I knew my title would be short lived but what a catch you're bike is! I'd love to see it when you clean it up. Remind me to wear my sunglasses! :D

LOL! That'd be between yourself and Neal.

I might show up at the Previous Owner's digs with boxes of MonteCristos, a pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain and a heaping plate of baklava, however. Just in case he's hoarding anything else that interesting.

as some of you may have read:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=182750

Thx to the Dutch auctions i bought this cool Italian for just 26 euro :) (around 33 dollar)

FlatTop, the chrome Raleigh was the only bike I saw in his garage (and it was a very clean garage). I think I'll likely keep it once I clean it up and restore the parts that need restoration (shifter trigger, rear reflector, front brake cable) as well as replace the broken bottom bracket axle (all parts I have). I took some bronze wool to the frame a bit, and it looks like it'll clean up nicely. The worst corrosion is on the rear fender, but the chrome on the frame seems to be a far better quality than the chrome on the rims. I'd also like to replace the "Raleigh" decal on the chain guard--that block 60s lettering (in yellow). Anyone have a lead on that?

I do wonder how much such a machine might fetch on eBay, so it depends on if I need to finance any new 531 conversions, as Kurt mentioned (see http://tinyurl.com/o2hxp).

Neal

E-mail me at mswantak@comcast.net. I gotcha covered.

"I do wonder how much such a machine might fetch on eBay, so it depends on if I need to finance any new 531 conversions, as Kurt mentioned "

531 is a dime a dozen next to this remarkable classic. Keep it. Seriously. You'd have to pry that one from my cold, dead, fingers, and even then I might come back a zombie and exact my revenge... that bike has serious mojo.

I've noted old Sports models have gone up in price on ebuy recently, but not to any ridiculous heights that mere poor folks like me can't afford. Locally, I just passed on a pair of early seventies ones myself yesterday, as I still have one in the basement to work on. They're not terrifically valuable (in a strictly monetary sense. As we know, money is fleeting and the true value of a bike is higher than any tawdry fisical number). Yours, however, is especially cool. I'm not sure what the value might be.

Leunkstar, check your pm's: I just send you a message concerning parts to build up that Guerciotti!

Thanks for the further info. I admire the chrome Raleigh's beauty, and thank you for sharing the pics. I commend your acquisition of it, and your plans to repair and ride it. And I agree with Poguemahone that the value of certain bikes can't be easily reckoned.

Friday morning catch of the day... I got this Schwinn Suburban at the local thrift store for $4.88. Serial # on head tube is FL623295 - any ideas on its age? Some surface rust, but otherwise all there and seems OK.

Anyway, lots of Liquid Wrench and WD40, some new grease and tires/tubes, and I will be cruising the neighborhood with the kids this Spring!

nishiki sport $1, motobicane has lights built into the fenders $1, spectrum road bike $1,columbia 5 speed $1, saint tropez $1, very old schwinn 3 speed $1, its been a good day. got a whole mess of derailers cables brake lever reflectors assorted small parts $1 a box. cheap to fix all the bikes I'm finding

A Spectrum road bike like these?

http://www.spectrum-cycles.com/

Holy crap ... :eek:

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Picked up this German-made 1986 Globus 2000 mixte roadster from a neighbor for $10.

5-speed, Sachs/Huret drivetrain, mixte frame, white w/aluminum fenders, 27" wheels, half-cover chaincase/guard, etc. Made for a lighting system since new, for the front generator has it's own brazed-on bracket. Also has one of those bolt-on rear wheel locks.

The bike is certainly not something I would expect of the American market, particularly as it has Woods (a.k.a. Dunlop) valves on the tubes.

The fellow who I bought it from said he purchased it at a yard sale, and that the original seller was from Europe. I'd put a guess that this Globus was shipped over by the original owner.

Take care,

-Kurt

Let me preface all this by saying I'm not even looking for bicycles this week... I've got an artist in residence at a local school and my days are too full right now to even consider my usual couple of hours haul thru Southside; after the artist in residence I've gotta be about twelve miles away (in forty-five minutes) at the arts center I usually teach at. I pretty committed to bike commuting, so I'm doing twenty plus miles a day right now, maybe more, I dunno, I don't have any computers. Very pleasant ride, although I'm in some rush hour traffic.

So last night I'm walking my faithfull mutt, who I found when he was playing in traffic years back, getting ready to hit the hay so I can get up early for the ride in. Lo and behold, I glance over at a trash pile the dog is sniffing at, and there this Bianchi Brava, 58cm, full Shimano 105. I tell, you, this dog is amazing, he found a vintage trackhub last week... must be spring cleaning week or something... I picked the bike and walked it home, and the bike is actually in really pretty good shape. Needs fixing up, but it'll sell well on Craigslist, thus financing a super-secret project or two... but wait, I'm not done yet...

So I get up this morning and walk the dog thru some different alleys... nothing. I like the dog, though, even if he ain't automatic. So I go out and do my routine, cycling out to the far west end and then back into the fan. Now there is a thrift near my place of work; I can check it in two minutes, so after the class finishes, I head over, perfectly happy (good day, great ride)...

And I find this. Not exactly sure what it is... it's a C-I-D bicycle. Never heard of it, no info on CR, google search fruitless. However... it has the better part of a first generation dura-ace group on it. Brakes, levers, wheelset (low flange with Rigida 27" rims), mechs (back one badged crane, natch). The bars, stem, and post are 3ttt, the saddle an Ideale in absolutely great shape. No indications as to tubing, country of manufacture, or anything else. Drops, however, are Campy. Headset looks to be a sixties Stronglight. Cranks are cool Suginos, of the drillium variety. Frame is quite obviously of a high quality; given the five speed rear cluster and cleanliness of the frame (only braze on is a cable braze on the rear stay) I'd guestimate early seventies/late sixties. I won't know much more until the weekend, when I have time to tear it down and determine threading, then I may be able to place the nationality. I'll start a seperate thread on it then if I haven't gotten much help on id/info from this thread. I'm hoping someone knows more here...

It was (*gulp*) one hundred dollars, far, far more than I am used to paying, but given the parts, a complete steal and not the kind of bike I leave laying around for the VCU fixed gear crowd. Alas, it is 59cm, really just outside of my size range, but so close I'm thinking of fixing it up and riding it, at least a little. Overall, it's in great shape, with a few small surface rust spots, easily touched up.

Six months, six months, I been walking by the worthless Salvation Army here, a huffy/roadmaster graveyard if there ever was. Pretty much given up on finding anything of interest here, when I spies from a block away the tall, world weary French gal you see below. Not quite my size, 24" c-c, but hey! WTF, you know what I mean? It's a Gitane Grand Sport de Luxe, no steel-type markings of note. Puts me to mind of a peugeot U-08, same component level. Anyone know anything about it? Not quite sure what to do with it, as I say it's just on the bottom level of my perfect size, but with a pretty long 23" top tube.

But for $10, and being able to ride it around the block after putting air in the tires, I'm all smiles.

edit: well, I searched this forum, and found that I probably paid what it is worth. whatever, it's gonna be a fun commuter, maybe fixed gear if the rear simplex isn't funtional. cheers.

Today's Catch Of The Day:

Raleigh Olympian mixte, white/purple (yech, to say the least), Shimano Light-Action components, Sakae crankset, and a Weinmann alloy wheelset that has suspicious telltales as having been original equipment to a Schwinn Le Tour.

Pics to come.

-Kurt

Been a while since I hada catch of the day..! but I picked this thing up today, spotted when I went on a 4 hour ride on the way back, this here is a true beater for me, $10 single speed coaster brake bike.. (I only offered to buy it cause it had a coaster brake!) japanese crap! made by "Brentwood" whom i never heard of. Guess it came outta the 3speed era. My only bike with a straight top tube, how gentlemanly!

http://rollingscrapheap.com/frame_fi.../brentwood.jpg

Well here's another catch of the day! Actually one of them about a week ago and the other one a couple of days ago. 2 mixte's The one on the stand is a Bridgestone 200 which I picked up at the same time I caught that Vitus. Very Clean and going to a girl in San Francisco if she still wants it. The other an off-brand Firenze 15-speed that's also very clean but needs tires. I also had a matching men's "Firenze" that I'm donating to charity through my cycling club. Love those mixtes!!!! I need money for the big Cupertino Swap Meet on April 30th. :D

I picked up a Gitane Tour de France this evening. I found it on Craigslist and it happened to be only a few miles from my house. This is the first full 531 bike I've had. It is also the lightest bike I've had. I got it for 50 bucks. It is a tad too small for me but I'll see how it works out. I have a son that is just the right size for it. The seller had used it for time trials in the past so it has the aero type bars on it. I'll be taking them off soon. He threw in a nice Mavic front wheel for it that has the flat blade spokes on it. It has what I believe to be the original Mavic wheels with Campagnolo hubs. How can I tell what model the hubs are? They turn incredibly smooth. The paint is in decent shape. The decal on the headtube isn't in the greatest shape and the only decal on the frame that is at all there is the 531 decal. The 531 decal is still on the fork as well as the Gitane decal (says Tour de France and shows the country of France). I don't know what the original components were but it now has Shimano 105 brakes and Suntour Cyclone 7000 derailleurs. The crankset is a Shimano 600 with Biopace chainwheels. It currently has Look pedals but I'd like to put some SPD compatible pedals on it. Anybody want to trade:) ? I'll get it cleaned up and post pictures this weekend.

Joe C.

Joe,

Congrats on the bike.

Pictures of the hus would no doubt get you the answer.

I have some pedals that I've been told are SPD/R. They are rather used, but I have no need to keep them and would be willing to trade for LOOK pedals.

Zorro-

I sent you a PM.


Joe C.

Today I ran across an (early 80s maybe?) Peugeot. It's just Reynolds 501, is that straight guage chromoly? Still trying to learn about these things. :) Mostly Sachs and Weinmann components, and Mavic rims. From the Peugeot pecking order thread I can see that this bike was one of the lower level road bikes, but it rides great! The guy was asking $150 for and I gave him $100, which may still have been overpaying a bit, I'm not sure. But even if it is I love the bike and enjoy riding it. (This is my first road bike) Pictures:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ghtsg/Peugeot/

An ambrosio 19 front wheel with a 1983 dura-ace hub for 15$, a set of shimano 600 aero brake levers for 10$, a selle italia XO saddle for 2$.

Pogue, check out 7230171327. It should make you feel a little better about the money you spent.

This is one of the bicycles that followed me home last week: a custom Hargreaves.
I have never heard of the framebuilder, but I did find a "Bill Hargreaves Cycles" in W. Yorkshire, England... same guy?
Other than a few dings and rust spots the frame is in great shape, just faded paint and chipped decals.

http://www.jackedinger.net/hargreaves/Hargreaves_DS.jpg

http://www.jackedinger.net/hargreave...s_Crankset.jpg

http://www.jackedinger.net/hargreaves/Hargreaves_RD.jpg http://www.jackedinger.net/hargreave...eaves_rear.jpg

http://www.jackedinger.net/hargreaves/Hargreaves_SC.jpg

Dura Ace crankset, bb, brakes, hubs
Campy pedals, derailleurs, seatpost
Cinelli bars + stem