May be a "catch":I haven't recieved it yet...I found a 2001 Orbea frame last week for $235 on Ebay. It's due in Thu. or Fri. Pleasae see my other post called "ID Orbea frame?'' Theres been 58 or so viewings but 0 repliews. Any help is appreciated. It's got an integrated headset and if the bearing races are gone in the headtube it won't be such a catch. Can these be repaired ? Thanks again.

colinm,

I didn't feel too bad about the lowball offer because the guy was living in what looked to be a 5 bedroom, 4-1/2 bath, all-brick house that would sell for a couple of million in the San Diego area. The bike was just another man's junk ...

TheOtherGuy -- I may be able to work a trade. Cash is always better. It will be a couple of weeks before I can part this out. My oldest daughter graduates high-school towards the end of the month and my wife is trying to pull off an open house thing and has *many* projects for me to do before playing with this bike (though I did tell her that the profits will finance a water fountain on the patio as her Mother's Day gift, so finding that bike was fortunate timing as I was at a loss at what to get her and how to pay for it).

Bob

Right on!!

I had just come out of Goodwill today, after seeing all the junkies and ebay hounds diving into the bins looking for fresh. The other side of the parking lot, towards which I was now facing, contains the finishing-out portion of an auto-sound installer - there was a guy in the biggest SUV Infinity sells, having his new Mastercraft ski-boat outfitted with what looked like a small PA array. Quite the spread in demographic, all within 5 minutes and 100 feet.

$35 I say!

(No offense to owners of floating PA systems pulled by large SUV's)

Here are some pics of my Raleigh Lenton (mentioned elsewhere on the classic & vintage forum). It's a 1959, as far as I can tell. It has the Cyclo-Benelux rod-operated front derailleur. Rims are Dunlop "lightweight steel." Hubs are Racelite. The Raleigh heron is engraved in the crank. Nice Brooks saddle. On the right side of the fork is a mount for a headlight.

It is Reynolds 531 straight-gauge tubing. Everything works, and it is a joy to wrench on -- not to mention ride. I took it to work the other day.

I am trying to decide what rear derailleur to put on it. The stock Benelux is AWOL; it has an older Suntour. And I'm hoping to pick up some Bluemel's fenders and a club-bike bag of some sort. Preferably vintage.

Raleigh started putting Huret derailleurs (Allvit was one of the models used) on some of their lower/mid-level bikes in the 60's. A Lenton would seem to deserve something a little bit better than this, (Maybe a Campy Gran-Sport?) - but Allvit's are relatively durable, and were quite plentiful (i.e. you can find them today without paying all that much). I'm sure there will be other opinions offered, but that's what first came to my mind.

I have considered a Gran Sport, but the bike has a five-speed gear cluster. I seem to recall that the GS won't work on a five-speed, but then again my memory is hazy at best. If anyone has a definitive answer, I would love to hear it.

Two scores today.

1) A brand new, in the box, 26x1.75 inner tube for $1.50 - sweet!!

2) Hardly worth mentioning, really - a TREK 2100 ZX carbon frame road bike (in my size) for $10.00

It is an odd duck to my Luddite eyes. Aluminum stays, head tube, and fork, with carbon fiber tubing. It seems to weigh about 10lbs, :) STI shifters and derailluers don't seem to have a label on quick inspection. Brake calipers are Shimano RX 100 or something. Crank appears to be Sugino maybe, a 170mm double with studs for an optional triple ring. It is an ugly purplish color, and the chain and 7 speed freewheel are rusty. Wheels are true, tires and tubes apear good, and it is missing one front brake pad.

Should make a great fixie! :D

John D.

Oh, you won't want that -- it'll be all 'twitchy'. :p

You're right. I plan on stripping it for parts, and using the tubing for tomato stakes in the spring garden I'm planting.

Unless you want to trade a Gand Prix for it..... :D

Did you get the Trek from some guy in a van in the parking lot? :p It used to always be speakers that they were selling when I lived in Concord.

Nope - thrift shop. I brought it in from the collection yard, asked the nice lady how much, and she said $10.00. I inspected it a bit closer (I was in a hurry when I picked it up), and it has some issues. The front wheel is out of true (possibly bent), and both STI shifters shift up but do not shift down.

I have spare wheels all over the yard so that won't be a problem, but I've never dealt with these type of shifters before. Are they fixable units or are they junk? If they are toast, are they expensive to replace? Does anyone have a cheap set I can they'e willing to part with?

John D.

You're asking a guy who thinks stem shifters, cantilever brakes & v-brakes, are the work of the devil about STI shifters? :rolleyes: OK - someone here might know enough to give you an intelligent answer, but I would think a better place would be the "mechanics" or the "road" boards.

Bossman, btw - that IS quite a enviable catch.

Thanks, I'll post there ands see what turns up.

BTW, I'm with you on everything but the cantilevers. When you weigh as much as I do, the canti's are very comforting on downhill runs. :D

John D.

and I was just about to get my panties all in a knot. I have a 21' tandem kayak that goes on the top of my Dodge, you know. I don't think I can fit a stereo in it, tho (maybe an Oakley Thump...)

I probably wouldn't mind them - if they weren't impossible to adjust.

Shoulda posted this here in Catch of the day... it's a link to the thread about my Bottecchia acquisition yesterday. I'm jazzed!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...99#post1152599

that Bottechia gets my nomination for catch of
the year. Only thing that might bump it would be
a cal masi or confente for $10 at a yard sale.

I hope this will spur on the interest in Miyata - Koga Miyata bikes!

The catch: Koga Miyata Gran Winner 1984: 25 euros. It looked better when it was still in the former owners badly lit garage, but alas. I was looking for some parts to put on my beater/commuter, and that's what I got. Frame is too big for me anyway (63 cm!).

The bike is completely original, 1984 is the production date of the Shimano 105 components. Frame is made of Hardlite FM2 main tubing. The components are interesting, Shimano 105 Arabesque! I didn't know such a thing existed. Everything seems to be in reasonable working order, although the headset is shot, and the tires are flat. Hubs and bb seem to be OK. Crankset is very nice, derailleurs look OK (will only use the rear). The gear levers are in this funky 'aero' position on top of the down tube, I don't know if they will fit the normal way.
Some very sturdy looking everyday pedals came with it too, so that's good. Just hope the reach of the brakes is not too long for the old Rossin racing frame they have to go on.

Added: I like that 'super stiff fork' decal on the chrome forks!

Nowhere near as cool as the Bottechia, but here's a Ross Super Grand Tour XV. Bought a pile of bikes today for 25$, sold the rest of them to another fellow for 12.50$, this was the only one I wanted to keep. Mostly for the near complete Shimano 600 Arabesque, missing only the rear derailleur. The 600 is in pretty good shape once I cleared the sawdust off it; perhaps it was stored in lumber mill. The frame is Ishiwata 024 (I'm guessing about a 501 equivalent) double-butted and chro-moly. There is, alas, some damage to one of the rear drops; Barnett's claims there is an easy fix I'll have to try. The bike doesn't fit me, obviously, it's a mere 52cm. One of the nicer Rosses, not up to the signature line, but an okay bike. If I can fix the frame I'll likely give it away.

Aw, you guys all suck; I haven't found anything good in a month. :mad:

Don't come to San Jose! I'm trying to find stuff here also.

Believe me, I've been going thru a pretty down period; the Ross is far and away my best bike in about a month. Actually, it's the only one since the Bridgestone RB2, which is a blast, thank you very much. Not sure the Ross is good for much more than parts (Shimano 600 stuff, cable clips, bar plugs) but I can almost always use that kind of stuff. Don't mind having a spare group of 600 around, either.

Okay, mhendricks -- you get everything from Warm Springs south. :D

That's Great! LOL.