Goodbye Varsity :(
 

I went sailing today with my aunt and uncle. I took my bike down on the dock and locked it to the railing with an Onguad bulldog U Lock through the frame and front wheel. I came back 30 minutes later to find my water bottle floating in the water, and my bike gone. So it's nice to know that someone most like knew the combination to the gate, got the bike, and got away. This was my dad's bike for 25, and mine for a few months, and now it's some scumbags'. I was really attached to it , my first road bike and the bike that got me addicted to cycling. I went from riding 5-8 miles a few days a week (and being tired and sore), to doing 30 miles a day (and passing almost everyone). It was my 35lb tank.
My uncle has given me his old Trek (I can't identify the model yet, I will take pics soon). It's just to continue my daily rides. (He understands the addiction, hes a runner).

It's easily under 20lbs, 700c wheels, lugged steel, 12spd. It has a shimano alivio rear derailleur, suntour downtube shifters, suntor front derailleur, and a Sakae crank(?). It needs some work, but it's not really my bike to play around or upgrade things. I have to figure out how to adjust the downtube shifters, the derailleurs, and figure out why the crank has a skipping like jolt to it on hard torque, or it likes to screw up if i pedal backwards a bit. When I did hammer it, I saw my shadow lurch 5 inches forward on each turn. I guess that's the difference between a 40lb bike and a 20lb bike.


RIP Varsity. Anyone in Chicago see a 1976 candy lime green Varsity with alloy wheels, please let me know if you spot it.

Two things. Well three actually.

Sorry about your bike.

Don't leave the Trek unattended - locks don't count.

Sounds like you might need a new chain.

Sorry to hear about the trusty Varsity, Ryan. I knew if someone walked off with either my old Super Course of my 'newer' Premis, I'd be pretty upset, too. They become a part of you.
You can probably find another Varisty, but it won't be the same. I always go back and forth between "Do I want a brand new bike?" and "Geez, this one's only 5 bucks, and it needs someone to help it get back on the road". I always opt for number 2. Kinda like Charlie Brown and his little Christmas Tree, I find these bikes no one wants any longer and bring em home so they won't get trashed, clean 'em up, paint 'em, and go out riding.
Good luck with your new, or should I say next, bike.

The Trek will just be for my daily rides on the lakefront trail, no stopping and locking it anywhere. I'm thinking of going to http://www.workingbikes.org/ and getting a city beater, and using a nice heavy chain.

I have my eyes on a Cannondale R500 as my entry road bike, I want to be racing on it come spring.

I have a blue varsity i just bought at a yard sale.

sorry to hear about your bike that sux. Is there a chance it was thrown into the water (since your water bottle was floating in it) if it was you could maybe retrieve it with a couple friends and a rope (I dont know anything about the chicago waterfornt though). If it was what kind of an ***hole would do that probably someone who thought it was funny. This is a probably a crazy theory but I've had crazier things happen to me.

this is similar to what i was thinking.

I meant - you might need a new chain on the Trek

Yep I understood that, just mentioning I would use a beefy chain lock on the beater.

I fixed the shifters so it's not jumping gears anymore. What are the signs of a bad chain? It feels like the springing back is in the BB or from the rear derailleur. Alot of slack builds up on the top of the chain when I pedal backwards. Also, when the bike is upside down, the rear wheel slows down very quickly, it doesn't coast much. Is it bearing repacking time?


Regarding the water idea, I spent an hour with an anchor and long rope dragging around to feel for my bike, and nothing. My uncle dove down along the rope and saw nothing, except the chain to the dock. (15-20 ft deep) I pulled the drop bars around the railing so it coudn't roll anywhere.

People are scum, that's why I own a 12 gauge.

That sucks man. I left my fixed gear in the bike rack in front of tim hortons unlocked and went in for a coffee. When I came out a guy was laying in the street and my bike 10 feet away. He had jumped on my bike and took off I guess when he hit the corner he realised he couldnt stop. Tried to grab the light post to stop himself well the rest is history. I picked up my bike dusted it off and left him laying there. I still see him hanging around out front when I stop in for my coffee. I just grin and shake my head. HE HE.

hmmm - that does sound like a problem with the bearings - in the wheel and the derailleur. A thorough cleaning may help the derailleur jockeys. Wouldn't hurt the chain either.

I guess that's a big benefit of riding a fixed gear. I suppose drivers of cars with manual transmissions are similarly protected against car thieves who don't know how to operate a clutch pedal.

How would that help, unless you want to hang around your bike fondling your gun all day?

What's wrong with that?

One day, when SHTF for real, I'm gonna go around and pay a visit to all the people on my "list". HeHe.

Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit

2 locks... man. 2 locks from now on. One for the front wheel and frame, and the other for the rear wheel and rear of the frame. Make sure they're different locks so it'd be harder for some dufass to steal. I use the OnGuard u lock for the rear and the kryptonite chain for the front. I always say if they can get through all that, then they've earned that bike! ;)

Sorry to hear about your bike, though. :(

Koffee

I had it locked up at the Clybourn metra station a dozen times, Onguard U lock in front, krypto cable lock through everything. The one time I leave it with just the U lock in front, bam...

Here are some pics. An early shot after I put some drop bars on, North Ave beach breaker, and a shot of 29 years of caked on grease before I cleaned it. Also pics of the loaner Trek. Can anyone ID it? I'm sure it's a mid 80's, but not sure on the series. The bar tape has to go, yes I know... I cleaned up the chain and re-lubed the drivetrain, I can pedal backwards now. I just need to fix the autoshifting RD (Yes I lubed the cable under the BB).

I'd give some serious thought to removing two links from that chain. I realize your pictures show it on the small ring and the small sprocket, but even so, it looks like there's a lot of play there - which doesn't lead to reliable shifting.

I don't think that explains the auto-shifting though. That sounds like a loose shift lever screw.

What's wrong with the Illini color scheme?
:)

That totaly sucks, where exactly was it stolen?

Bike theft down in HP is a problem, but colleges make prime targets,

though still, who in their right mind would put an effor into stealing a varisity?

Maybe a nostalgic older cyclist?

heh

You're giving thieves too much credit. Do you think that the average bike thief is a bike enthusist, like the people who frequent this board?

Most bike thieves are morons who are attracted to shiny stuff. Take a new Lemond and give it a coat of latex house paint, leave it unlocked next to polished-up 35 year old Varsity that has half a dozen locks on it, the thieves will go for the Varsity.

[HOMERVOICE] Ooohh, shiny! [/HOMERVOICE]

No joke, but I just (yesterday) dragged one home just like that from a tree lawn in the same candy green. It glows in the sunlight. It even had a gold metalic foam wrap around the top tube. The seriel number indicated a November 79' birthdate.

I cleaned her up, put air in the tires and they are still filled today. I dare not ride on those wheels though, they are true but all the spokes are loose.

Behind the "locked" gate of dock B in montrose harbor.

I'm thinking I will redo the Illini tape, it just has some packing and electrical tape in there now and it drives me nuts. The cabling is whacked too..