Are you attracted to hopeless cases?
05-11-13, 04:29 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Are you attracted to hopeless cases?
I just can't help myself. The most beat up, ill-maintained bikes, are the ones I want to rescue and bring back to life.
I looked at one today, a Raleigh Super Course. Its pathetic. It is so far gone. It is in terrible shape. I think i will go get it tomorrow!
Yep, like I have the spare time and space to expend on this bike. But I can't just let it sit there, rusting away its poor pathetic life. Or maybe some sort of fixie freak will buy it and paint it a dayglo color, and put deep aero rims and color coordinated bric-a brac on it.
Nope, this hopeless case will end up in my basement. I'll be short a Ben Franklin, and another Franklin or more to fix it up. Someone's got to do it. And I am the sucker that will take in the hopeless case, nurse it, mend it, paint it. It just has to be.
I looked at one today, a Raleigh Super Course. Its pathetic. It is so far gone. It is in terrible shape. I think i will go get it tomorrow!
Yep, like I have the spare time and space to expend on this bike. But I can't just let it sit there, rusting away its poor pathetic life. Or maybe some sort of fixie freak will buy it and paint it a dayglo color, and put deep aero rims and color coordinated bric-a brac on it.
Nope, this hopeless case will end up in my basement. I'll be short a Ben Franklin, and another Franklin or more to fix it up. Someone's got to do it. And I am the sucker that will take in the hopeless case, nurse it, mend it, paint it. It just has to be.
05-11-13, 04:45 PM
#3
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Bikes: 1989 Schwinn World Sport. 1994 Diamond Back Response Elite MTB. 1964 Schwinn Typhoon. 1974 Bridgestone Sprinter, 2015 Scott Sub 10 Citybike.
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Sometimes hopeless cases have real good parts. 
05-11-13, 04:47 PM
#4
Senior Member
No. But my wife is. . .
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1959 Hilton Wrigley Connoisseur (my favorite!)
1963 Hetchins Mountain King
1971 Gitane Tour de France (original owner)
* 1971 Gitane Super Corsa (crashed)
* rebuilt as upright cruiser
1971 Gitane Super Corsa #2 (sweet replacement)
1980 Ritchey Road Touring (The Grail Bike)
1982 Tom Ritchey Everest
(replacing stolen 1981 TR Everest custom)
1982 Tom Ritchey McKinley (touring pickup truck)
1985 ALAN Record (Glued & Screwed. A gift.)
1959 Hilton Wrigley Connoisseur (my favorite!)
1963 Hetchins Mountain King
1971 Gitane Tour de France (original owner)
* 1971 Gitane Super Corsa (crashed)
* rebuilt as upright cruiser
1971 Gitane Super Corsa #2 (sweet replacement)
1980 Ritchey Road Touring (The Grail Bike)
1982 Tom Ritchey Everest
(replacing stolen 1981 TR Everest custom)
1982 Tom Ritchey McKinley (touring pickup truck)
1985 ALAN Record (Glued & Screwed. A gift.)
05-11-13, 07:00 PM
#7
Still learning
Yep, I sometimes pickup $5-$35 bikes for heck of it, particularly if it's a mixte, Raleigh or Trek.
05-11-13, 08:11 PM
#9
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
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I haven't picked up a rust bucket in a while. I hope I'm cured, but time will tell. It's a terrible affliction.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
05-11-13, 08:25 PM
#10
If I own it, I ride it
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05-11-13, 08:28 PM
#11
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Based on my last two bad choices of GF's, I would say "yes".
05-12-13, 11:49 AM
#13
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Uncle: "Hello. My name is Uncle."
All in unison: "Hello Uncle."
Uncle: "And I'm a bicycle basket case aholic. I have an Apollo, which I don't need, and the local bike coop had already given up on. It's had four months of attempting to remove a stuck stem already invested in it with no progress.
All: Gasp and cover their heads to the horror.
All in unison: "Hello Uncle."
Uncle: "And I'm a bicycle basket case aholic. I have an Apollo, which I don't need, and the local bike coop had already given up on. It's had four months of attempting to remove a stuck stem already invested in it with no progress.
All: Gasp and cover their heads to the horror.
