Anybody else here like a good Junker?
01-25-18, 07:49 AM
#1
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Anybody else here like a good Junker?
Now while there are some stunning bikes on here, I am more into the Junkers, the wet weather commuters, the pub bikes, the lock up outside a mall and don’t worry about it type bikes.
01-25-18, 09:05 AM
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I like them, they take up space though. Some of my junkets were good bikes at a time, like the team Fuji. My barcuda I'd call it junker extrordanair. The cruisers go to the road warrior dude at the bottom of the hill.
01-25-18, 09:21 AM
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Does this count? Sadly it doesn’t look like this anymore. I sold most of the CampI so no I need to rebuild it. Unfortunately I have no place to work. I have no idea what is it but everyone who sees it, or pics, agrees it is something nice. It rides good but is a touch big so I was reluctant to spend hundreds on paint.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
01-25-18, 10:08 AM
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once drove 2 hrs to talk a guy down from $25 to $20 on an old Schwinn road bike cuz I had a free weekend & wanted a project bike my size immediately. it wound up being a decent 34 mile round trip commuter for a while
then, after that, my 1st MTB, was right off a trash heap
then, after that, my 1st MTB, was right off a trash heap
Last edited by rumrunn6; 01-25-18 at 01:27 PM.
01-25-18, 10:16 AM
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Does this count? Sadly it doesn’t look like this anymore. I sold most of the CampI so no I need to rebuild it. Unfortunately I have no place to work. I have no idea what is it but everyone who sees it, or pics, agrees it is something nice. It rides good but is a touch big so I was reluctant to spend hundreds on paint.
And yes, I love a beater. My bikes used to all be beaters but the quality of my bikes has crept up over the years as I kept trickling money into my stable and it's only about half beater now. I still can't resist a beater though. In fact, I am eyeing a mid 80s GT mtb on C-list right now.
01-25-18, 10:57 AM
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I love a rat bike. I don't live in a big city anymore, so I don't need one, but I miss this ol' mule. Didn't have to worry about locking it up outside a bar in Baltimore.
01-25-18, 05:19 PM
#8
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That flask holder is aweesome! Is the CO2 cartridge part of the rack or are you doing something to combine them?
And yes, I love a beater. My bikes used to all be beaters but the quality of my bikes has crept up over the years as I kept trickling money into my stable and it's only about half beater now. I still can't resist a beater though. In fact, I am eyeing a mid 80s GT mtb on C-list right now.
And yes, I love a beater. My bikes used to all be beaters but the quality of my bikes has crept up over the years as I kept trickling money into my stable and it's only about half beater now. I still can't resist a beater though. In fact, I am eyeing a mid 80s GT mtb on C-list right now.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
01-25-18, 05:53 PM
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Many of the bikes in this thread don't fit my idea of a beater bike, but I guess that's a relative term:
Show Us Your Beater Bikes!
One of my winter projects this year is a Box-O-Crap build of a 1973 Nishiki I bought as a donor bike for a Clunker 100 Challenge a couple of years ago. That's right, this bike was so bad I decided to use it as a parts bike for a Steyr Clubman build. I bought it for $25 from a guy who told me (while we were negotiating the price!) that he was going to send it to the recycler if I didn't buy it. It's heavy and lousy with rust, but I think it has potential.
I also have a bit of a weakness for frames that have been badly abused. I bought this 1980 Schwinn Voyageur frameset for $20 (probably overpaid a bit). It had a twisted and bent fork and bulging top tube and down tube. After a visit to Atelier Gugie and a bit of hastily applied hobby paint, it was ready for the road again.
This one might be worth stealing for the parts -- in fact it's currently hanging from a hook in my garage stripped of most of the parts shown here -- but the frame itself is definitely a theft deterrent. It doesn't look nearly as nice in person as it does in this picture.
Show Us Your Beater Bikes!
One of my winter projects this year is a Box-O-Crap build of a 1973 Nishiki I bought as a donor bike for a Clunker 100 Challenge a couple of years ago. That's right, this bike was so bad I decided to use it as a parts bike for a Steyr Clubman build. I bought it for $25 from a guy who told me (while we were negotiating the price!) that he was going to send it to the recycler if I didn't buy it. It's heavy and lousy with rust, but I think it has potential.
I also have a bit of a weakness for frames that have been badly abused. I bought this 1980 Schwinn Voyageur frameset for $20 (probably overpaid a bit). It had a twisted and bent fork and bulging top tube and down tube. After a visit to Atelier Gugie and a bit of hastily applied hobby paint, it was ready for the road again.
This one might be worth stealing for the parts -- in fact it's currently hanging from a hook in my garage stripped of most of the parts shown here -- but the frame itself is definitely a theft deterrent. It doesn't look nearly as nice in person as it does in this picture.
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01-25-18, 08:05 PM
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3 speed, single speed, old rigid mtb... any bike that cost less than $50 can be a beater. What have you got to lose?
50 bux, that's what.
50 bux, that's what.
01-26-18, 07:01 AM
#11
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Yeah but I'm using Canadian dollars...
01-26-18, 07:35 AM
#12
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junkyard supercourse!
found this for ten bucks at an auto salvage yard last fall. NOTHING would move or turn on it. Cleaned up, greased, new chain and $19 compact crank (with cartridge BB) NEW on ebay. No label of any kind on the crank, but it all works.
01-26-18, 08:04 AM
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This one is a personal favorite of mine from last year's Clunker Challenge 100. I bought it for $9.99 at the local Salvation Army, the first time I'd found a bike worth buying there in many years. This is how it looked at the end of the Challenge -
[IMG]
Faux chrome by Russ Fitzgerald, on Flickr[/IMG]
- of course, this had to be done along the way ...
[IMG]
Straightened Raymond by Russ Fitzgerald, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]
Faux chrome by Russ Fitzgerald, on Flickr[/IMG]- of course, this had to be done along the way ...
[IMG]
Straightened Raymond by Russ Fitzgerald, on Flickr[/IMG]
01-26-18, 10:13 AM
#14
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Picked up this '83 Cycle Pro Ram for $10 and rebuilt it with parts on hand for another $20 or so. It's now my plush riding winter trail bike. 
https://i.imgur.com/S0xNGuP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/M4vnrpA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/S0xNGuP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/M4vnrpA.jpg
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01-26-18, 10:46 AM
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01-26-18, 10:49 AM
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Snidely Whiplash! Hopefully, Nell's headtube isn't bent out of alignment and in need of being pulled back into line ...
01-26-18, 01:49 PM
#17
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1970 Peugeot UO-8 -- perfect transportation/commuting beater
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
01-26-18, 02:17 PM
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01-26-18, 03:18 PM
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I guess most normal people would classify all of my bikes as "junkers", probably even most of the folks here, but in my mind I have only one: my '14 Clunker 100 challenger.
It is still on active duty whenever I need a bike that I can safely lock to a lamp post in a major city.
Eighties Atala, made with Falck tubing. Not a bad ride at all, even with the cheapo concrete tires, but the only junker I need (and will happily keep).
It is still on active duty whenever I need a bike that I can safely lock to a lamp post in a major city.
Eighties Atala, made with Falck tubing. Not a bad ride at all, even with the cheapo concrete tires, but the only junker I need (and will happily keep).
01-26-18, 03:49 PM
#20
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I absolutely enjoy the low end beaters.
This Bottecchia is a frequent rider with lots of steel parts (Campy Velox, bars, seatpost, early Stronglight 45D Competition cottered crank, 5 speed + single ring, floats along just fine on tubulars. Seriously is difficult not resist riding. Its been in the worst of weather but I do keep up with the maintenance.... so I don't really treat it as a beater. BTW: It sports the original paint but I've kept up with touch-ups and applied tape on the chainstays. This beater gets more compliments when in the group rides where others are on modern. Fun, fun.
[IMG]
DSC_2042 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
The other of which I'm greatly enjoying is a whacky 1966 Schwinn Racer Delux fixed gear conversion riding on 700c clincher wheels. Another all season bike, left outside to the rain, snow to hot temps. LUV IT! So ridiculous cheap and simple, crazy rewarding fun to ride. I've tested my riding skills with this thing, even grinding out some stupid climbs to near knee blowouts, off-road single tracks - yep, gravel grinding and one overnight adventure. Masochist lol
[IMG]
DSC_1424 (2) by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]
DSC_1381 (2) by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
This Bottecchia is a frequent rider with lots of steel parts (Campy Velox, bars, seatpost, early Stronglight 45D Competition cottered crank, 5 speed + single ring, floats along just fine on tubulars. Seriously is difficult not resist riding. Its been in the worst of weather but I do keep up with the maintenance.... so I don't really treat it as a beater. BTW: It sports the original paint but I've kept up with touch-ups and applied tape on the chainstays. This beater gets more compliments when in the group rides where others are on modern. Fun, fun.
[IMG]
DSC_2042 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]The other of which I'm greatly enjoying is a whacky 1966 Schwinn Racer Delux fixed gear conversion riding on 700c clincher wheels. Another all season bike, left outside to the rain, snow to hot temps. LUV IT! So ridiculous cheap and simple, crazy rewarding fun to ride. I've tested my riding skills with this thing, even grinding out some stupid climbs to near knee blowouts, off-road single tracks - yep, gravel grinding and one overnight adventure. Masochist lol
[IMG]
DSC_1424 (2) by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
DSC_1381 (2) by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
Last edited by crank_addict; 01-26-18 at 04:02 PM.
01-27-18, 01:21 AM
#21
Bad example
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My upcoming beater and grocery getter is a green and white Astra. Alas, no pics for a while because it is in Seattle and I am in Reims (drooling over the seemingly unending variety of mixtes).
04-29-18, 05:28 AM
#22
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A couple of mine.
04-29-18, 05:47 AM
#23
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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I'm thinkin' it depends on what you define as a beater. F'rinstance, my Ironman had seriously worn paint when I got the frame from another BF member. It will never be a showpiece again despite the Miami Vice colors. But it rides very well. I commute on it occasionally. My Bianchi is a medium-grade frame with its original black paint in good shape, currently equipped with hub generator and nice lights. It's components work very well and it fits me like a custom frame. So it gets a lot of commuter time too. My original UO-8 and long-ago-acquired slightly abused Gran Sport are also frequent commuters with visual demerits. But they ride well.
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04-29-18, 08:20 AM
#25
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Crank addict - do you seriously call that Bottecchia a beater?? Some of these "beaters" are beautiful bikes I'd be proud to own. I get you see awesome deals some times and might have nice stuff you can use cheap, but Campy parts on a beater? Shouldn't a beater by definition be an unwanted frame that has been built up, or better yet an entire bike that no one else would want, yet good enough for you?
My beater is a a Raleigh Challenger I got for about $25 along with a Raleigh Record, a drop spreader and some other stuff at an auction. I stripped it and couldn't give the frame away so I built it back up. Steel rims and salted roads are a bad mix but no trouble cranking off 20km in February on this on a back country road. If I experimented with alcohol and forgot this bike somewhere no one would take it, except possibly a garbage truck. Ps sorry for the double load - don't know how to delete a photo in the new and improved website!