What Did I Get For Free?
 

So, I work part time at a LBS, and lots of old people bring in old bikes when they're cleaning up things, and if they're in okay condition, meaning maybe some tubes and a wash, we'll clean them up and either donate them or re-sale them.

If they're a bit rusty, or need too much work, not a good bike to begin with(X-mart), they get trashed. Anyhow, today, in the trash pile was this great looking, a bit rusty old 10 speed bike. I'm having trouble identifying what it is. I'll post pictures when I can find the digital camera, but this is what I know. I think its a Raleigh. There's a peeling logo on the back fender that says The Raleigh with what looks like the logo on top. The bike is very similar to the 70's era Sport, except there's no chain guard, and it's a 10 speed, not a 3 speed. The frame is a women's frame. On the top tube, the letters WIND**** are there. I cannot make out the last 3-4 letters. On the downtube, there is more script, but it is very faded and illegible.

The front brakes are stamped 'WEINMANN VAINQUEUR 999'... 27" tires.

For what it's worth, it also has a dealer sticker 'The Bicycle Exchange Cambridge Massachusetts', which is amazing, because I live in south Mississippi.

It "Sounds" Like a Sprite, which is pretty much a 5 or 10 speed with a 3-speed lookl.

You'd be surprised how bikes can move around. I'm not suggesting ten speeds are migratory or anything, but my Trek 560 traveled from Hawaii to Houston, only to end up in a filthy dirt floor flea market.,,,,BD

Oh, one more thing I 'know'... suntour derailuer on the front...

Yeah, it's more than likely a Sprite. I really like the lines on it, and the fenders, and the handlebars. I think I'm going to take the time and do it right. It's been painted, I believe. The fenders are yellow, but the frame is black. There are studs(?) for a pump.

I'm still up in the air about trying to keep it original, or just keeping the frame and updating components. I'm just kinda up in the air about it right now. I think I'll just have to start breaking it down, and seeing what I can make work, and what's going to have to be replaced.

Alright, I'm confused about this bike. It's kind of a fun mystery, but it's aggrevating not having the information I need in order to solve it. So, I submit, for your consideration, a few pictures of the bike to see what you have to say about 'what' it is.

The serial number that I've found matches nothing on the Raleigh pages. Please excuse the rusty pictures. The bike *really* isn't that bad, and most of the rust has cleared up with a wire brush.

I'm pretty sure the bike has been repainted at some point. The downtube has 'Dave's' scripted on it, although it's mostly gone, unphotographable, and almost invisible to the eye. The large ring is 52T.

Here are a few pics:
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x...h_IMG_4170.jpghttp://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x...h_IMG_4165.jpghttp://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x...h_IMG_4160.jpg

Link to Photos.

They must have sold a lot of bikes; the early '90s Fuji Sunfire I rescued from a dump in Maine came from the same store.
Top

My dad's old Pug that I'm trying to refurb is also from the Bicycle Exchange
. If memory serves they were right across from Harvard Yard.

Cambridge is a very bike-oriented city, I imagine it always has been. It's close to Boston but less expensive, a fun place and good for commuters: see also http://broadwaybicycleschool.com/

From the picture I'm fairly certain that the script on the top tube is Windruxx - probably Windrush. There is a Windrush River in England, but google turns up sod-all for bikes.

Given that the only Raleigh identifier is on the fenders,a nd the fenders are yellow with no sign of previous yellow paint on the frame I'm going to go out on a limb her and guess the fenders didn't come on that frame originally. also I'd expect to see cottered cranks on a bike like that, so the cranks look much newer. Second limb: this bike was cobbled together from someone's spare parts box.

I just bought a Panasonic Sport 1000 at the Goodwill in Olympia, WA, that has a sticker from a bike shop in Louisiana. They do get around, don't they?

a Viner I just shipped has a Louisana Baton Rouge sticker on it too. It went from there to panama city to tallahassle to chicago!

The lugs on the headtube with their cutouts certainly don't look Raleigh-ish to me. That script on the downtube looks like it says "Windrush," and it looks to be handwritten/painted. Reminds me that someone I know recently showed me a late 1960s Schwinn Continental that was in his carriage house when he bought the property, and on that bike someone had painted "Lead Sled" on both sides of the downtube.

Neal

I'm about to ready to walk out on those limbs with you. I just hate not knowing, but I better get used to it, huh? Today, by chance, a guy brought in a Sprite that he was looking to sell, so I got a good look at it. It's similar, but not the same.

I'd at least like the story of the frame. I think it's neat that somewhere along the way, someone put this Frankenstein together... and maybe rode it around the grounds of Harvard. It's nice to think about...

But the fate of this bike is now sealed. It's stripped, and ready to begin it's new life as a theme-painted bike...

That sounds interesting! DO post pictures! :)