Ever since I seriously got into repairing/riding classic bikes, I've always dreamt of the one bike that I lusted after when I saw it, but it got away.

No, it's not some sort of high dollar italian steed with Campagnolo Super Record, and arguably I have MUCH better bikes now, but that's not the point.

So I'd like this thread to be about the ones that got away from you (and that you're still sour about )

Anyway, the bike in question is a 1988 schwinn premis. It's not even a top of the line bike. Square in the middle/lower middle.

(And to shamelessly steal another BF member's picture of theirs...)



The story goes like this. I had been volunteering at my local coop for maybe 6 months or so, fixing bikes, selling bikes, helping to run the shop and what not. I had become a regular. Most volunteers stick around for a couple of months then we lose them, but me, being the relatively socially awkward person I am, chose to stay for a while since it was something I knew (and I enjoyed working with bikes!)

Anyway, we had the local bike auction coming up and we were building quite a backstock of bikes so we could sell them there. Out of storage comes this 1988 Schwinn Premis. Now, mind you, at the time I was riding a 2 sizes too large modern Felt Z-85, which I didn't particularly like. Being the classic guy I am, I was in the market for a classic road bike that could still be ridden today without many sacrifices. I don't know why I was attracted to the Schwinn, probably the white color, clean downtube shifters, or the fact that it was my size! A perfect 54 cm. (Ok fine, a perfect 21 inches...) I personally fixed that bike, barely letting anyone else touch it. I cleaned and regreased every bearing, cleaned (almost) every bolt. I wrapped the bars with an extreme amount of care (white bar tape and all.) I think I even splurged and used some of the super nice white "Slick-lube" jagwire cable from the back room on it, even though it was hardly necessary for the 6 speed. I spent much longer on that bike than I should have, and it showed. It rode like a dream! We proudly displayed it on the end of the rack, right at eye level (Ok... "I" proudly displayed it on the end of the rack, at eye level.)

But here was the problem. I know that the bikes we fixed up were sold to make money for the shop (pay rent etc, we are a non-profit after all), and I know it'd be wrong if we (as in the staff) took every "cool" thing that came into the shop. I was well aware of that. Because of this, I waited. Everyone at the shop knew I wanted the bike, and that I was would pay full price for it, but I didn't ask, I wanted the public to have a chance to come in and buy it, because I figured that was the right thing to do. A week went by, no buyers. Two weeks went by, no buyers (some close calls though.) Finally, the next week I said to myself, "Fine, if no one buys it by the end of the week I'm taking it." Sure enough, that thursday (only open tuesdays and thursdays) someone comes in, at closing time nonetheless, to check it out.

The guy bought it on the spot.

I was slightly sad at the time, not knowing how much I'd think about this bike in the future. I was, however, content in the fact that someone else will get to enjoy it.

HOWEVER....

The worst part is... I still see it every once in awhile and guess what? Some college kid has it and rides it as a commuter while not even using the drops or hoods (rides on tops of the bars). I'm never close enough to him to offer to buy it (he's always across campus riding away.) I've tried camping out to see if I could catch him, but I never do. I've tried looking at the bike racks outside of the dorms (on campus) to no avail. Last time I saw it the bike was so dirty it looked BROWN.

I suppose I can't be TOO upset. Because I didn't buy that bike I ended up buying my cherished Land Shark with full Dura Ace components. Without a doubt a much higher quality bike. (Although a lot newer as well.) But even so, the Premis remains in the back of my mind. Taunting me.

I still haven't bought a classic downtube shifter road bike to this day.

When i was in high school, in the 70's , in the middle of no-where even by montana standards, (Chinook, MT closest starbucks ~140 miles), I bought an Azuki at a bike shope in the next "big" town. I had been reading everybody's bike book so had book knowledge of higher end stuff. The shop had a fuji, white, all high end with tubulars..for maybe $400. I wanted it but is was wildly impractical and way out of my budget.

So not the same thing, but one I remember as getting away

Well I commend you for sticking to your principles but if you were going to pay the asking price, wouldn't have had a problem with you buying the bike from the get-go. I would think co-op volunteers would get an allowance for first crack at a good bike once or twice per year. Don't worry, karma police are active and something better will come your way.

Many near miss stories but the one I feel most acutely is a DeRosa at a really good price that a guy put up on CL on New Years Eve. It was a couple of hours away, guy answered right away but I had to work the holiday Monday, he couldn't meet during the week, so we agreed to meet the following weekend. Of course we had our only snow storm of the whole winter the next weekend. I know I could have made it but really thought it was stupid to try for a bike (not like trying to make it for a cancer treatment or something) and decided not too. When I tried to rget schedule for the next weekend, guy had changed his mind about selling it.

Karma

The good type.

Something good's coming up for you.

I think my bike that got away just happened yesterday. I was at the bike co-op and kept coming back to what I thought was a mid 90s aluminum tourer. I pulled it out and discovered really nice components (Phil hubs, Magura hydralic brakes), all hung on what I still thought must be a black powdercoated aluminum frame, for $320. A bit above my price range, but I'm a sucker for touring bikes and I thought I'd learn something about those brakes.
The bike was pretty dirty and the seat post was stuck so I helped a couple of the workers (one of them the manager) get it loose. As we're working on it we both discover its no aluminum bike, but a titanium Litespeed, probably a Blue Ridge. I'm figuring this out about ten minutes before he is, but neither of us say anything definitively.
I lightly sand the post, lube it and take it for a test ride, return, and say ill buy it. As I walk back into the rear workroom to retrive the original saddle I see the manager on the internet. He says they underpriced it and that it should be priced at $1000 which is whats hung on it now.
I'm bummed. If it were any place other than a coop, I'd demand they honor their original price. Back in the late 80s I worked at a bike shop and wanted a Blue Ridge bad, but of course couldnt afford one. Hard for me to let this one go.

that's one of the benefits of volunteering at my coop, we get to purchase the bikes before most people see them. the difference for us is that we have to buy it before it gets tuned up, otherwise it becomes available to the public too. is that unfair? perhaps if anybody has a problem with it, they can become a volunteer. I see it as a "Perk" for volunteering, the Karma gods are sending us a gift..etc..

that's shi**y on the manager's part, he should have at least negotiated, it's not even original and it needs work.. i would have put up a fight.. but thats just me

Because of you they learned something then just let you walk without even negotiating on something they were just selling at a third of the price. No wonder they don't even know what they had with people like that there. No bike or CS skills.

I am a bit the opposite. I don't let enough get away!

A Torpado someone was selling for a fair amount, if it weren't so damaged. I offered the guy $50 bucks because it was basically scrap unless someone who really wanted to bend, tinker, and possibly weld bought it. He said no and that was that, but 2 months later he reached out and asked if I wanted it for the $50 and I said no. Wait, on second thought, I don't regret that at all, it WAS a total pile, good thing I passed =)

Was offered a chance to buy a pre-war Raleigh Golden Arrow many years ago. It was original and complete. Decent shape - not mint, but would clean up really well. Price was $300. Turned the guy down. At the time, my game was to find bikes really cheap (had scored a Raleigh Superbe for $30 a couple weeks earlier), so it seemed high to me. It was a pretty good price.

Never had a second chance at that one. Didn't deserve one.

Making a mistake is bad. Not learning from it is worse. I learned my lesson and paid the piper when this really nice, early (1947) fillet brazed Schwinn Continental became available last year. I wasn't making the Golden Arrow mistake again.

You done real good, excellent score.