I have several recorders- even some bigger than sopranos-
but for my money- a Yamaha fife really goes a long way.
Practically a flute....

The dog would dig it too.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk-...ha-yrf-21-fife

I have a slide whistle that I use when a thread goes downhill...

That fife is pretty cool , harpon .
I'm going to have to keep that in mind for Winter .

How do you manage that while riding? Don't all the drivers think you're giving them a sideways middle finger?

I am a little annoyed that some of the folks who are claiming to be "done flipping" are the same guys that seem to snag every good deal on Campy 10 speed that shows up on the paceline forum.

just saying . . . .

I'm done flipping, I'm not done riding! I'm just about done converting all my road and cross bikes to 10s Record/Chorus.

Just picked up a Chorus UT compact crank for a GREAT price over there about 15 minutes ago, actually

Now all I need to do to complete the IF is trade/sell my alloy Centaur RD and get a carbon Record or Chorus...

The UM is calling this Bike Week on campus, with their new air and tool stations. I'd say biking is 500 percent more popular on campus than it was 2 years ago, just looking at overflowing racks around town.

UM also started with a $5/day and $75/semester rental program on brand new Fujis. The semester rentals program are about the price of a LBS tuneup + parts. Only starting with 33 bikes, but at those program prices, it will only grow.

This will likely hurt both bike retailers and flippers. Nearly 30 years ago, before Internet buying of PCs, the UM fall campus Dell, Gateway, and Mac deals really decimated the local personal computer market.

I would hardly call myself a flipper, because I don't come across enough deals to flip bikes all that often. I will flip a bike here or there though and I mostly stick to low and mid-range bikes because that's all I seem to find in my area.

The low-end bikes don't have much of a margin, but sometimes all I have to do is clean it, maybe steel wool some rust, replace a cable or 2 and put some nice large pictures and a good description on CL and I can double my purchase price. All for maybe an hours worth of work. I try to snag dirt cheap low-end bikes regardless of condition to use for parts too which helps.

I won't do a complete overhaul on a low-end bike that isn't worth it, but I do find it enjoyable and worth my time to get it in rideable condition even if I only make $20-$50.

Don't consider myself so much a flipper than an opportunist. Simple MO; 2/3 times a year I can find a mid level bike with STIs, usually aluminium frames, that can be had for $150-$200 range. Strip, clean, part out. Never failed to make at least $200 profit.

It's been a few months since I posted this thread...I have bought and sold a few bikes in that time. Mostly because I've been trying to find some long-term keepers and to refine my stable. Two of the bikes I recently purchased/built will be sold to fund a new custom steel frame this winter. The LHT is sold pending funds and I've got the Trek XO1 listed....

I should have titled the thread: "I'm done flipping (low end bikes)"

The last two bikes I flipped gave me a profit of $305 on an investment of about $75. I learned not to bother with bikes in poor condition. Both were 1982 vintage but had barely been ridden & then stored in a garage.



Peugeot mixte & Raleigh Gran Sport.

Maybe some...that's $150 a year. There are high end flippers and low end ones. I sell ready to go MT bikes for about $70 bucks which is pretty much $20 for stuff and $50 to me. Remember that Walmart sells bikes for $79, so this isn't going to upset the market except for perhaps college kids who know what a "Fuji" is. It looks more like its going to take people who have no intention of riding and making it more available as it seems like an easy system. Those who want to own a bike will buy a bike.