beater bikes
 

love my beater bike schwinn continental. How bout you

Mine's a Fisher AL-1 that I got at a garage sale for $75.
It's great for whenever I don't care! :p

I have a Falcon Westminster that could probably be a nice bike if I wanted it to. It's a 531 light tourer from the 70's, and it's running mismatched wheels, and a torn saddle. I ride it to the station, so that I'm not afraid it'll be stolen, but it's not what I choose when I want to have fun riding.

Mine is an '83 Trek 400. The frame is lugged and brazed Tange "Mangalloy" main tubes with Hi-Ten everything else. I bought it used in '99 and the former owner had done some upgrades, the best of which was a set of 105 dp "long reach" brakes. I've replaced most of the components from my parts box, changed the 27" wheels to 700c and fitted 7-speed indexing with Kelly Take-Offs mounting Shimano dt shifters. I've also added a Blackburn rack and Esge fenders.

It only comes out in bad weather but it's a nice ride. Weight weenies need not apply. :)

Mine is a 1980 World "Sport" ladies frame. A gaspipe clunker. $20 or $25? Can't remember now. But you know what, it's still fun to ride! I've promised to donate it to a worthy local (well, Oregon) cause though, and I'm almost tempted to keep it, but...I promised...and it has steel rims, so it's not a great one to ride in the rain...but it's ok for Eastern Oregon...:p

East Hill

Mine is an 80's Specialized Allez. It's actually a rather nice bike -- everything is the original Shimano 600/Ultegra, it's lugged steel, it's pretty lightweight, and it's in great shape. What makes it a beater is the paint job.

I mostly ride it on the trainer.

Heavily upgraded Peugeot UO-8.

I like to use these Columbias when my wife decides to go out on a ride with me, doesnt happen to often as shes not really into bicycles...or riding around for that matter :( (Yeah, I know!) but thats what I have my Drei Stern for :D cool and comfy, pretty nice ride too! Oh, my basement really isnt as messy as it looks....OK, well maybe it is :o

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...beaters002.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...beaters001.jpg

I think it's great having more than one beater, simply because having to repair a bike when you are already ready to ride is an irksome thing.

If the bluegreen racked and basketed Columbia Sports III gets a flat, I can take the Huffy frankenbike. If that has a flat I must go to first alternate, an '80s Fuji Cambridge 3-speed with 26x1.95[EDIT 26x1.5, oops] tires and a rack, but it is only marginally a beater. The Fuji seems bombproof, however, and well-suited for beaterhood.

I guess my 1996 Trek 830 would qualify. It's the only bike I don't cringe about taking out in nasty weather conditions. The old Miyata 210 takes 2nd place in that department.

ALL my bikes would be considered beaters by some folks here:D
But the two that fit the profile are the old Atala and the Fuji:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...p506/Atala.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/top506/Fuji.jpg

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In a related note, can someone help diagnose this affliction:

Several times I have bought a cheap bike solely to use it as a sacrificial beater. But then I clean it up, maybe fiddle with it for a while. And then I can't think of it as a beater anymore.

jim

Nope - never happens.. to anyone except me I thought. :p

I've got a donor bike sitting in the library downstairs. It's far too big for me, at least a 56cm. I still can't bring myself to strip everything off it, 'just in case I meet someone who needs a decent 56cm bike for riding'.

What am I going to do with myself?

East Hill

Lots of my bikes look like beaters, but the one that lives in the backyard under a tarp (and is stuck in the ice at the moment) is a 1991 Bridgestone CB-1. I built it up from a frame that I bought from someone on the iBob list. I claimed the wheelset from my neighbor's trash, but need to build up a new set as there so much permanent crud on the braking surfaces that I just about have to do Flinstone's stops. That's not easy when I'm loaded down with groceries front and rear.

Neal

Late 80s-early 90s Specialized Hard Rock. $40 at a garage sale and I've mostly used it for pulling the kids' trailer but also as a grocery-runner and occasionally riding the trails above Tahoe City. It weighs a ton but it rolls like a champ. I swapped out the flat bars and recycled some RSX brifters from my spareparts bin to give it that Bridgestone look:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...tober06065.jpg

My beater is also my longest-owned - scuffed red 1988 Specialized Hardrock Sport. This $50 "temporary" mountain bike purchased in 1992 has gone through one car accident and three rebuilds. Currently set up with XT/LX 8 speed and Son Of Strongarm, it tows my kid trailer without a lot of fuss. I'm considering a few more changes to keep it going a few more years.

Recently got an early 90s Scott MTB that looks to be another beater candidate.

Sheesh, I bought an AL-1 for $500.00 in 1989. Toured from Boston to Cape May with it. Ovalized the headtube and got a replacement frame for it. Sold it to a friend who still has it.

My beater is an old Centurion Super Elite. Love my basket and beer cooler:

http://www.indra.com/homepages/hairl...rion.right.jpg

I guess my most likely candidate for a beater is either my 197? Raleigh Sports or my 1991 Giant Iguana that has finally come back home after being away for the past 8 years:eek: It was an entry level mountain bike, but great fun and made a very good commuter. It is sitting in my shop waiting my attention. It will need a complete pull down and cleaning, but it still rides as well as I remember.

Aaron:)

You still desire the Ficelle, right?
PM details:D
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Some of these "beaters" look like pretty nice bikes.
I have a couple. My favorite right now is a Raleigh Record I paid $10 for. I've added a chain, touch up paint, converted the rear hub to QR and added a old, beat up Brooks (only 1 picture shows the Brooks). I just added new tires, 1 1/8 Forte II's (not shown). They made quite a difference.
My beater MTB is an old Nishiki Ariel, a bike I will ride as long as the bike and I are able. It is currently undergoing major surgery as I replace the fork with a NOS elastomer DuoTrack.

Let's see. I've decided that my first beater-- a chromoly Trek 830-- is so nice that I'm converting it to my winter commuter, complete with full upgrade. It's no longer my beater.

I've decided that my second beater-- a hi-ten VERY old school mountain bike-- also needs extensive mechanical and cosmetic upgrades; it will be a very nice beater when done. That's about as close to 'beater" as I can stand...

Mine's a 1999 Redline Monocog, set up as a fixed gear with a really low gear ratio. Not really vintage, but at least it's steel. I don't like to think of any of my bikes as "beaters", but this one comes the closest, since it would be very hard to damage and is thus my bike to ride after/while drinking:rolleyes:. It's also in charge of dumpster diving.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/3...13d946a4_o.jpg

A "Le Tour" (no not a schwinn, its made in france and just says "Le Tour".) As you can see its really a beater, demolished front rim from a crash in december. This bike is too big for me but it was all I could find in a descent road bike for winter riding. i've been riding it and it only since November- gonna be retired in april when the snows gone.

That Le Tour is Neat! Centerpulls, Normandy High flange hubs.. whats not to like??