sykerocker 

About a month or so ago, in one of the discussions here, I mentioned how I lived on the road to the county transfer station (read: dump); and since they picked up a new employee or two the stock of bicycles has nosedived to nothing. Not even BSO's being left around, so I figured one of the employees was grabbing everything that the yard vultures didn't get to first.

During the discussion, Cudak888 chimes in with "Why don't you put out a sign at the bottom of your driveway?" OK, doh! Homer Simpson moment. For five years I've been scrounging bikes and it never occurred to me.

Well, it took me a couple of weeks, but I finally did. First a magic marker on cardboard (just as useful as all those yard sale signs that pop up Friday afternoons), and then I resprayed one of the wife's old real estate signs, got some vinyl stick-on lettering and finally got a permanent one out:



Within 48 hours of putting the sign up, I get a call. Some dude, works at the body shop at the intersection of my road and US33, claims he's got a few 'real nice' old ten speeds he'd like to sell. OK, at this point I've had one guy drop buy wondering if I'd be interested in buying some old balloon-tyred middleweights he's had sitting in a barn for years (pass), but what this dude is describing sounds like he has a clue what a 10-speed is. I make arrangements to take a look on Saturday.

It's somewhat like what I was expecting. Three lugged road bikes, and a couple of late 80's/early 90's mtb's. The big constant factor in all of these: They've been hanging in a damp garage for at least ten years.

However, of the three: One is a 1980 Schwinn, either a Traveler or World Sport. Then it gets good. A 1973/4 Fuji Finest, completely original, 57cm frame, white, looks salvageable, but the cleaning better start Real Soon Now. No noticeable scratches on the frame, this bike was obviously pristine and barely ridden when it was put away.

The third is a Motobecane Grand Jubilee (?). Stronglight 49 crankset, Huret Jubilee derailleurs, the red and gold paint job, 60/61cm, also a rather unscratched frame under the crap and corrosion. Unfortunately here, the spokes have rusted completely, dis-assembly and re-spoking of the wheel will be absolutely necessary.

Seller obviously 'knows' he's got something valuable. I make a try for the Motobecane, but it's obvious we're not going to deal - he's definitely going to want over $150.00 for that one. For someone who doesn't know bikes, the looks of that one had him convinced that he had something worthwhile there - and I couldn't disagree. If it was a 56 or even a 58 I'd have probably bit. For something that turns me on enough that I can actually ride I'll throw sense to the wind, and I'd love a Motobecane to hang in the garage alongside the Peugeot and Gitane. However, I can't justify that kind of money on taking a chance that it'll clean up to either fix and flip or part out.

Back to the other two. He was smart enough to realize he had nothing special in the Schwinn. He wasn't sure about the Fuji, and I damn well wasn't letting on that I've wanted one since I was selling them back in '73. In the end, we settled on $100.00 for both bikes.

As to the winnings:





I didn't have a camera with me at the time, so I never got a picture of the Motobecane. After we completed the deal, I sat down with him for awhile, explained what he had with the mtb's and gave him a bit of advice regarding selling them off. Still kept quiet about the Motobecane, mentioned it to Poguemahone on our Sunday ride (it's about his size), and I've still got the guy's phone number if anyone else wants to give him a call regarding it.

Not too bad. I think I'm going to keep the sign up for awhile. From the pictures, I've already torn down the Schwinn and hope to have it rebuilt and on Craigslist before the end of the month. Yes, the decals had peeled off due to the storage conditions. Then comes a long, slow job on that Fuji. And my Gary Fisher Gitchee Gummee is getting sold to make room on the rack.

Kurt, thanks for bringing up the (painfully) obvious.

cudak888 

Score! See, told you it'd work

Have fun - glad it netted you a fine catch.

-Kurt

Poguemahone

dibs on the moto- should have $ mid week with any luck

sykerocker 

I'll call Jerry tomorrow, make sure he's still got it around.

cb400bill

Congrats. That Finest looks great.

And my size....

wrk101

You never know what a seller will decide has value, and what doesn't. I picked up a nice Terry last year, guy had a super sweet Terry, and an early 70s Varsity that had seen better days. He was convinced that the Varsity was worth big money, but the little Terry wasn't. No problem.

Amani576

And those are the kinds of people we like to find.
-Gene-

roccobike

Great idea. Glad that worked for you.

ftwelder

I started my C&V "thing" at a local home type bike barn. The owner only wanted comfort/STI bikes. I was able to get great bikes from $35.00 to $75.00. He was using sandpaper and house paint to "restore" bikes. He came to my shop, saw what that I was doing and I guess he decided he was now collecting vintage road bikes and when I dropped by to see the new "finds" (Atalia touring with campy extra and a MB grand sprint) I got the "come back later and we will talk" line. I should have left $100 lighter with two more bikes. I am really bummed because I have been dropping everything I have collected at his barn that was of no use to me. I guess I need a new strategy.

Road Fan

Great move! a local fountain pen collector or two gets a load of trading stuff and in some cases real keepers that way.

supercycle62

Congrats on the find! Sometimes it pays to advertise.

RobbieTunes 

Great job, Syke. I can't do that here, but glad it worked out. Be careful, or they'll dump the bikes at your place on the way to the landfill.

cudak888 

Depending on what they dump, he might not mind

-Kurt

sykerocker 

I've got a pickup truck. It's 2.5 miles to the transfer station. If I get some WalMart crap dumped at my place, I'll just consider it as part of the cost of doing business.

Besides, I don't really see that happening - at least not often. The sign says "buy". Which means, I'm willing to pay money. Which usually means someone will call ahead to make sure that I'm home with cash in my pockets. If he's willing to give them away for free, it's simpler not to make the stop at my house and just proceed on to the transfer station with the rest of the week's trash.

sykerocker 

Three weeks later, thought I'd do an update:

1. The sign is now cabled to the fencepost with an old bicycle lock. Not to prevent theft, but to keep it from getting blown down by the quarry trucks (aka "18 wheel coal buckets") that frequent my road during the week days.

2. Discovered that the guy I bought the Schwinn and Fuji from is a body man and painter. He decided to keep the urban single speed for his own use, wanted to repaint the frame, so I've torn it down for him (gratis). Want to see what kind of work he's capable of. Could be useful in the future.

3. Got a few other calls, but all of them have started out "I saw your sign that you buy 10-speed, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in . . . . . " Well, there's reason the sign specifies 10-speeds. Best one was the guy who wondered if I'd be interested in his kid's old mountain bike and a trike. He thinks the trike might be a three speed, but would have to go under the porch and pull them out to be sure. Now, that's a real way to get a guy interested in what you've got to sell!

The Schwinn Traveler is almost finished. Turned out to be a lot more time and effort that what I wanted to put in, but the parts outlay stayed within budget, so I can still make a profit on the job. Will probably start pulling the trashed parts off the Fuji this weekend. I've giving myself 4-5 months to get that one done, and am already looking for a few replacement parts for the ones that the corrosion has ruined.

RobbieTunes 

I put a sign out for any interested supermodels, free overhaul.

Not a thing, yet.

khatfull

My sign hasn't worked out so well...

due ruote 

We have quite a few alley pickers around here, cruising in beater pickups, scrounging for anything resembling metal. Every so often I'll see a wheel peeking out from between a busted washing machine and a decayed water heater. I've thought about talking to some of them, or putting out a sign, but I'm afraid it might be misinterpreted as "cool stuff to steal in my garage." Glad it's working for you, though.

sykerocker 

The big difference is I live in the country. And have a load of guns in the house. As do all my neighbors. And a VERY efficient county sheriff's department, as I found out the one time in the last ten years when we did have a bit of break-in trouble.

sykerocker 

And the saga continues: This came into my posession yesterday:



It's a (I assume, haven't done any serious research on it yet) mid-70's Motobecane Grand Jubilee. Pivo stem and bars (recessed bolt), Weinmann centerpulls, Huret Jubilee rear and levers, Shimano 600 front derailleur (obviously a replacement), Stronglight (49D?) crank, Stronglight headset, Normandy hubs, and not sure what the alloy rims are (27").

This one's headed to Poguemahone, as soon as I saw the make and frame size his name came up automatically.

Have also had a few false leads (the inevitable Next mountain bikes, etc.) and a call or two asking if I repair bicycles. Told the callers to bring them on and I'll give them a look.

Working at home has given me a lot more time than I expected on that Fuji Finest. Turns out it's a '72 and is original - other than the rims being replaced by 27" alloy clinchers. Will built it up that way, and do a proper set of wheels this winter. Hopefully I'll have pictures up shortly after Labor Day.

Poguemahone

Jaysus, she's a beaut. My fave paint job.

This, my friends, is why you should always be nice to your fellow BFers. This place has the kind of good karma that rebounds on you when you least expect it.

Thank you, Syke.

Maddox

Awesome Gran Jubile. I have one very similar, exact same components save the Weimann center-pulls & levers, which were swapped out on mine for Modolo levers & sidepulls. Mine sails beautifully and shifts fluidly.

Hope you enjoy it, Poguemahone!

cudak888 

Now that's what I call a good catch. The sign was worth it just for that Moto, wouldn't you say?

-Kurt

auchencrow

Hi sykerocker - Congrats !

BTW - are we living in parallel universes?
(My two latest snags were a red '74 Moto Grand Jubile and a white 1972 Fuji Finest!)

. . . You will find these to be exceptional bikes.

PS - I've come to learn that the front DR clamp on these Moto Jubile's all cracked, so undoubtedly that's why yours got replaced.

Poguemahone

Some more photos of the Moto, which came into my possession today. Thanks, Syke! As you can see, it's a bit rough, although the frame is fine. By the fixed cup markings, it's French thread, so I may take the group off and replace it with Super mighty cranks and Suntour cyclone mechs. I once had a tiny Moto GJ with those components on them; Moto switched to the Japanese stuff far before other french makers. Frame is good, Campy rear drops and (I think) Huret fork ends, paint pretty good, no 531 sticker remaining (auchen, where was yours located?). All spokes in front need replacement, crank is a bit rough and well worn.













It's certainly a project, and requires thought and some prep. Nothing is stuck or destroyed. It should be a lot of fun, and should be riding by next summer, my GF's bike and a Mondia are in line ahead of it.