Hi green_lipped.

I am Oberlin Class of 1978, and last summer, on my way from Chicago to New York (by bicycle), I stopped in Oberlin overnight. I don't remember any names at the bike coop, but I really enjoyed my visit. I was tickled pink (almost) when somebody offered me to sleep on the couch. (I stayed at the Inn.) Although I missed my last class reunion, Oberlin is a place where I feel haunted with memories, where I have some memory of every nook and cranny. That's especially the case with Keep Coop, which was where I slept my first night in Oberlin, as a prospective student. The following day I spent much of the evening talking to Jim at the Ohio City Bicycle Coop in Cleveland. So, I really have a very recent and vivid picture of those bike coops! I could post some pictures here.

I'm wondering what that 1975 touring bike of your Dad's is like, because if you can fix it up well enough, it's probably the cheapest alternative you have. Sometimes the spokes on those old wheels were not built of the best steel, or the steel may be stressed out from years of use. I have had the spoke breaking problem before. There is nothing you can do but build a new wheel. I'm sure that somebody around the coop can build you some new wheels for it. Can somebody who has built some wheels look yours over and check them out. Sounds to me like this was Dad's old bike that sat in the garage, and you are probably a lot lighter than Dad too, so maybe with a bit of maintenance you can go with this bike. Do the hubs or headset feel loose? How much did your Dad really ride that thing. One thing you might want to do if you take over Dad's old bike is buy a better seat, one that is right for your anatomy. You can move the seat over to a new bike later, if you decide to spend the money.

I actually have my Dad's old 10-speed. He was one of those frugal old university professors who rode his bike to work every day. When he was about 55-60, he had more or less stopped riding the sport bike and was riding more of a cruising bike, so I took it over. However, when I passed through Oberlin, it was on my custom Moots.

I was very impressed by the abilities that people have around that Oberlin Bike Coop. If you can get the bike to Oberlin for a checkup before you leave, I think you could trust the old bike.

Howard