Beater bikes!
#1
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Beater bikes!
A beater bike is one you ride in everyday situations to avoid wear & tear on a nicer bike. Or maybe you don't want to put a nicer bike at risk for theft. Or maybe your only bike happens to be a beater.
Got one?
Got one?
#2
Two H's!!! TWO!!!!!
Of course I do! A venerable 90's Miyata. Rear gears don't shift well any more no matter what you do, the thing is banged up and scratched up.... but I'm used to it. It's been kind of a pain in the ass lately because of various repairs, but I think a beater bike should always be a little bit of a pain in the ass, so that if it gets stolen, you feel not only grief but also a little bit of relief.
#3
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Yes. I bought a Bianchi hybrid in 2005 and added fenders, rack, lights, better tires, seat. I even swapped out the handlebars with a Nitto English 3-speed bar. It has slightly wider tires for less than ideal weather conditions and I don't mind locking it up at bike racks. My other bike is a Bianchi cyclocross bike which is much nicer and I use it for longer rides on the weekend or as a backup to the hybrid.
One thing about my beater is that I'm always up for repairing or upgrading it. As long as the frame holds up, I think I'll hang on to it.
One thing about my beater is that I'm always up for repairing or upgrading it. As long as the frame holds up, I think I'll hang on to it.
#4
Justin
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Of course I do! A venerable 90's Miyata. Rear gears don't shift well any more no matter what you do, the thing is banged up and scratched up.... but I'm used to it. It's been kind of a pain in the ass lately because of various repairs, but I think a beater bike should always be a little bit of a pain in the ass, so that if it gets stolen, you feel not only grief but also a little bit of relief.
#5
Infidel
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All my bikes are beaters
#6
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Ditto

Actually the only bike I don't want to ride in bad weather or somwhere I can't keep an eye on it is my 1972 Raleigh Superbe. I would guess if I had to select a beater from my fleet it would be my 1971 Raleigh Sports Standard. That was my only commuter for years and has not had a gentle life. It is rusty, ragged, has mis matched tires, the wrong fork and mis matched pedals too...a real shaggy dog if you will. I used to use my Giant Iguana as my all weather commuter and just swap the wheels out in the winter for a bit more aggressive tire. But that bike it being reincarnated as an expedition tour bike.
Aaron


Actually the only bike I don't want to ride in bad weather or somwhere I can't keep an eye on it is my 1972 Raleigh Superbe. I would guess if I had to select a beater from my fleet it would be my 1971 Raleigh Sports Standard. That was my only commuter for years and has not had a gentle life. It is rusty, ragged, has mis matched tires, the wrong fork and mis matched pedals too...a real shaggy dog if you will. I used to use my Giant Iguana as my all weather commuter and just swap the wheels out in the winter for a bit more aggressive tire. But that bike it being reincarnated as an expedition tour bike.
Aaron

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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#7
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I actually just got my first non-beater bike about a month ago. I never ride it though because I dont want to get the yellow bar tape dirty. So the bike at this point is about useless to me.
I much prefer my beater with the milk crate on the back
I much prefer my beater with the milk crate on the back

#8
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I get a sense of satisfaction from pulling a bike out of someones trash and making it rideable. I don't ride my junker bike to avoid wear and tear on the "nicer" bikes. The bikes I bought new are now all worn and torn from riding. I ride the junker when I'll park in high theft areas and but also just to ride it.
#9
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I've got a beater that is so beaten that it's unrideable. 
But that's how it was when I bought it. Underneath all the crappy and worn out components is a pretty cool bombprooof frame. And I've got a nice set of extra Deore copmponents laying around, so the beater will soon rise again.

But that's how it was when I bought it. Underneath all the crappy and worn out components is a pretty cool bombprooof frame. And I've got a nice set of extra Deore copmponents laying around, so the beater will soon rise again.

#10
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My Raleigh Royal doesn't look much, but it's a great bike. My Falcon Westminster is more of a beater though - it's the one I can leave locked up anywhere for days. My Raleigh 20 also has no attraction whatever for thieves .
#11
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I have a thing against beater bikes (not for others, for myself). I've spent way too many miles on rusty, rickety, creaking machines to live in a low crime area. My last beater is covered in dust and cobwebs in the back of the barn. If I were still in college or in a high crime area, different story.
#12
Senior Member
I have a '83 Sakai steel lugged bike with 27" wheels that I converted into a singlespeed on a whim. The original paint was peeling so I did a quick, sh*tty rattle can paint job in white. The chainline is way off. The handlebars have remnants of old bar tape and the brake calipers barely stop me because the pads are probably originals. The headset is loose b/c I just don't want to bother adjusting it. Still though, it's fun to ride to the grocery store or a friend's place.
#13
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I have a crappy old X-Mart mountain bike with garbage components, rear fendeer off some cruiser and beat up rack off an old schwinn frame is covered in stickers. Everything runs smoothly and it gets me around. Wouldn't dare riding one of my nice bikes around Campus (nor leaving them out in all weather).
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#14
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Unlike most people, I only have one bike. It looks like a beater, but it's not; I changed out a few components (tires, rear cassette, crank, pedals) and keep the bike in perfect operating condition at all times. It performs very well, actually, though I'm pretty sure most lycra guys on $3000 road bikes have little to fear from me. (I bet I can haul way more beer than they can, though.)
#15
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Yes. I bought a Bianchi hybrid in 2005 and added fenders, rack, lights, better tires, seat. I even swapped out the handlebars with a Nitto English 3-speed bar. It has slightly wider tires for less than ideal weather conditions and I don't mind locking it up at bike racks. My other bike is a Bianchi cyclocross bike which is much nicer and I use it for longer rides on the weekend or as a backup to the hybrid.
One thing about my beater is that I'm always up for repairing or upgrading it. As long as the frame holds up, I think I'll hang on to it.
One thing about my beater is that I'm always up for repairing or upgrading it. As long as the frame holds up, I think I'll hang on to it.
#16
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How is a 2005 Bianchi a beater?
I have two bikes, and neither one cost me much. I avoid buying expensive bikes because all of my riding is point A to point B riding that puts a lot of wear on the bikes. If I bought an expensive bike it would become a beater, so I just start out with beaters and they stay that way. My bikes are locked outside basically all the time, except when I ride them.
#17
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Not yet - had planned on other mtb to be my winterbeater - but that was stolen.
Probably Nov I'll go looking for a mtb that I can commute on - and go beat up in the snow. I spent too much money (on stolen bike) fixing stuff that the snow/salt got too. So new bike isn't going to be ruined like that.
Probably Nov I'll go looking for a mtb that I can commute on - and go beat up in the snow. I spent too much money (on stolen bike) fixing stuff that the snow/salt got too. So new bike isn't going to be ruined like that.
#18
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1980 (best guess) Puch Pathfinder. Has original Suntour components and looks like crap. Rides like a dream, shifts well, and gets me to work on most days. Its the beater that keeps my Univega out of the weather and away from thieves.
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#19
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#20
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#21
Sophomoric Member
Any bike will be a beater bike if you ride it as much as you should. I don't try to prevent wear and tear, just deal with them when they happen.
Currently I have a Trek hardtail MTB that's probably 3 or 4 years old. I also have a Fuji 10-speed that's probably 30 years old, but it probably has fewer miles on it (so far) than the Trek. The Fuji was a "trade-in" left by the thief that stole another bike. I also have enough pieces and parts lying around to make at least one other bike.
Currently I have a Trek hardtail MTB that's probably 3 or 4 years old. I also have a Fuji 10-speed that's probably 30 years old, but it probably has fewer miles on it (so far) than the Trek. The Fuji was a "trade-in" left by the thief that stole another bike. I also have enough pieces and parts lying around to make at least one other bike.
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#22
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I like the beater instead of the folding bike route for 90% of uses that don't involve multimode transit. Unlike a folder which has to carried everywhere, a beater can be left outside (hidden) without too much worry. Unfortunately, I sold my beater but I'm in the process of building a new one. A three speed with the new Sturmey Archer hub!
#23
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#24
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www.sturmey-archer.com and don't drool too much, a lot of that stuff isn't available in the US or any place else I have looked either.

I would really like to get my hands on one of the X-FDD and a X-RD5
Aaron

__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Last edited by wahoonc; 08-21-07 at 05:43 PM.