nola rider
 

Hi, everyone. I'm a middle-aged woman from New Orleans.

I ride for exercise and light commuting. I'm an aspiring wrench -- I started taking apart bikes and putting them back together with a pair of pliers and a butter knife when I was about 7 years old. I mostly have experience on older bikes.

I lost a couple of bikes in Katrina. But, after I got back to town, I started picking up bikes (flooded and non-flooded) out of the trash. Finally, my life has settled enough to try to get some of them up and running. Also, I kept one of my flooded bikes and may one day try to fix it up because it's my favorite bike ever. It's an old Bottecchia, probably early- to mid-70s. It has a strange mixte frame -- instead of being straight, the two side tubes bend a bit where they attach to the seat tube.

I managed to pull a few decent components, including a shimano deerhead derailleur, and a pair nice, true wheels with matrix rims and deore xt hubs.

Right now I'm getting ready to put together a trek 930 single track xc. The frame does have a problem that I'll go into in another post.

Kiki

Welcome to BF, Kiki!

Isn't it amazign what you can find in the rubbish in New Orleans? I found a full liquor cabinet of unopened bottles on Magazine street many years ago......

Hello Kiki, there's a thread in the Classic & Vintage forum for mixtes--post some photos of your Bottecchia over there, please!

I've had an oddball mixte (a Nishiki Sports, from around 1985) where the chainstay took an odd bulge also. Always looked as if it had been in a crash, but no, it had been designed that way.

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Ziemas -- once a friend of mine found a like-new Cardin tuxedo (in his side) on top of a trash can in the Quarter.

East Hill, I'm planning to post some pictures when I have a chance to snap some (terrible weather this weekend).

Kiki

^^^
Great! Will look forward to the photos :D .

East Hill

Hi! I'm Mago from San Antonio and welcome. What an interesting idea, salvaging bikes from Katrina debris... its a good way to make some bikes live again.

Welcome and God bless!