I just found an old Raleigh Grand Prix that someone was throwing in the trash. It's pretty sweet. Needs brake pads, grip tape and tires and it seems like it will be working perfectly. It even has quick release wheels in front and back which seems odd for the age of this bike.

Wicked, cool commuter bike for me, so I don't have to worry about locking up my cannondale or santa cruz when I go to the store, post office, etc.

You lucky Dog!

Great find, but I'd still lock it up. I hate walking...

That's the beauty of old bikes. If it's all scratched up the better. You don't have to carry the New York Chain around your hip or put a huge New York 3000 U-lock on the bike. I find riding a new bike has it's disadvantages. You never feel safe leaving it parked anywhere even with a massive chain. As a result, you're limited to what you can do and are stuck babysitting the bike all day long.

I find I'm riding my old Univega much more than the two new bikes I've purchased this year. I've gone to the beach, shopping, amusement parks, everywhere with that bike. I only carry a the Kryptonite Evolution 2000 which is a mid-level lock and much lighter than the chains.

Oh, I'd still lock it up, but with my other bikes I still feel uncomfortable even if it's locked. I used to ride to school and I would bring my bike into the classroom. One time my teacher says "you know there are bike racks out front for you to lock that up." I said to him "if you had a briefcase with $2000 in it, would you lock it out there or bring it in with you?" He didn't give me grief anymore.

It's funny, I've said almost the exact same thing to my professors before. I tend to take a fair amount of night classes at UC, and after dark, the campus is often full of troublemakers, hellraisers and the ilk. So, even though I commute to school with my $450 Hardrock Pro, I still brought it into my classes, as I refuse to leave something of considerable value outside where some idiot can steal it, or at the very least, attempt to destroy.

And for those days that I forgot to bring my lock with me, I apologize to all those students who I bumped with my bicycle as I carried it up and down the stairs of McMicken.