new guy from Maine
05-25-15 | 04:06 PM
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new guy from Maine
Hello all, my name is Jay, and I've recently gotten back into cycling through a series of unfortunate events.
I got a DUI which led to my license being suspended the first week of April. Being that I work at a bar and get out at 3am......public transportation was not an option.
Before anyone jumps the gun and calls me some drunk drivin' menace 2 society the charge was reduced. First traffic violation EVER, and I was .002% over the legal limit.
I now have my license back......but my truck barely moves. If it wasn't for that burnt out taillight I would never have rediscovered my love for cycling.
In my teenage years I was an avid mountain biker. I went through about 5 mtb's in the nineties (an assinine amount of bmx/freestyle bikes as well). Unfortunately my beloved gt psyclone was stolen along with my 93 mongoose iboc and extensive eighties 20" collection in 2001. Whole shed got pillaged! Needless to say I was disgusted, and my love affair with the bicycle was over.
So without a saddle to plant my heiny on off to the LBS I went. With $400 in my pocket and totally clueless about modern bicycles.
I was looking for something for my short 5 mile each way commute, and some occasional trail riding. I was planning on getting a steel rigid MTB with alivio or something along those lines.
As you all know I didn't find anything like that lol. I was looking at aluminum bikes with pogo spring forks and shimano tourney.
Technology has come a long way, but I can't afford technology. Looks like I will be waiting till I can afford something decent for my next new bike purchase.
So off to Craig's I went in search of something I was more familiar with.
I found a 94 barracuda A2R in my size for $60. All original aside from the seat. Even still had the original spec onza tires lol.
The alivio rf+ shifters were not fully functional, but I figured the pawls just needed to be cleaned and re lubed. Fortunately I was correct. Some brake cleaner, elbow grease, and a pair of kool stops later I had myself a bicycle for the paltry sum of $74.
The stem felt a little too long and low for my comfort, so I ordered one that fit me better on eBay for $9. So now I'm at $83. Plenty left in the budget to make it suit my needs.
About a week later I was at a friends house and noticed a couple bikes of the same vintage in his shed. One of them was an Arcadia(never heard of em), but it had a full deore DX group, and looked barely ridden.
Being that I wanted larger chain rings than the 42/32/22 setup my sugino cranks had I asked him if he was willing to part with them. We agreed on a 30 pack of natty ice and a pack of pall malls for the Arcadia and the specialized crossroads.
So now I'm at $104, and I have a couple projects. I think I will fix up the crossroads and sell it to someone else needing a cheap commuter. I might make myself a single speed out of the other one as well.
Anyways I look forward to chatting with you all, and hope to get some advice on what's available now. As well as help anyone else out with any tech help I can.
I got a DUI which led to my license being suspended the first week of April. Being that I work at a bar and get out at 3am......public transportation was not an option.
Before anyone jumps the gun and calls me some drunk drivin' menace 2 society the charge was reduced. First traffic violation EVER, and I was .002% over the legal limit.
I now have my license back......but my truck barely moves. If it wasn't for that burnt out taillight I would never have rediscovered my love for cycling.
In my teenage years I was an avid mountain biker. I went through about 5 mtb's in the nineties (an assinine amount of bmx/freestyle bikes as well). Unfortunately my beloved gt psyclone was stolen along with my 93 mongoose iboc and extensive eighties 20" collection in 2001. Whole shed got pillaged! Needless to say I was disgusted, and my love affair with the bicycle was over.
So without a saddle to plant my heiny on off to the LBS I went. With $400 in my pocket and totally clueless about modern bicycles.
I was looking for something for my short 5 mile each way commute, and some occasional trail riding. I was planning on getting a steel rigid MTB with alivio or something along those lines.
As you all know I didn't find anything like that lol. I was looking at aluminum bikes with pogo spring forks and shimano tourney.
Technology has come a long way, but I can't afford technology. Looks like I will be waiting till I can afford something decent for my next new bike purchase.
So off to Craig's I went in search of something I was more familiar with.
I found a 94 barracuda A2R in my size for $60. All original aside from the seat. Even still had the original spec onza tires lol.
The alivio rf+ shifters were not fully functional, but I figured the pawls just needed to be cleaned and re lubed. Fortunately I was correct. Some brake cleaner, elbow grease, and a pair of kool stops later I had myself a bicycle for the paltry sum of $74.
The stem felt a little too long and low for my comfort, so I ordered one that fit me better on eBay for $9. So now I'm at $83. Plenty left in the budget to make it suit my needs.
About a week later I was at a friends house and noticed a couple bikes of the same vintage in his shed. One of them was an Arcadia(never heard of em), but it had a full deore DX group, and looked barely ridden.
Being that I wanted larger chain rings than the 42/32/22 setup my sugino cranks had I asked him if he was willing to part with them. We agreed on a 30 pack of natty ice and a pack of pall malls for the Arcadia and the specialized crossroads.
So now I'm at $104, and I have a couple projects. I think I will fix up the crossroads and sell it to someone else needing a cheap commuter. I might make myself a single speed out of the other one as well.
Anyways I look forward to chatting with you all, and hope to get some advice on what's available now. As well as help anyone else out with any tech help I can.
05-25-15 | 04:31 PM
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05-25-15 | 09:40 PM
#5
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I was looking for a 930 or 970 when I came across the fish. Was the cheapest most common true temper ox frame I could recall. I had a white lugged one back in the day, but the seat post was hopelessly stuck when I got it.
Still rode it for a year till I got the gt psyclone frame. luckily the seat post was stuck really close to where I wanted it.
Still rode it for a year till I got the gt psyclone frame. luckily the seat post was stuck really close to where I wanted it.
