RIP - Lotus Challenger SX
 

This thread is in memory of my first road bike, a Lotus Challenger SX


http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1508/sside.jpg
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1508/sside.jpg

A couple weeks ago, I left my it locked to a parking meter at Packard's corner in Allston, right off of Commonwealth Avenue. When I came back after a couple hours, I found it completely wrecked. I was furious. Some ******* had hit-and-run my bike. To my surprise however, I found a note taped around the top tube left by a good samaritan. It said a white unmarked truck wrecked my bike and left in a hurry. They saw it happen and wrote down the license plate number.

I filed a police report the very same night. A couple days later, I already had a detective working on the case. He asked me to take it to a local bike shop to get a repair/replacement quote so he could request restitution. I took it to Landry's bicycle, and they said it was totaled and the only option was replacement, namely a Specialized Allez Steel @ $770.

I turned in the official quote to the detective and 5 days later I get an email saying he spoke with the owner of the truck company responsible. He said the driver admitted to being in the area but not to doing it. He was offering me a 300$ cash settlement. Obviously I took the cash...going to court would have been WAY more expensive and unnecessary.

So now I'm on the lookout for a new bike...You'll be missed lotus.

Damn...sorry to hear that. Have you thought of seeing if a framebuilder can fix it? It might cost more than a new bike, though (not sure how much framework like that costs).

I do like how the truck company did not admit fault, yet still offered a settlement.

Yeah, that ought to buff right out.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1508/sside.jpg

It's too bad about your Lotus, but on the other hand, you were fortunate for two reasons:
1) A good Samaritan effectively got you $300 toward a replacement C&V bike. You should be able to find a pretty good mount for that.
2) You were not on it at the time and (believe me) that's a BIG plus.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...wrecklotus.jpg
- and if you're handy with a spoke wrench, you may yet be able to salvage it!

Samwise, welcome to C&V!
Good lord that sucks! It looks as though most of your componants are worth saving, $300 could go a long way towards a nice frameset and rear wheel.

Cheers,
Chris

I'm 90% sure I sold you (or somebody) that bike this past fall sorry to see it meet such a fate. I commuted on it for a while and it treated me well but was a little large for me so I had to move it to a new home.

I can't seem to find a picture of it but I remember thinking it might be too much to have 4 different shades of brown on the same bike when I was taping the bars :)

my daughter had a Stella frame we worked up as a single speed with some of them crazy turquoise Velocity deep vee rims and all. She live above a restaurant, and the laundry truck backed over her bike. The frame cost me like 20 bucks plus a few parts. The Rims were a gift, but cost prolly 200. She took it to the shop to get an estimate and the owner said totalled. Replacement cost would be: $980 (go figure) she settled on a new Surly Steamroller with blue wheels. Some people get all the luck.

Haha, yeah, it probably was me. I think you mentioned something about moving in with your girlfriend and having to get rid of some bikes. Well yeah, sorry it turned out like this. It's kind of cool that you managed to find the bike again here though.

At least I got money to get another one...I'm lurking CL like mad every day.

haha yeah we had just moved in together then and she mentioned (a few dozen times) that she would really like it if I only had two bikes in the apartment. I thinned the herd for a little while but gradually built it back up. There are currently 6 in here (8 if you count frames :innocent: ) but two of them are hers..she's gotten to be a lot more understanding and she doesn't mind so much anymore.

One of those 6 bikes is my 78 Super Course--which I'm supposed to be shipping out to Chicago this week but can't seem to find the time to do it...if I decide not to ship I will send you a message. Either way I'll keep my eye out for you.

Actually I've got a 96 Univega Superstrada frame I would let go pretty cheap that is the same size as that Lotus was...takes 700c wheels though I don't remember if the Lotus was 700 or 27"... send me a private message if you might be interested, not sure if you're looking for a complete bike or a frame to build up with the parts you still have.

I've been coming to this board for a while, but I only recently joined so I can't PM anyone yet...but in all likelihood I'd probably me more interested in a complete bike because I'm kind of busy with work and school to go parts hunting and I don't really have the tools or the workspace here in my dorm.

N+1 man, haha...I wish I had the time to get into the hobby as well. After I move out of here and have a decent workspace I'll definitely get into the business of building bikes/flipping.

Strangely enough, I'm pretty sure the damage can be cold-set back into what it was intended to be - the question is whether it's worth it:

A. Needs fork straightened. Tools required: Park FFS-1 (or FFS-2) + FT-4
B. Twist headtube back in alignment with seattube. Tools required: One frame table and a fat guy to push the leverage bar.
C. Put headtube back in alignment with the rest of the frame. Tools required: Park HTS-1

The remainder of any rear triangle alignment can be done with the FFS-1 or Park's chainstay straightener (forgot the tool number).

-Kurt

Well you still have a good groupset and some components..
Get a new frame and wheels for $300, no problem.
But if you are done with the lotus, I think I would really have a use for that brown vetta seat.

That sucks for sure.

I apologize if it's too soon, but what you gonna do with that brown Vetta? ;)

Good luck on the search. $300 can get you a sweet ride for sure.

I have that same bike in yellow just needs bar wrap and it is good to go ...just hanging in my garage doing nothing for the last 20 years its mint and ridable needs nothing except for the bar wrap i have mentioned,
if you are interested gimme a shout cadaver1971@gmail.com

Great first post!

And I was just looking for frame bits.......

sell the groupset
-chuck the frame and fork my way

mhanyi at yahoo dot com

I read this post and thought 'Packard's Corner: my old neighborhood!' It was part of my patrol area when I was with the BPD and I lived at 1086 Comm. Ave.

On the one hand I paid $200 for this:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/IMG_0400.jpg

On the other hand, if you can score a new rear wheel I'll gift you with a 54cm Raleigh USA Grand Prix frame and fork, vintage of about 1984, to hang the rest of your parts on.

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