Dumpster Bike Made New
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 166
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Dumpster Bike Made New
I'm lucky to have a friend who's a talented scrounger who's also shorter than me. That means that I get first choice on the bikes he finds that are too big for him. Recently he gave me an old road bike he found in a dumpster. The drops had been burned somehow—I imagine that someone had set fire to them during a drunken party, but it could've been some kind of accidental chemical burn. In any case, the foam parts on the bars and brakes were a melted mess. I regret now that I have no picture, because it sure looked dramatically nasty.
Anyway, here's what I ended up with, using very cheap parts in the spirit of a free bike. I love it. I'm very pleased that I brought this bike back to life, and that it turned out to be such a nice ride.
Yeah, I know—I added riser bars. That's because I'm old and I don't like drops much anymore.
Anyway, here's what I ended up with, using very cheap parts in the spirit of a free bike. I love it. I'm very pleased that I brought this bike back to life, and that it turned out to be such a nice ride.
Yeah, I know—I added riser bars. That's because I'm old and I don't like drops much anymore.
#2
Rustbelt Rider
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Canton, OH
Posts: 9,104
Bikes: 1990 Trek 1420 - 1978 Raleigh Professional - 1973 Schwinn Collegiate - 1974 Schwinn Suburban
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 261 Post(s)
Liked 372 Times
in
177 Posts
Nice old Nishiki, it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to throw that out. You might want to check out the classic and vintage forums, you'll find a lot of people like Nishiki including myself.
__________________
|^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| ||
|......GO.BROWNS........| ||'|";, ___.
|_..._..._______===|=||_|__|..., ] -
"(@)'(@)"""''"**|(@)(@)*****''(@)
|^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| ||
|......GO.BROWNS........| ||'|";, ___.
|_..._..._______===|=||_|__|..., ] -
"(@)'(@)"""''"**|(@)(@)*****''(@)
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Erie Penna.
Posts: 1,141
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Very nice. I'm old too and have replaced a few drops with other things. I like the look.
Did you rework the drop bar brake levers or use new? I have reshaped the old levers before.
Did you rework the drop bar brake levers or use new? I have reshaped the old levers before.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 166
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'd be okay with moving this thread to the classic/vintage forum if that's where it belongs.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 166
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The bar and brake levers were covered in melted foam, so I just got inexpensive replacements. I didn't know the levers could be reshaped—I might've tried it if they weren't such a mess.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Costa Mesa CA
Posts: 2,636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
Those foam grips are awful. My trash bike came with them. They rot over time. Nice Nishiki. It's a classic indeed. Looks good as a flat bar bike.
#7
Senior Member
Nice! Recycling at its finest...
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Erie Penna.
Posts: 1,141
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
These levers were that old style drop bar type with the suicide handles you could work from the top position. I took the suicides off and took the brakes apart and reformed the arms from the hook shape for the drop bars to more of a slight hook shape and mounted them on the bars shown. I have reshaped them for straight risers also.
I know those old foam bars would get really nasty. I have taken a few of those down with a knife and scratchy pad.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 679
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
All my bikes were salvaged for more than 20 years. On my days off I'd go through the alleys while running errands. Sometimes bikes would be put out with the trash, and if there was anything good about them, I'd save them. Sometimes it was just a few parts, but it could go all the way up to working condition.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 166
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've become a big fan of salvaging/renewing bikes. It's very satisfying, and the price is right.
I need to learn a lot more about bike mechanics, though.
I need to learn a lot more about bike mechanics, though.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 489
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Le Tour (x2), '83 Bianchi, '96 Trek 820, '96 Trek 470, '99 Xmart Squishy Bike, '03 Giant Cypress
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
That's super nice for a dumpster find. Good for you!