gugie 

In the early 80's I worked at a few bike shops. My favorite was Diablo Bike in Walnut Creek, CA. Originally a Schwinn store, it was owned by a lady by the name of Priscilla. Her husband had passed away, she kept the shop, and remarried. Dozens and dozens of young men worked their way through school, or started out in the bike business, learned how to build wheels, straighten frames, use the Campy tool kit, etc. over the 30 some odd years she owned the shop, and she was a second mom to all of them. Her first husband had a Paramount ladies frame made for her as a gift. At some point she had some bottle bosses brazed on, then repainted. As far as we knew, she only rode it to work and back, and every day down to the bank to make her deposit. A little over a year ago I found out from a good friend that she had passed away.

Fast forward to today. I mean just an hour ago today, I'm dicking around on eBay and see this:



The ad: "Here is a 1969 Ladies Schwinn Paramount frame set that was built for my mother. The frame has been repainted along with the addition of braze-on waterbottle cage mounts. The frame is made for 27" wheels and is 19" center to top, with 120mm spacing on the rear dropouts. The chrome is in very good condition with some surface rust and the paint could be redone, back to the original Kool Lemon color that you will see from the overspray on the fork steer tube. There are no dents that I have observed in the frame set. The seat post size is a 27.2, standard to Reynolds 531 tubing of the era."

Wammo! I immediately thought of Priscilla before I even read the ad. In my minds eye I saw her tell us all to stay out of trouble, then pedal down to the bank. I confirmed by eBaymail that it was her son that was selling the frame.

What's a man to do? I couldn't even get myself to haggle on the price.

thumpism 

I found a yellow complete ladies' Paramount bike for sale for $200 many years ago, but could not convince my wife that she needed it. Hated to pass on it but that seemed the best course at the time. Nice find.

oddjob2

Very cool story. Enjoy the memories and the build! Will you repaint to Kool Lemon?

gugie 

Oh no, it stays Priscilla Blue.

forestine

How cool that you were the one who found it!

Murray Missile 

Great story. Back around 1960 or so one of my older friends and his dad raced go karts and they had a 1/4 midget that I thought was the coolest thing I ever saw, I was 5 years old so at the time it may well have been as I hadn't seen all that much LOL. When he outgrew the midget they pulled the engine for one of the karts and hung it up in the back of the garage. The decades passed but we remained friends. He passed away 3 years ago and they had an auction of his stuff and the 1/4 midget was in the auction. It was rough and I was a couple feet in height and 100 some pounds past ever fitting in it but it had too much history for me to let it go to some stranger, sometimes you have to forget logic and follow your heart. I got one of his old Cromwell helmets too.

oberthecat

Great stories.