Bikes. . .
 

1 Univega
1 motobecane
2 Peugeot Mixtes
1 Peugeot Diamond Frame
1 Armstrong 3 speed
2 Raleigh Woman's 3 Speeds
1 Schwinn Continental
1 Cheapo Hybrid Bike
1 Panasonic Villager II

[QUOTE=Sianelle;5492778]Ok ladies and gentlemen; Here is a thread especially for those bicycles that have been rescued from roadside rubbish collections, dumpsters, rubbish skips, bottoms of canals, dark dank caves or the local dump. I'll start things rolling with my English 'Wearwell' Club bicycle which was tossed into a rubbish skip by ignorant relatives after the death of its original owner.


Although not yet in the bin, it was offered for FREE before it was to be thrown out after sitting outside for a number of years.
I restored it after a year and finally flipped it 3 wks ago.

http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/b...0Tour%20mixte/

Here my 72 Schwinn Paramount I found on the trash while walking my dog. It is currently striped down and awaiting paint.

Paramounts found in the trash while walking the dog make walking the canine worth every step! :D It's a beauty. What year is it?

People are sometimes so...thoughtless.

Amazing.

East Hill

Wow... about to go out and walk a yellow lab, wish me luck!

Thanks, the bike is from 1972. The paint is a bit rough, even though the picture doesn't show it. Shame none of the orginial components are on the bike.

I'm struggling now with the decision to have the frame painted or powder coated. I'd like to have it painted but it is a bit expensive and powder coating is pretty cheap.

On another walk I also recently found a 1972 Schwinn Varsity with all orginial components, I don't have any real interest in the bike but just hated to let it go to the junk yard. I'll post picture of it later.

Here is a is a close up of the lugs, I've since polished. I love the look of a nice lugged frame....

Tracy

Tracy,

Beautiful find! I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment regarding lugged frames. Those lugs are a true work of art. I think the presence of lugs and other details is akin to seeing a house with gingerbread trimwork.
A bike would certainly function as well and even be slightly lighter and less costly to produce without the details we cherish. The framemaker's skill in crafting ornate creations of steel is quite obvious.
What isn't obvious but which is innately recognized by us all, is the passion and desire of these craftsmen to bring BEAUTY to the MUNDANE. The presence of these embellishments and flourishes embody the very soul of these ARTISTS who enrich our lives through their work.


The Importance of Beauty


We assign an escalating value to that which is more important to us. Items of rarity, historical significance and beauty are so designated. The items of greatest value quite often embody multiple elements of this perceived value such as revered artworks of the old masters. While items of the utmost rarity are assigned astronomical values, things of beauty touch us most deeply. We appreciate the beauty of nature, we love beautiful cars and we yearn for beautiful mates. The desire to recognize and embrace that feeling gives rise to intense passion for the arts in all forms. It could rightly be said that the appreciation of beauty is a major drive in our lives. It nourishes the soul and lightens our spirit.

Metal sculpting, lugwork in particular as it regards bicycles, showcases man's desire to embrace something ephemeral, oftimes fleeting but always cherished, BEAUTY.

Here's the other bike I pulled from the garbage on another walk around the neighborhood, 1972 Schwinn Varsity. I don't have any interest in the bike, just hated to see it go to the dump. I'll probably donate it or perhaps put it on Craigslist as a free bike. Hopefully eitherway it will make it to a good home.

Yep I'm a trash picker. I can't seem to even let the x-mart bikes that the bike snobs turn their noses up at go to the scrap man. But I alway have plenty of parts for repairs and experiments. The pictures are not of a trash pile. Some of the bikes are ridden at least weekly. I like to think of it as the parts department. I seldom have to buy a part.:):D:o

That boggles the mind. All I've ever found is a quarter, and not many of those. How on earth does one own a Paramount and not know it's worth something? Perhaps it was the marginal bike of a C&V-er whose spouse didn't share the passion!

Nice find.

I've often struggled with the idea of putting up found bikes on CL hoping they go to a good home but I would hate to see it re-listed for $200 a week after I "donated" it to someone. I've seen enough of the bikes I sell re-listed with a 50% markup from what I have sold it for to know that it can happen.

Maybe sell it and put a portion of the proceeds to a charity? Here in Toronto there are 2 different bike co-ops that I have given many found bikes/frames to over the years, so that works for me.

Living as I do in a rural area I often find bikes tossed down in the rubbish tip that've plainly been lurking unloved in somebody's barn. Nothing wrong with somebody clearing out their barn, but aaaaarrrgggh! - the bikes are usually in the middle of a mad tangle of fencing wire, wire netting and old electric fence components.
I've just rescued a red and white gents Phillips and a blue ladies Raleigh Sports while I was at the tip this morning, but what a battle I had to get them free! I can see I'm going to have to get myself a pair of wire cutters to carry on my tricycle because I don't want to have to go through another fight like that again. Every time I thought I'd untangled the last ratty loose end of fencing wire I'd find there was still more threaded through the wheels or the seat springs or anywhere else a length of bent wire can hook onto.
However we did win in the end and candles shall be lit to St Rudge.......
http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/2...strudgebe0.jpg

The retail price of a new 1972 Paramount was only $350. If the owner had it banging around the garage for the last 30-40 years, they probably don't have any idea what it was worth. Even if they thought they could get $25 or $50 for it, for a lot of people it's not worth the hassle of running an ad and spending a weekend dealing with it.

A few years ago I bought a near-mint condition Trek 640, Reynolds 531 frame, full Campy Gran Sport group. The previous owner bought 2 new Bontrager tires, hung them over the handlebars, and donated it to a thrift store. I bought it for $22, less than the price of one of the new, unmounted tires. Go figure.

I suppose that's right; or the bike was purchased by a member of the household who isn't around any more for one reason or another and the person doing the cleanup has no idea about bike values...my perspective is skewed by living near Chicago - it seems like anything with lugs has been vacuumed up, converted to fixed gear (which I don't fundamentally have a problem with) and listed for a couple hundred dollars on CL. We also have guys who drive up and down alleys picking up anything metal to sell as scrap, so finding something ridable in the trash seems sort of far-fetched. Still, I'm going to keep my eyes open when I walk the dog.

Oldfool,your collection looks alot like mine.Right down to the 50s-60s trike.:)I too, hate to see bikes going to waste.You're spot on about not buying any parts though.I haven't had to buy anything for the last 12 years of commuting.No tires,cables,Brooks seats,tubes......etc.It is like your own parts dep't.:DHere's something I put together for this winter's commuting.It's built from 4 trash finds.A 1987(by the date code on the derailleur) mountain bike frame(crank,forks,side-pull brakes,and derailleur),a women's cruiser donated the tires and fenders,a bmx gave up it's seat post,and a middleweight CCM coughed up a seat and handlebars.What I ended up with is a middleweight bike with the durability of a mtn bike.A pleasant surprise.
It's 20 years old.Is it a c or v ?
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...rbeater003.jpg

I posted these in the Catch of the Day thread too, but here are two I rescued on the same day - on the same street. Got permission for taking both.

Trek 800, Tange 5 tubing. A few component issues, but nothing I don't have a remedy at hand for.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2216/...803a45.jpg?v=0

A 4130 tubed Schwinn Traveler. I've got a business plan in mind for this one already. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2420/...4668d0.jpg?v=0

Yes sir. I have admired your collection in past post. I keep looking for a jewel amongst the rocks but no one here ever buys a nice bike. At least I never see one. The bikes I get are, for the most part, hardly worn just abused and/or left to the ravages of time. :rolleyes::( Gives me a ready parts supply and I always have wheels.
Nice bike. I would ride that and be proud of it. :)

I was trying to sell bikes at a flea market,no luck,some older guy,even older than me,sid he retired from racing but rides twenty miles a day.He has two waterford (new to me) paramounts stored in pieces in his attic.all campy.Says the frames are worth 2400.00 Holy cow!He's not selling and I wasn't buying either.

61 Traveler w/ a torpedo (~1930s?) coaster hub.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/10...n/100_0199.jpg

awsome cthulhu avatar!

Saved by Pastor Bob
 

This is the same yellow Varsity that is pictured in Pastor Bob's post. It is now about 10 lbs lighter and has 4 more gears than when it rolled out of Chicago. Solid old bird. May knock a couple more lbs. of her in the future.

Thanks again Bob.


Robert

Glad to help out! A Robin Hood departed for BobHufford and a Lady's Lime Varsity for Big Paulie's wife on DHL today. My new motto should be "Spreading NH Dump Wealth--- Nationwide!"

DHL is the new old bike shipper's best friend!

hello, haven't been around in a while but thought you might be interested in my collection of rescued bikes :) a plum crazy purple huffy rail with all the options and all original, a 1972 raleigh, schwinn fleet with huret speedo (even the horn works!), a schwinn 10 speed racing bike, a very customized western flyer i made for my sister, and there are a few not pictured ive scavenged parts off of. only things ive ever bought new is tubes and tires. love these old bikes! please dont take this as an ad for selling these, but they need a new home. garage is on its way down and i need to either trade these for a commuter bike or money to build one. ebay is evil and i know some of you can appreciate these things. know anyone in the northeastern ohio area interested?