Basement-fresh thrift-store find
#1
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times
in
845 Posts
Basement-fresh thrift-store find
Once again I've forgotten to take the "before" photo of a crusty find, but got around to taking a picture a day later after having to do surprisingly little work beyond cables, minor spoke tensioning and beaucoup "scrubbing" of decade-old detritus.
Priced well below $500, this Litespeed Sienna from 2006 has obviously been ridden many miles, but gently as evidenced by the original rims still in fine shape.
It's a 3-2.5 mid-grade titanium bike but with Dura-Ace shifters and derailers (crank replaced with Force carbon compact).
I feel like I'm writing an ad for the thing and I have yet to head out into the weather on the thing. Fresh-looking Vittoria Zaffiro 25c tires were included!
Overcast conditions actually made photographing the notoriously hard-to-image titanium sheen possible.
Priced well below $500, this Litespeed Sienna from 2006 has obviously been ridden many miles, but gently as evidenced by the original rims still in fine shape.
It's a 3-2.5 mid-grade titanium bike but with Dura-Ace shifters and derailers (crank replaced with Force carbon compact).
I feel like I'm writing an ad for the thing and I have yet to head out into the weather on the thing. Fresh-looking Vittoria Zaffiro 25c tires were included!
Overcast conditions actually made photographing the notoriously hard-to-image titanium sheen possible.
Likes For dddd:
#3
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times
in
845 Posts
Thanks, I did feel like it was a score.
The handlebar tape has a patina like I've never seen before, needs re-do because I had to raise the levers from way low on the bars so it's falling apart.
It even came with a Chris King headset.
Saddle and pedals are mine, and it comes in at 18.9lbs, all up.
The handlebar tape has a patina like I've never seen before, needs re-do because I had to raise the levers from way low on the bars so it's falling apart.
It even came with a Chris King headset.
Saddle and pedals are mine, and it comes in at 18.9lbs, all up.
Likes For dddd:
#4
Shifting is fun!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: South Holland, NL
Posts: 11,003
Bikes: Yes, please.
Mentioned: 277 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2182 Post(s)
Liked 4,526 Times
in
1,743 Posts
Very nice find!
#5
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times
in
845 Posts
Thanks, and I should mention that I actually ride my bike to all these thrift stores, almost never use the car these days.
Ghost-rode it home after shooting a few psi into the tires with my pocket pump.
Gotta get to these stores regularly to find the treasure.
Bike came with a pair of odd Keywin titanium pedals, pretty light but plastic bodies look fragile.
Ghost-rode it home after shooting a few psi into the tires with my pocket pump.
Gotta get to these stores regularly to find the treasure.
Bike came with a pair of odd Keywin titanium pedals, pretty light but plastic bodies look fragile.
#6
2k miles from the midwest
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,990
Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 525 Post(s)
Liked 931 Times
in
446 Posts
Sweet find. Nothing like that giddy electricity that goes through your body when you find something good. I'm guessing you felt like you'd plugged your finger in the wall socket when you saw that.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: se MIch.
Posts: 2,917
Bikes: 1938 claud butler,1983 Basso,teledyne titan,teocali super,nrs,1993 stumpjumper fsr,Paramountain,Paramount Buell(sold),4 banger,Zaskar LE,Colnago Master Ibex MTB,1987ish,.etc....
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 787 Post(s)
Liked 2,910 Times
in
1,472 Posts
#8
Shifting is fun!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: South Holland, NL
Posts: 11,003
Bikes: Yes, please.
Mentioned: 277 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2182 Post(s)
Liked 4,526 Times
in
1,743 Posts
Had to look those up. Much like the Simplex Delrin RD's, it seems: they look cheap and fragile, but are very light and actually pretty good at their job. Have you tried them?
#9
Stop reading my posts!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 12,958
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1421 Post(s)
Liked 1,038 Times
in
769 Posts
It's that "magic" thrift store...again!
dddd knows how to work this...
You don't just have to visit regularly but also have to be at, or get to, the places outside of major metro centers (yet still where once-high-priced bikes are donated to charities)
dddd knows how to work this...
You don't just have to visit regularly but also have to be at, or get to, the places outside of major metro centers (yet still where once-high-priced bikes are donated to charities)
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,322
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times
in
1,974 Posts
My local Salvation Army price tags marginal bike shaped objects for $175.
#11
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,170
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1554 Post(s)
Liked 1,273 Times
in
845 Posts
I didn't get the cleats of course, now wondering if I could scare up a pair.
I took note of Dylansbob's note about my reaction at the store. I was actually wearing a cardiac data acquisition device at the store at the time(!), and it would be interesting to download except that I can't access it's data, only the medical company who reports to my doctor can do that.
Definitely some good-vibe electricity was generated however.
My local thrift stores can turn up gems, but something like this might be once in a lifetime of frequent visits. You just never know, much like going to a casino (or to an ostensibly "singles" bar for that matter).
Finally got around to changing the handlebar and yet another stem swap yesterday, worked well on today's 42-mile morning ride and my vintage Cinelli yellow/red marble tape brightened it up.
#12
Shifting is fun!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: South Holland, NL
Posts: 11,003
Bikes: Yes, please.
Mentioned: 277 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2182 Post(s)
Liked 4,526 Times
in
1,743 Posts
I took note of Dylansbob's note about my reaction at the store. I was actually wearing a cardiac data acquisition device at the store at the time(!), and it would be interesting to download except that I can't access it's data, only the medical company who reports to my doctor can do that.
Definitely some good-vibe electricity was generated however.
Definitely some good-vibe electricity was generated however.
"You had a heart attack!
"No, found an '06 Sienna!"