The wife called me while I was at work. She saw a guy selling bikes in front of a apartment. She said there was a good lookin road bike. She sent me a pict of it and later that day it was sitting on my bike rack. Picked up a 77 Fuji S10-S suntour shifters and wheels, dia compe brakes and original belt saddle. Frame is a little chipped and scratched. Spent a little more than I wanted but I still got a deal $110
http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...8/1164d14b.jpg

Schwinn 1999 HomeGrown Jet Black (Base Model)
 

The wife and I were out browsing around. Stopped in a local pawnshop and saw this bike sitting outside for sale. Talked the shop down to $100 + tax so roughly $108 got this hardtail XT Homegrown off the lot. It appears to be in great working order. The ride is sound, and so much smoother than riding my High Sierra. Everything is stock, except the front wheel and tire looks to have been changed. I will go the local bike shop and see if i can find or order the original rim that came with the bike. I am unsure of the exact size of bike just yet. I did some research on this bike and found it to be on the lower end of the Homegrown collection but msrp was $1,250 new. So i was pleasantly suprised. I might just have to flip this one, and see if an active rider would like to take on this jewel in my local CL. Does anyone know approximately what one of these could bring to the right buyer? I hear the Homegrowns are collectibles. Especially the higher end bass paint jobs loaded with XTR equipment.

might have better luck with ebay in finding those collectors

So yesterday was moving day for half the town (I live in a college town) and I had the good fortune of moving in. I walk out to pick up a few things and of all the things in the world to find abandoned, I find a Peugeot Ocean Express laying in the bushes.

The bike more or less works. The front and rear U-brake stop the bike just fine. The only issue, and the reason I suspect it was abandoned, is that the chain came off the cassette into the frame. I've put up an ad in the local Craigslist as well as the lost/found/stolen section of the town's wiki in case it really was stolen and abandoned, but I'm going to keep it if nobody claims it.

I'm leaving out pictures in case somebody tries to use them to claim a bike that's not theirs. I also forgot my USB cable at home.

It will be my first "good" steel bike aside from the FreeSpirit FS21 that refused to die and tortured me with its broken existence my freshman year (:twitchy:) until it finally broke the drivetrain and was replaced with an aluminium Rockhopper (:D). It still lives, but I digress.

I haven't found much information aside from a catalog scan from 1989.

Are you sure someone didn't just put it there because they hadn't unpacked their lock yet and you were the one who "stole" it by mistake?

haha I hope not! :D

There was an onguard cable hastily wrapped around the top tube, so yes, there was a lock but it was unlocked. There are some concrete bike stands less than ten feet away, so logically I'm going to assume that s/he doesn't want it. Well, if they claim it, I'll give it back no questions asked.

In addition, the area was more-or-less empty. Nobody was moving anything out of a car and it was outside an apartment that was closed for cleaning.

1976 Mossberg MX very early BMX with truss rod forks
Check out this rare find. From what I can tell this was one of the first bikes to be built strong enough for BMX and not just a muscle bike with knobbies.
I haven't been able to find any photos of another one with these truss rod forks. Well, I found an article online, but now I can't locate it.
Beefy wheels and spokes. I think the chrome will clean up well. The black paint is in great shape except for some scratcehd up forks.
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a.../WP_000159.jpg
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a.../WP_000158.jpg

Picked up this early seventies (best quick guess) Italian Maino yesterday. Yup, I got it at the Dump and as I approached I thought I might be getting lucky...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217248 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217249

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217250 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217252

Forgot to mention the nice old bottle holder...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217260

Picked up this 1999 Bianchi Volpe off Philly CL. Paid more than usual but it should be a good flip. It is practically new. Just dirty.

[IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2...902_204616.jpg[/IMG]

This week on CL totaling $70, and 2 of 3 in my size :). Raleigh City Light/City Sport. Early 90s i'm guessing. "Upgraded" around 2001 with titanium bars and gripshift. Original Sachs drum brake, Maillard front hub, sunrims, Shimano A derailleurs, 7 speed. Runs pretty well. Second, Astra "Tour de France" Ten Speed bike... early early seventies (low-end Motobecane), lugged steel frame, full Huret drivetrain, Normandy Hubs/Rigida steel rims. Needs tubes/tires/cables/housings, otherwise very nice original condition. Third, a GF mountain bike that will be an easy flip.
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2816.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2820.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2821.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2809.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2807.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/DSCN2808.jpg

Not really vintage but I scored a lightly used set of Crank Bros Candys w/ cleats and a set of Performance Mtn Bike shoes in my size for $35.00. The guy ended up living a few miles away and gave up on clip in pedals shortly after installing them and wiping out. A few scratches here and there but otherwise like new!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6061/...577c5df9f8.jpg

Maino's brand had a rich history behind them, the company started in Italy way back in 1896, and over the years they made some pretty crazy looking bikes. Maino had a thing about battleship grey paint and most of the bike from 50's till the 70's were painted that color, but not all. Maino also attracted some famous world class riders, the biggest ones were Costante Girardengo, Learco Guerra, and Fausto Coppi.

But as some point Atala bought Maino then Bianchi bought out Atala.

Here is a pic of a bike that is similar to yours but different lugs, and please read the story you may be surprised: http://paulscyclery.blogspot.com/200...-old-bike.html

Here is one of their wilder creations: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stor...-maino-bicycle

Anyway you found a rare bike, and it appears to be in half way decent shape. Bikes like that need to be kept preserved to the detail, in other words don't modernize it, keep to as close to original as you can, which may mean searching for a long time to get an original part. It's basically a museum piece! Clean it up and make it shine, but don't bastardize it.

Nice finds enjoybikes, I really like that Raleigh model and don't see them very often.

I'm stuck at home, as I have my kid today, and can't leave her alone, and go garage sale hunting! I feel like a junkie in withdrawal! :-) I'm waiting for her to wake up so that I may go out and see if I can find me a nice Italian something! Or just something! I went to my local dumps a few weeks back, but they don't allow scavengers! Lol! Does anyone know of a good bikeaholics annomymous in the Central Florida area?

Flash

You can always join me in the land of the bike void. It really helps to keep your finances in check when there is nothing to buy.

Picked this up for $15.00 a couple of weeks ago. It was out rusting away in a bakyard.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217319

I figured I'd play around with it. So, for another $20.00 and some parts I had lying around, I wound up with this:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217320

Here's the rusty Schwinn after using some parts I had lying around and about a $20.00 investment for tires.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=217321

that's a pretty cool paint job

Bracing myself for your next score. One more Italian something, and I'll be driving up to hunt in your town ;)

If I ever get a chance to visit Thunder Bay, your dump is first on my list to visit.

Scored this beauty for 70 bucks today, better pictures tomorrow
http://i51.tinypic.com/xnete8.jpg

^ Zunow

Damn! Excellent find.

I started a whole thread for this first find but I had two to list.

First was my 85 Fuji Sagres I bought yesterday for $10 at a yard sale. This bike is in real nice shape and is going to be a keeper for a while.

Full story here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Found-Pictures!

http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...es/Fuji_19.jpg

Second was a Sun Retro beach cruiser I found last weekend hanging on a tree in the river after Hurricane Irene. I took it apart and dried out the wheels/tires and greased the crank and stem bearings. This one is going up for sale. - Thank Irene!

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...2&d=1314661716
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...3&d=1314661718

Before you sell the Irene bike, maybe you could try and find the original owner of the bike. I bet the girl who lost it may want it back.

+1