Classic & Vintage - Least Bling You Own

Which is the bike with a frame not even a mother could love? Which is the one you don't need to worry about locking up? Which is the bike that you use while hauling trash to an ex's house?

Mine:

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad205/aolk67/IMG_0753.jpg

This sad thing (yes, I'm serious - look at that paint...):

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4076/4763114514_f87565180b_b.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4123/4763114358_22e43a033d_b.jpg

Even took really crappy pics of it :)

DD

Varsity gold!

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx290/CyclingFW/20100924CriticalMass/0924101856-01.jpg

Looks better than when I found it (at the city dump):

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09Varsity/100_3676.jpg

Least bling, huh? I'm torn between two:

http://velospace.org/files/paxton1990trek2.JPG

And this one:

http://velospace.org/files/paxton_triumph.jpg

But I'd NEVER not lock one up if I had to leave it unattended.

Either this:


http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab285/1967PeugeotPX10/P4110001.jpg

Or this Viner with decals on vacation:

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab285/1967PeugeotPX10/Viner/vinerbuilrt001.jpg

I suspect we'll find even our beaters have a bit of bling. I've a UO8 that fits the bill too.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q184/balindamood/Aerowind/Picture005.jpg

I have a walmart bike...but no pictures. I made it into a ghetto single speed and rode it through a winter. Its truly a turd.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q184/balindamood/Aerowind/Picture005.jpg
Aerowinds are all about the bling.

Aerowinds are all about the bling.

OK then, 1985 Schwinn Sierra:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q184/balindamood/Sierra/IMG_1178.jpg

You know, I was in Walmart the other day and I looked at the bikes. So many of them had bling elements, like the Mongoose denial (?) a polished aluminum singlespeed with a curved seat tube, or the aptly named "Thruster" (a true screw job of a bicycle). I mean, bling, even ugly bling, sells and is an entirely seperate concept from quality. They don't have to be at the same price point.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Raleigh%20Sports%201953/RaleighSports-1953-2.jpg

'53 Sports

I have a walmart bike... I made it into a ghetto single speed...Its truly a turd.

Hey,,,me too.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc219/walkingfloor198/badges024.jpg

This.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9170213.jpg
It still gets locked up, though. We've been through a lot together and I think I'd be heart broken if it got nicked.

Yup. I'm just about to finish building up this late 70's Soma frame into a fixed gear beater. I consider the rust to be camouflage.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13487871/Soma/soma1.jpeg

My AO8 coaster bike...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2011ao8skyline1.JPG

http://velospace.org/files/paxton1990trek2.JPG

That bike is not bad. It is one of the nicest hybrid's made, sharing the same geometry with the much hailed 520. I rather like mine.

Golly where to start? Well there was last winter's commuter;
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll299/sailorbenjamin/American/IMG_7195.jpg
Now there's this year's commuter;
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll299/sailorbenjamin/American/IMG_7139.jpg

Although it looks okay in the pictures, it need substantial work. In its present condition, it is not rideable. I'm still undecided in what to do with it.

http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad253/bikemanbob/Favorit/DSCN4865.jpg

auchencrow
'53 SportsHUH!? That is heaving with bling. (Maybe I'm weird!)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/5448_672940400088_20720392_40169652_4847977_n.jpg
You feel like you might need a tetanus booster after riding it.

auchencrowHUH!? That is heaving with bling. (Maybe I'm weird!)

Yeah, I agree. A lot of these bikes are actualy rather charming, but if I had that 53, I would have it higher on the food chain than "beater".

Which is the bike with a frame not even a mother could love? Which is the one you don't need to worry about locking up? Which is the bike that you use while hauling trash to an ex's house?

Mine:

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad205/aolk67/IMG_0753.jpg

Really, IMHO, you have consistently so undervalued that bike, which, IMHO, is one of the best you have.

Obviously, bling is in the eye of the beholder. You guys aren't trying hard enough, some of these are way too pretty still.

That bike is not bad. It is one of the nicest hybrid's made, sharing the same geometry with the much hailed 520. I rather like mine.
My son found this in an alley covered with trash. Is was in VERY poor condition when he brought it home. A few bucks and a LOT of elbow grease breathed new life into her! The only thing I bought for it was the trigger shifters/brake levers, a saddle, brake pads, tires, and new cables/housing (under $100). I had a rack & some bottle cage lying around, so I threw those on. Everything else is stock.
Eventually, some day, I'd like to put a drop bar on it, as I'm not overly fond of flat bars. But I don't know if there's one that will work with that stem plus I'd have to put on some sort of brifters... or bar con's (but I'm not a huge fan of bar con's, although they would be much less exspensive!)

Really, IMHO, you have consistently so undervalued that bike, which, IMHO, is one of the best you have.

I think you misunderstood...I LOVE that bike. It's fun as all get out to ride. It just doesn't look like much (and that's the idea).

That cheap-o front dérailleur is a great example...it's a dollar part, but it worked better than the xt one I tried with this drive train.

I think it is a Schwinn Tornado.

Rattle canned candy apple red by our neighbor when he had one to many vodka gimlets.

He couldn't keep the tires from flatting, so he threw it away.

My kids are like magnets to free bicycles, so they hauled it home.

Put in new tubes to solve the flatting issue, and the ones they took out looked like the original tubes!

No wonder they'd go flat, as they had nine patches on the old tubes.

Threw some mtb bars and grips on her.

They usually take this bike when they go to the store for us.

No lock!

I've been known to ride it to the bazillions of coffee shops by our house in St. Paul.

I'm sure everyone is impressed. :)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5300/5391568844_484136bb4e_o.jpg

Yes, those are cobwebs handing from the rings. :)

auchencrowHUH!? That is heaving with bling. (Maybe I'm weird!)


Yeah, I agree. A lot of these bikes are actualy rather charming, but if I had that 53, I would have it higher on the food chain than "beater".

Hi Lentton, and Shipwreck!

-Just to clarify, I like my '53 just because it is the antithesis of "bling": as are many of the great bikes posted here.

bling: [bling] adj.
1. slang - flashy; ostentatious; glitzy

Decidedly low bling, but really versatile.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Brompton/BromptonUnfoldedsm.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Brompton/M6LinHardCase.jpg

Black frame, hubs, spokes. Nondescript brown for the tire walls, grips and saddle. Yup, this must be the one, my 50/60-ish RIH.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6353283705_4873cf08a5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctjr/6353283705/)
P1040941 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctjr/6353283705/) by ctjr (http://www.flickr.com/people/ctjr/), on Flickr

I think it is a Schwinn Tornado.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5300/5391568844_484136bb4e_o.jpg



If it had racks it would be a star of the "workhorse" bike thread.

If it had racks it would be a star of the "workhorse" bike thread.

Yes, quite possibly true.

I have to do some welding on our boat trailer, so maybe the boys and I could whip something up.

Where did that can of red rustoleum go anyway? :)

auchencrow:
-Just to clarify, I like my '53 just because it is the antithesis of "bling": as are many of the great bikes posted here. Gotcha'!

Italuminum: I LUV the lines of your RIH. Very theft-worthy!

I'd have to say this one... I like riding it a lot, but the frame's a little on the small side for me. I'd hate to lose the Sachs Pentasport hub on the bike and if it ever got stolen I'd probably try to find the bike if only to retrieve the hub and then tell the thief he could have the rest. ;)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6660248171_d17e09b5f8_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6660248171/)
Collegiate on the Potomac - 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6660248171/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

This thread doesn't even begin to serve it's purpose. Try this Benotto on for size:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=28020&d=1161552737

If it was dirty, ugly, or unnecessary - I left it on.

-Kurt

unfortunately i don't have one yet, or plan to.......

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJ4G3lurApw7YL7UFCOGAQHbeo54qECpW-k0DA9AX2epb0AEgM

auchencrow: Gotcha'!

Italuminum: I LUV the lines of your RIH. Very theft-worthy!

Yes, the composition of this bike is simply outstanding. I don't know why, but it just works. 58-55 is also my ideal size, so I'm glad I stumbled on this frame totally by chance. I bought it for a song because I spotted some gold MAFACs on it on the crappy cell phone ad pic. I used to ride it to work, but luckily there was a rack right in front of my window so I could see it all day! When the managers were out I parked it inside... That's how much I like it!

Sadly, it's out of commission for a while. The chainring broke, due to a mismatched BB.

So this is interesting. If I had the soul of a bike thief there are not many on this thread I would not steal. So what makes a bike theftproof?

This is the one I take to Chicago, Philly, KC, ST louis, ect when I go to do art shows. Usualy don't lock it. But it was stolen a long time ago, I am guessing this because of the rich coating of gray primer that covered every surface including the chain, rubber, seat. Got it at a church sale. Started to clean it all off, go tired of it halfway, so it has lots of primer highlights.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6193/6091279842_533a0ae5b6_b.jpg

I've been struggling with this one. It'd have to be be the Miyata Triplecross or Bianchi Avenue.

gaspiped rattlecanned LeMans with "patinaed" raleigh 3 speed parts.
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x309/ascendingsmoke/Rarreigh/0102121220.jpg

This thread doesn't even begin to serve it's purpose. Try this Benotto on for size:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=28020&d=1161552737

If it was dirty, ugly, or unnecessary - I left it on.

-Kurt

Really?? Just wait until I take a picture of mine,

Eat your heart out Kurt. It's a roadmaster I found at the curb and removed the decals.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6661443755_9beab32b83_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6661446551_8e173209fb_b.jpg

I paid more for the saddle than I did for the bike.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i19/cutacroshorty/Bicycles/P5220009.jpg

I paid more for the saddle than I did for the bike.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i19/cutacroshorty/Bicycles/P5220009.jpg

That's not shocking looking at that picture!

I paid more for the saddle than I did for the bike.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i19/cutacroshorty/Bicycles/P5220009.jpg

You probably paid more for the rack & trunk bag, than you did for the bike! :P

My Pacific Quasar mountain bike. What a ton.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h88/RevRyp/8a06dfa4.jpg

Eat your heart out Kurt. It's a roadmaster I found at the curb and removed the decals.

Love it. It reminds me of some of my early flippers - Wally-World MTB's with singlespeeded drivetrains (usually with coaster brakes unless the bike happened to have canti studs).

-Kurt

The problem though is that the suspension fork does not play with canti-brakes... it's supposed to be V-brakes. When I hit the front brake, the cheap suspension compresses, then the cable hanger goes limp and drags on the tire. Nothing about that bike works right, I can't even believe I rode it. It is the kind of bike that honestly sucks all of the joy out of riding a bike. I'm going to strip any decent part and toss it back from whence it came.

You probably paid more for the rack & trunk bag, than you did for the bike! :P

Come to think of it you're right.

How do you define "bling", or "no-bling"? I would have thought it meant nothing visually attractive regardless of how well the bike performs.

I submit the following, exactly as I received it. Technically it isn't mine yet but it is in my basement and its owner has agreed to sell it at reasonable, negotiable price. It had been hit with a very poor coating of white paint, probably primer.

http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics/no_bling.jpg

It isn't much to look until you turn it over and notice the "M" cutout in the BB and a few other details such as the filled-in binder bolt flanges. I'm building it up slowly as-is. It should ride nicely! Eventually it will become more bling-ish. But for now it is ugly.

I've always thought Bromptons were relatively high bling? Looks cool!


Decidedly low bling, but really versatile.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Brompton/BromptonUnfoldedsm.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Brompton/M6LinHardCase.jpg