Show the WORST C & V Bike You have ever bought!
01-30-15, 08:08 PM
#1
Thrifty Bill
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Show the WORST C & V Bike You have ever bought!
Tonight I think I bought the worst C & V bike I have ever bought. And yes, I was sober at the time. I'll post some pics tomorrow.
A few suggested guidelines:
1. Must be C & V, no BSO, no department store crap.
2. Must be a recognizable brand and model, one that 90% of this list would agree is a desirable C & V model.
3. Must be really, really bad, but yet, oddly possible to refurbish without going totally crazy $$ wise.
4. You must have known it was bad when you bought it, no hidden surprise stories.
A few suggested guidelines:
1. Must be C & V, no BSO, no department store crap.
2. Must be a recognizable brand and model, one that 90% of this list would agree is a desirable C & V model.
3. Must be really, really bad, but yet, oddly possible to refurbish without going totally crazy $$ wise.
4. You must have known it was bad when you bought it, no hidden surprise stories.
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Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
01-30-15, 08:13 PM
#2
Thrifty Bill
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Here's the picture from the ad (it was worse in person).
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Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
01-30-15, 08:15 PM
#3
Cat 6
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I'll just pick on one - my 1983 Trek 600- the smurf bike. And by that I mean it had been rattlecanned blue all over - cranks, BB, headset - you name it. Everything he couldn't remove without special tools, I guess. And the wheels were mismatched, one a 700c, the other a wider and taller 27", and IIRC the 27" was on the front. I don't remember what I paid, but $60 sticks in my head.
Now it looks great, but I don't have a current pic.
Now it looks great, but I don't have a current pic.
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72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale) & special CNC / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 ?French? / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale) & special CNC / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 ?French? / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
01-30-15, 08:36 PM
#4
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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Worst C&V bike? Does it have to be one I bought, and does worst simply mean ugly? This Bertin (now wearing a different crank)
is the worst riding bike in the basement. But it looks grand, and I was given the frame.
is the worst riding bike in the basement. But it looks grand, and I was given the frame.
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Real cyclists use toe clips.
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Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
01-30-15, 09:05 PM
#5
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It must be this Bianchi. In name only. The bottom of the barrel for sure. At least I didn't pay much for it.
01-30-15, 09:20 PM
#6
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I paid $10 for the frame, Paint was shot. Plenty of rust. Rear dropouts were messed up. It was in a front end as the top and down tubes are bent.
Still perfect for going to the ice cream shop.
1953 Bianchi Selvino 001 by iabisdb, on Flickr
Still perfect for going to the ice cream shop.
1953 Bianchi Selvino 001 by iabisdb, on Flickr
01-30-15, 09:21 PM
#7
aka Tom Reingold
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Mine was probably the Atala Corsa that had sat in the rain for years. Eventually, I think I sent it to jonwvara or sailorbenjamin or someone else here. And somehow it ended up in Florida. And the owner there discovered a long gash in the chainstay. What a wreck.
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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.
01-30-15, 09:28 PM
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weapons-grade bolognium
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I paid $1 for this. The seller tried to talk me out of it.
01-30-15, 09:45 PM
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I wish I had taken a shot when I first dragged this home. With the bars flipped up, broken wheels, saddle carcass, giant Wald basket, 1930's pad-lock, etc. But I was so excited to see if it would come apart I just started wrenching. Finally caught my breath and took a few snaps here:
Do I win?
Do I win?
01-30-15, 09:48 PM
#10
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Long arms required to shift that Trek!
01-30-15, 10:08 PM
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I wish I had taken a shot when I first dragged this home. With the bars flipped up, broken wheels, saddle carcass, giant Wald basket, 1930's pad-lock, etc. But I was so excited to see if it would come apart I just started wrenching. Finally caught my breath and took a few snaps
Do I win?
Do I win?
01-30-15, 10:26 PM
#12
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Perhaps this Schwinn Speedster, though they do have their fans:
Or this Mercier
Or this Mercier
01-30-15, 10:59 PM
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My first was my worst. Before I knew much of anything. Photos were after wrestling the stuck seatpost out. But at least it was only $25! And it taught me that I like riding drop bar bikes...
01-30-15, 11:52 PM
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is this like the nightmare version of the before & after thread?
'81 uni g.rally
'81 uni g.rally
01-31-15, 12:22 AM
#15
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Wow, I don't think I can narrow it down to just one. I have dragged quite a few rusty boat anchors home.
01-31-15, 02:37 AM
#16
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01-31-15, 06:56 AM
#17
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So... 73.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
01-31-15, 07:20 AM
#18
Thrifty Bill
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It was ridden long enough to wear out the small chain ring, wear out a set of wheels and the rear derailleur. Of course stem and seat post are really stuck.
I am tempted to hang it from the rafters in my new work shop, as "shop art".
01-31-15, 07:35 AM
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About five years. Owner died and it remained outside for many years, finally pulled out to sell.
It was ridden long enough to wear out the small chain ring, wear out a set of wheels and the rear derailleur. Of course stem and seat post are really stuck.
I am tempted to hang it from the rafters in my new work shop, as "shop art".
It was ridden long enough to wear out the small chain ring, wear out a set of wheels and the rear derailleur. Of course stem and seat post are really stuck.
I am tempted to hang it from the rafters in my new work shop, as "shop art".
01-31-15, 07:39 AM
#21
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Definitely this Phillips Manhattan. Here's what it looked like when I sold it as a single speed:
It came with a full chaincase, chromed fenders, 3-speed rear hub. Every bolt seemed stuck, the paint was in awful shape, and the eBay seller charged me a fortune to ship, took forever to ship it, and then did a truly awful packing job (and left me negative feedback after I left him negative feedback). Good riddance to that beast!
It came with a full chaincase, chromed fenders, 3-speed rear hub. Every bolt seemed stuck, the paint was in awful shape, and the eBay seller charged me a fortune to ship, took forever to ship it, and then did a truly awful packing job (and left me negative feedback after I left him negative feedback). Good riddance to that beast!
01-31-15, 07:41 AM
#22
Senior Member
The worst.... my wife thought I was nuts.
IMG_8462 by flog00, on Flickr
IMG_8458 by flog00, on Flickr
IMG_8460 by flog00, on Flickr
IMG_8459 by flog00, on Flickr
For about $70 my kids and I turned it into this. My wife hasn't questioned me since
IMG_8487 by flog00, on Flickr
My daughter Sarah is taking this bike to Denison University this fall for her first year at college
IMG_8485 by flog00, on Flickr
IMG_8462 by flog00, on FlickrIMG_8458 by flog00, on FlickrIMG_8460 by flog00, on FlickrIMG_8459 by flog00, on FlickrFor about $70 my kids and I turned it into this. My wife hasn't questioned me since
IMG_8487 by flog00, on FlickrMy daughter Sarah is taking this bike to Denison University this fall for her first year at college
IMG_8485 by flog00, on Flickr
01-31-15, 07:59 AM
#23
Still learning
The Austro Daimler below. Crimped seat tube, horrible paint with surface oxidation. Paid about $40 for it because I needed the Weinmann concave wheelset to finish off my Motobecane Grand Touring. Resold the A-D Reynolds 531 frame and fork on ebay for a Franklin, put the wheels to use, and have an Avocet triple crankset, Mountech FD and Suntour VX GT derailleur for my parts inventory.
Last edited by oddjob2; 01-31-15 at 08:16 AM.
01-31-15, 08:14 AM
#25
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