old, run-of-the-mill, department store bike with some replacement twist shifters and probably newer tires. That’s it. For those who know what they’re looking at, there’s nothing interesiting about that in the slightest.
Except the wheels are smaller than the original so theh have long reach brakes. The stem and bars are from something a decade newer than the frame. So it is a hack job.
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Old 06-01-21, 07:20 AM
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Originally Posted by FelixScout
Just to clarify for everyone, my interest in this bike is not to buy it but what it represents: The sort of needs based bike creation for those who need a bike. Though the new ad posted in the quote below looks like someone trying to jump on the bike shortage.
I live in Philly. There is nothing special or unique about that bike. You have not stumbled onto anything groundbreaking or culturally significant. Rides like that are pretty common. I could take you to at least one storefront stall full of bikes like this for sale.

Your post is not any different than posting a photo of a hooptie in the big city and saying it represents a type of vehicle for those for those who need cheap, bang-around city wheels.

Maybe you need to get out the house more and experience how many other people live.

BTW...The cassette and chain look mighty rusty. Probably left outside for long periods. May even be stolen.
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Old 06-01-21, 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by FelixScout
Except the wheels are smaller than the original so theh have long reach brakes. The stem and bars are from something a decade newer than the frame. So it is a hack job.
That was addressed upthread as likely false by cyccommute and I agree. Again, if you don’t know what you’re looking at, one can concoct any number of “interesting” theories, but the truth of this bike is extremely mundane. It’s an extremely low-quality bike— literally as cheap as bikes come— which has only made it to today probably ecause it was not ridden much. I see no indication it has been lovingly maintained over the past 30 years, out of necessity or otherwise, and actually suspect it was cheaply tarted up for sale to some sucker. I mean, there’s paint overspray on the rims and brake bits, fresh looking electrical tape, no decals, a rusty chain, hastily positioned brake levers, and heavily yellowed, brittle spoke protector. It’s pure folly to believe this is some example of the “necessary ingenuity of poverty.”
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Old 06-01-21, 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted by FelixScout
Just to clarify for everyone, my interest in this bike is not to buy it but what it represents: The sort of needs based bike creation for those who need a bike. Though the new ad posted in the quote below looks like someone trying to jump on the bike shortage.



So the initial bash together bike is interesting to me because it is the kind of bike one can find among those who need a bike as a primary mode of transport when the normal routes of BMX bikes and Xmart bikes are are too much. In my time living in much poorer neighborhoods you would run into these hack job bikes here and there. Usually the wheels were mismatched or the fork was from something obviously different but these are people who are doing what they can to keep this mode of transport going and that means taking these unconventional routes. This represents that.

But bicycles are mobility for everyone at their core, are they not? And yes there are many levels and roles in that broad definition.

I checked out the guy's other listings--and as others have pointed out, this isn't the bash together you think it is. He had this same bike listed for $150. His other bikes are all Walmart-type stuff, sort of cleaned up and sold for prices more than what you'd pay new.

He's trying to take advantage of the bike shortage, picking up junk bikes and trying to make them look good enough for someone who's desperate for transport.
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Old 06-01-21, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
That was addressed upthread as likely false by cyccommute and I agree.
+2. Back in '88 a friend of mine whose dad owned a LBS came to the park with a new MTB. May have been a Giant. 26" wheels with a lot of space between the wheel and the fork bridge. He let me take it for a spin. First time I had ever ridden a MTB.
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Old 06-01-21, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I love the “deligently restored using certified parts”. That bike wasn’t built with certified parts
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