jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 658
Club RR Member Number: 18
|
My Klunkerz. jpr1977
@jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member 18
|
Jul 17, 2016 11:51:15 GMT
|
Loving the respective Mr and Mrs Big's, and top work on the reveal, i think that's fair retribution. I agree on the wheel front though manly from a visual perspective, Three spokes of any kind should of remained a mid nineties fad and been left there... The vision of an old mates gold Nissan Sunny with TSW 3 spokes still haunts my nightmares... (Thankfully he wrote it off by reversing at high speed into a parked defender that he "didn't see" ahem...) However just for the mental image of this saturday afternoon favourite on a BMX did make me chuckle;  +  =  Though I have yet to find an actual image of him on a bike, despite my best google FU. I find the best way of roughly dating a bike is from the brakes. The earlier ones just have the single hole for the Caliper (pull type brakes) where the later ones, (well mid nineties onwards) have the mounting posts for the Cantilever/V- Brakes etc  I'm sure you'll be able to cobble together 4 very good cruisers for the Family PP to be talk of the Boulevards this Summer. And Mrs PP's chain incident reminded me of the time the soon to be Mrs JP, took out my Specialized and was reveling in the joy of such a light mountain bike, until she stopped and forgot about the toe-clips with the inevitable consequences... Obviously it was all my fault but the memory of her slow motion decent with a look of quizzical shock as she slowly slipped sideways onto a (thankfully soft) path is still amusing, though of course she doesn't think of it with such amusement. Oh if you ever come across one of these on your travels, or similar let me know.  I had one in the early 90's that got me everywhere, though it did of course have a few customisations the handlebars were flipped and cut off to bull horns with the brake levers flipped to match as well as the paint stripped off it. Unfortunately it 'disappeared' from Aldershot train station in the summer of '91 never to be seen again... |
| |
Last Edit: Jul 17, 2016 14:31:52 GMT by jpr1977
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 17, 2016 14:13:42 GMT
|
|
hey that rough black MTB with the frame that's a bit like a shopper bike. That was pictured after the Muddy fox. That looks like a Sonic the Hedgehog bike.
A friend got one for his kid. Back in the 90s. It had plastic panels covering the frame. But that soon all cracked away. My friend gave me the bike when it got to be as rough as your bike.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 28, 2016 18:58:02 GMT
|
I must admit jpr1977 reading about your soon to be Mrs JP forgetting about the toe-clips with the inevitable consequences did make me chuckle, but only because i've been there myself lol. Oh if you ever come across one of these on your travels, or similar let me know. Does it have to be that bike? I say this because i've had a few Raleigh racers and tourers with frames that are very similar to that bike. My own Raleigh Record has a frame that to me looks identical, except it's blue. Raleigh racers do turn up quite regularly, but they're not always in great shape, many have been neglected and left outside for a great many years, but i'll keep an eye out for one for you. hey that rough black MTB with the frame that's a bit like a shopper bike. That was pictured after the Muddy fox. That looks like a Sonic the Hedgehog bike. This one? I've just browsed various Sonic the Hedgehog bikes, on gurgle but they all look like childrens bikes, this is a full sized mountain bike for an adult i would think. If you've got pictures of your Sonic the Hedgehog bike it would be great to see them. The only identifying mark on mine is a sticker at the front, but i cant remember what it says now, i'll try to get a photo of it next time i'm near it. Earlier today i managed to collect what i think was an interesting looking town bike. Which after a little bit of fettling i have put on ebay, click the pic!  I got this from the tip, and to be honest i didn't really want it, but to me the frame looked quite unique as it would appear to be a little longer than stock. But when i got it, it had two flat (punctured) tyres, and the rear derailleur looked as if it had been caught in something whilst being ridden, and got quite mangled up. Had it not been for the frame, and that it was a quiet day at work i'd have left it. But bringing it home, repairing the puctures, and fitting a new, well, new to that bike anyway derailleur from a collection of used parts i have laying around soon had it ready for a test ride. As it was sunny, before i headed off on my test ride i figured i'd give it a quick wipe down with Mr Sheen, as that stuff shines umpteen things clean! Then off i went! Within about ten minutes ofcourse it was chucking it down with rain, the English summer, don't you love it lol. Still, atleast you can't complain that it's too dusty! I must say that it really rides quite well, and is far lighter than it's bulky looking frame would make you believe. I have no idea what make of bike this is, the only identifying mark being a sticker on the lower bar which says Capitol (Capital?)  I know of an American cycle company called Capitol, so as a guess i'm thinking that this is what it is, and that is what i have listed it as, but who knows really? Despite it's old looks, caliper front brake, and rear mounted dynamo light i think it is far newer that it would appear to be, due to things like the rear brake, which is a sort of drum arrangement made in China (possibly).  Also it has a kick stand on the rear which i would say came with the bike originally, that also doesn't look too old fashioned to me.  Obviously that could've been put on at a later date, but due to the rust, er, i mean patina that is on the chrome work of the bike i would say that not only is it all the same age, but all from the same manufacturer aswell.  Other things that seem to be out of place if the bike was very old are things like the Shimano shifters on the handlebars, and the use of 700C wheels. However all of this aside, like i said it does ride very well, and to be fair now that i've spent a couple of hours changing the rear derailleur, fixing the punctures, and giving it a quick wipe over with Mr Sheen i reckon it looks pretty good too. I keep wondering if this was designed with a utilitarian task in mind, like for a shop bike, or post bike or something. Anyone have any ideas about it? Moving on...  This photo was taken the day that i got it from the tip! In this photo i have not done anything to it, not even washed it. Infact i picked it up from the tip, and rode it home, i don't think it had ever been ridden before, it even still had the bobbly bits on the tyres from where they're injection molded! Who throws this stuff away? I want to talk about my other tip treasure, my £10 FELT bike. Now i don't know if FELT is a particularly good make, but what i do know is that this bike had barely been ridden when it was thrown away back in January of this year! My initial plan was to ride it home from the tip, and put it on ebay. But after riding it home i decided that this was going to be my bike atleast for the foreseeable future.  Six months on and i still feel the same way. This is my bike! This joins the stable of my bikes that are not up for grabs. I genuinely can't understand why someone threw this away? I have done absolutely nothing to it other than the addition of a rear light from Poundland...  It rides so well, and i have ridden it lots, and yes, i have now worn the bobbles from the injection moulding process of the tyres off the tyres now... Even off the sides!  Other than a drop of oil i have had to do nothing to this bike since collecting it from the tip... I still havn't even washed it! Current plans for it? Keep riding! Actually, due to having to deal with no end of idiots on ebay who have bought my car(s) then never shown up for them ( read about those morons here if you like!) I have been feeling quite stressed and bent out of shape at the moment. Getting out on the bike in the long summer evenings for a gentle cruise has probably been quite beneficial, as it gives me the opportunity to sort of chill out, calm down, and maybe even unwind a little. As i glide through the countryside near where i live i get a chance to think things through from all angles, and very often by the time i get back home again i don't feel like turning up at their house and beating the living curse word out of them, i feel like sending someone else to do it for me lol! But seriously, it is a great way of getting out and about, and unwinding! It's funny, often i cycle past this gym which has a load of those static excercise bikes in the window. All the people on the excercise bikes look at me (probably thinking look at that fat bloke on a bike lol) But i look at them thinking, why are you in there furiously peddling away? It's far nicer out here with the wind in your hair (if you're lucky enough to still have some) It probably costs less (if you've picked up a bike from the tip like me!) And you're not excercising in everyone elses sweat fog! Long may the summer evenings continue!  LETS RIDE!  |
| |
|
|
jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 658
Club RR Member Number: 18
|
My Klunkerz. jpr1977
@jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member 18
|
Jul 28, 2016 21:12:32 GMT
|
Good tip find. I do love Hampshire CC Tip's, the one in Bordon has provided particularly useful over the years. I do have to ask though PP, do you have the tardis for your storage facility... As for the racer, it doesn't have to be identical. I did also have one of these for a while, possibly more suitable for your Gold thread though... Think this got lent to a 'mate' never to be seen again... i just like the simplicity of the 10 speed (though i'm sure one of them only had 5 speed thinking about it now...)  Whilst looking for the silver and purple 90's tat that replaced the bike following its going AWOL from Aldershot (which doesn't seem to exist in the raleigh archives) I did stumble open this which I thought may be of use for your Record  Clicky here
As for falling of stationery bikes i'm sure we have all done it, though i did one manage to halt traffic outside Clapham North Tube through a combination failed curb bunny hop/failure to remove feet from toe clip... And we won't even mention the reading paper whilst cycling + milk float incident from my child labour days of early morning paper deliveries. I'm sure this was what lead to the failure of the butter like chromalloy forks several weeks later. The image of the front wheel continuing its merry way down the hill with the majority of the forks was novel for a moment, however the inevitable result of remnants of said forks, bicycle, me and gravity = tarmac, very hard. Also still looking for one of these, but without the vastly inflated pricetag.(Obviously just for the scene points should i ever get the mk1 finished)  If only i hadn't crashed mine into a tank trap and buckled the frame.... |
| |
Last Edit: Jul 28, 2016 21:17:00 GMT by jpr1977
|
|
melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 2,010
|
|
Jul 29, 2016 11:35:13 GMT
|
[...] the rear brake, which is a sort of drum arrangement made in China (possibly). That looks like a roller brake. |
| |
www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
|
|
jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 658
Club RR Member Number: 18
|
My Klunkerz. jpr1977
@jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member 18
|
Jul 29, 2016 12:48:04 GMT
|
This peaked my interest and quiet morning so had a dig around and it looks like a bit more like a basic belt brake (or band brake).  Have to say i've never come across one (or a roller brake for that matter) in the flesh... squeaky...
Though the efficiency seems to be even questioned by the grail of wiki... wiki |
| |
Last Edit: Jul 29, 2016 14:11:58 GMT by jpr1977
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 29, 2016 16:11:24 GMT
|
Thanks for the info melle , i'd never even heard of a roller brake before, but looking at the version that jpr1977 found, i would say that his is pretty much what my bike has. Whilst i have your attention jpr1977 , so a Grifter eh? Well, i can't help you with that i'm afraid, but i thought that you might like to see my youngest Pistonpoppets bike...  I found it back in about January, and she was just about small enough for it, but i think that when she has a growth spurt she'll be on to larger things. Sadly she hasn't even ridden it yet because the tyres which are obviously not standard rub the front forks to the extent that the wheels won't rotate! Still, it looks pretty cool!  Raleigh Boxer... Old school cool for tiddlers! Anyhoo, no Grifter, but... Would you be interested in this...  It sort of has a Grifer-esque frame with forks that are very much like a Raleigh Strika, just all scaled up a bit. I think it's called a Raleigh Dirtbox or something i think. It's got 24" wheels, and is big enough for an adult to ride. I found it as a frame, and have slowly been finding, and attaching parts to it until i will eventually have a complete, and rideable bike. I can't remember whether its 10, 12, 15, or 18 speed. It just needs brake and gear wires to finish, let me know if you're interested (Grifter cool without the scene tax!) Also, alecw35 i managed to get a photo of the sticker that is on the front of that odd looking MTB frame i have...  As i'm sure you can see it says 'PLANETBIKE' does this mean anything to you? Or to anyone else for that matter? |
| |
|
|
melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 2,010
|
|
Jul 29, 2016 16:27:55 GMT
|
|
I think you're right re the brake, never seen those before! Roller brakes are quite nice actually, they get very hot in use though.
|
| |
www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
|
|
steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,586
|
|
Jul 29, 2016 19:32:40 GMT
|
|
I like the dirtbox possibly not very popular due to the name ! I thought I would have seen one of those before but the only similar thing that springs to mind is the Bomber.
Does it have a Raleigh head tube badge on it ?
Steve's interesting fact of the day is that Grifter frames look very similar to Chopper ones if you turn them upside down.
|
| |
Last Edit: Jul 29, 2016 19:33:14 GMT by steveg
|
|
jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 658
Club RR Member Number: 18
|
My Klunkerz. jpr1977
@jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member 18
|
Jul 30, 2016 14:05:29 GMT
|
OH my that's one very special bike and not in a good way ... If its not called a dirtbox it should be, it looks like the runt of the litter,fatherless child of a grifter and a fizzie... Thank you for the offer, but oh survey says owwwwww... Though it looks like Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce loved it...  Do you think the designers though i know the kids all love Kickstart so well chuck some fake forks on a grifter and we'll sell millions... I still hum that theme tune every time i drive past the trials bike shop down the road... Loving the Boxer, could you not just swap some tyres from one of the many BMX's or are they silly sized? Team that with a met. blue grifter and you have proper scene win... On the topic of smaller versions I remember a friend's little brother having a (gold) Budgie, brilliant for wheelies and endo's. Though i'm not so sure his brother thought that as we destroyed his bike.  |
| |
Last Edit: Aug 8, 2016 15:40:34 GMT by jpr1977
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Raleigh Dirt Cross! Yes that makes more sense. It's wierd, even sitting there on that bike Stuart Pearce looks like a nut-job... Infact he looks like a nut-job whos just nicked a bike from some poor unsuspecting kid, and is now taunting him with it lol! I like the dirtbox possibly not very popular due to the name ! I thought I would have seen one of those before but the only similar thing that springs to mind is the Bomber. Does it have a Raleigh head tube badge on it ? Yes it does...  And here's a rather poor quality photo of it. It's more like the old riveted on headtube badges of the Chopper and Grifter era. It's quite chunky, and possibly made of aluminium, although its more likely monkey metal, but whatever it is, is not a vinyl sticker like the later Burners, and other Raleigh bikes had. So the Dirt Cross is a not for you then jpr1977 , well, not to worry, i'll eventually get its brakes and gears wired up, and then it's off to the bay of E for it. I must admit, i kinda like it, and i can't help feeling that in the right colours...  Like this Team Raleigh Burner, it would look superb... Hmm... Maybe a strip down is in order! I must also say that the Budgie is very cool, this is where it all started for me cycling wise. Apparently i didn't have stabilizers or anything, got the budgie for Christmas when i was about three, and by all accounts before my Dad could fit the stabilizers i'd already jumped on and cycled off lol! Mine was gold too, that is a really nice gold, i wonder what the paint code for it is? Feel free to let me know if you know lol. This week i came across this thing, amoungst other things!  An Apollo Sublime.  Hmm... NICE! Well, probably not to a lot of you guys, but i always look at the frames of these things and think that they look quite interesting! This is the first one that i have ever had, as i always think, i'll get the next one, and then never do. Well the other day it occured to me when i was looking at this thing in the tip and thinking that i would get he next one when it dawned on me that i hadn't seen one in the very long time... So i had it! To be fair to the thing it rides pretty well, and actually i am quite enjoying the commute to work on it at the moment, plus it has the added bonus of making the child in me chuckle every time i look at the gear selector to change gear...  POWER PIS... I love it... I'm such a child lol! Barn finds. Now this is a title that seems to be applied to just about any old tat that someone is trying to shift on fleabay lately, however during the week i called around to my friends workshop, i have been promising him that i would do so since he took the place on about five years ago. It's sat in the middle of nowhere, and for the most part completely overgrown around it. The reason i've not been before, well it's about 100 miles from Pistonpopper towers! So after a quick tour of his workshop we are stood outside looking over the rather large and very overgrown piece of land upon which his workshop sits, and i say to him, "What's in the shed?" His reply was, "Dunno" I said, "You've been here over five years and you've not looked in there?" He said, "Er... No" So with that i said, "Right, lets hack our way through the brambles and have a bit of a gander!" About an hour later we've cut a small path through the undergrowth, and we both have quite scratched up arms and legs (we're in shorts!) but finally we're stood infront of the door looking at a very rusty padlock. Behind us about 50 feet of extension cable plugged in waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in his workshop, and in his hand, a grinder! Right then, buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... And the lock drops to the floor. inside the shed was found to be... EMPTY! Except for a two things...  Firstly this very old looking racer/tourer type bike. It actually looks like it's in quite good shape with minimal rust, the paint looks ok, the tyres are a bit squashy, but thats about it. Obviously i'm going to have it, but it will have to be a special visit to go and collect it as i just didn't have the room in my car dammit! I would say it's a custom build for someone done a very long time ago, and i'd say it's probably made from steel, although it is quite light. There are no badges or emblems on it of any kind, the only identifiying mark (If you can call it that) is this...  A small decal at the botton/rear of the frame that says 'MONTY. W' i've tried googling it and i've as yet come up with nothing? Can anyone else shed any light? Obviously when i go back for it and bring it home i'll give it a good clean up, and whatnot then i'll take some better pictures of it. The other thing that was in the shed was this...  A Unicycle (oh, and a bluemels pump!) The unicycle looks very old and has quite a lot of rust patina on the chromework. I had enough room for that in my car so i brought that home with me. Goodness only knows what i'm going to do with it, i've tried riding it, and thats just not working for me! The good news is though that the pump works lol!  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I love the unicycle, when I was younger I learned to ride one when my grandad took me to an event day/weekend. He makes model steam engines and was on a club stand, so basically I had all day to wander around, there was a man there with all his circuis equipment, unicycles, tiny bikes, juggling balls etc as I was there for both days I spent them practicing to ride the unicycle (& falling off a lot) by the end of Sunday I could do around 20meters. The man running the stall gave me a pound for persevering then a few weeks after I bought my own unicycle (which I still have) at one point I was relatively proficient at it, but I haven't rode it in about a year!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awesome collection of bikes there guys prompted me to dig out my brothers Schwinn Stingray no pics sadly tried to ride it but is an absolute pain unless it's on the flat and with hills like Constitution Hill near me (sure Mr. Piston popper knows where that is) I think I might chop it around and stuff a mini bike engine into it.
|
| |
|
|
jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 658
Club RR Member Number: 18
|
My Klunkerz. jpr1977
@jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member 18
|
|
|
Ahh an apollo, with Power PIS, what's not to love, everyone enjoys a good Power PIS session surely... Though all I know of Apollo's is they tend to weigh more than the moon, or the ones i have come across anyway. (There was a good reason my old uni housemates bike was known as the Apollo of Doom) Unfortunately the google fu on the paint code of Budgie Gold is so far eluding me however, the vagaries of searches did bring about the distant memory of Raleigh Bombers, which tbh i had but all forgotten... But I am very surprised they haven't been jumped upon (excuse the pun) by the hipster generation as they do look like a boulevard cruiser...  Though the lines foam sprung saddle and complete comfort don't really give the impression to me that the owner of a Bomber "shouldn't be tangled with", but who am I to argue with early 80's adverts. A fine proper barn/shed find there Sir. Look forward to further details once you have specially collected it. Also like how it colour coordinates with the Ivy and is that the gear shifter on the top tube just in front of the saddle or am i seeing things? It may even be worth the tags of Rare, Unique, just pump up the tyres and "it'll be worth a gazillion when restored" as used on everyone's favourite auction site that are normally associated with a 'barn find' of this quality.  Just a thought but as it does look like a bit of a special tourer, will you be getting the uniform when you revive it?  My bicycle adventures this weekend were limited to rediscovering these in my loft, as mentioned in dispatches on pg1. (don't ask why they are in the loft and massive blurry pic alert..)  The Dyno is the one that came with the 'Bongoose on the previous page and just had a refresh and going over. It really does need to come out of the loft and be used but other things need to shift from the garage first, (and yes the forks are back to front, the stem is lose...) The chrome BMX frame and specialized are for Mrs JP's bikes that i'm yet to finish (sounds much better than yet to start) They may* be done by the period I will not mention before the 1st of December. * this statement does not imply any form of real action.... |
| |
Last Edit: Aug 8, 2016 16:54:04 GMT by jpr1977
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 11, 2016 21:43:04 GMT
|
Awesome collection of bikes there guys prompted me to dig out my brothers Schwinn Stingray no pics sadly tried to ride it but is an absolute pain unless it's on the flat and with hills like Constitution Hill near me (sure Mr. Piston popper knows where that is) I think I might chop it around and stuff a mini bike engine into it. Aww, i can feel your pain with that hill fella, i remember walking up it pushing my bike to my house one evening, puffing and blowing like an old steam train and having some old fella ride past me up the hill at a pretty decent rate while he was puffing away on a cigarette! It was like he was riding along a smooth flat bit of road. Not a hideous cobbled mountainside! I've never felt so unfit! To this day i have never cycled up that hill! On a slightly different note, i bought one of those cycle speedos when i lived in Swansea, and fitted it to my Raleigh Record, then i decided to see how fast i could get it up to. Along the beach path i got 31mph!! Not too shabby i thought. Then i did something foolish. I went to the post office in Townhill on Pen-Y-Graig road, then i thought i'd see how fast i could go down the hill, as i passed the college on Mount Pleasant i looked to see that i was thundering along and a quite terrifying 63mph!! It was where the road starts to get particularly bumpy, i completely carped myself, and only just managed to stop by the time i reached the Police station! I was pretty scared i can tell you, i had no helmet, and as it was the summer i was in shorts and a T shirt... I took the speedo off there and then and lobbed it into the bin outside the Police station. I've never fitted one to any of my bikes since lol! Ahh an apollo, with Power PIS, what's not to love, everyone enjoys a good Power PIS session surely... Though all I know of Apollo's is they tend to weigh more than the moon, or the ones i have come across anyway. (There was a good reason my old uni housemates bike was known as the Apollo of Doom) To be fair to the Apollo it's not really that heavy, it's certainly no heavier than other mountain bikes of the era, but i know what you mean, my brother had one of the first Apollo mountain bikes and that thing was heavy, it was like it was made of girders or something! I had a Halfords own brand bike previous to that, it was called a Halfords Turbo, it was for all the world Halfords version of the Bomber, and it was excellent, but i'm telling you that thing was made from old Gas pipe, that was damn heavy too, but it was pretty much indestructable! I still have the frame and at some point i hope to re-build it... Just to give my legs a workout lol! So then today i found myself a Raleigh Pioneer, or should that be a BIG Raleigh Pioneer!  With a 24" frame which as you can clearly see is two feet tall, this is a big bike! With an inside leg of just 33" i thought that this was going to be a pig to ride, but surprisingly it was fairly easy! I had to do minimal work to this before i could be ridden, it was litterally find a seat, and seatpost, fit it to the bike (as low as the frame would allow!) Repair the punctures, a quick lube up, then the test ride!  Look at that... Monster! Anyhoo i headed out onto the boardwalk that runs across the moors for what should been a pleaseant evening cruise, and for the most part it was. The only thing was that every fly, midge, gnat, and all many of other flying insect seemed to be out, presumably heading to their mid-summers night ball or something! By the time i had got home i must've eaten about 2 billion insects, and i was pretty stuffed! But to be fair to the insect population they've had a pretty good feed on me too!  Insects aside though it was a pretty good cruise round the moors. The Pioneer has just six gears, but on the flat boardwalk that was more than enough, and to be fair even going home up the hills i had enough gears to play with. And thats the thing, do you really need more than five or six gears? I find that most of the time for regular riding i only ever use three, my Felt mountain bike has 24 gears, and what do i do? I generally keep it in one of the middle gears on the rear wheel, and just go up and down the gears on the front cog! So really, for me as well as De La Soul, 3 is the magic number!  But i digress, i rode on for the best part of five or six miles for two reasons really, firstly, it was a lovely evening, and getting out there in the warm, and quiet evenings is quite relaxing, and secondly i knew that i won't be keeping this one too long as i've not got the room, and i've got too many bikes as it is, so should you be interested in this little beauty, click the above picture it should take you to where it's listed on fleabay! As i cycled out onto the moors it would've been fantastic, without the somewhat vampire-esque tendencies of the local insect population, but as i sit here itching and scratching from all the bites i've recieved this evening i have to wonder if it was worth it? Well, no, no it wasn't lol. It was a good ride, and a beautiful evening, i was even treated to a glorious sunset...  But frankly being treated as a snack for what the Pistonpoppets teachers would call 'mini-beasts' is not what i had in mind for this evening... I hate that term... 'Mini-beasts' What kind of idiot thought that up, they're freakin' INSECTS, not darn'mini-beasts', why do we have to dumb it down for this generation? I mean... Hold on, lets stop that now before i go on a full Victor Meldrew rant... Mini-beasts... IDIOTS! But back to the ride, minus the insects, it was fabulous, the Pioneer rode really well, the gears worked as they should, and even with it's huge frame it was not a problem for my dumpy legs, riding for five or six miles it was quite comfortable, however, the seat that i had er 'liberated' from the tip had obviously been on a bike that had been left outside for a long time, and not ridden, as within about five minutes of riding i kinda looked like i had whizzed myself! Not a good look i can tell you, luckily i was wearing beige cargo shorts, so i don't think anyone noticed! The good news is however that for the next owner i have squeezed the saddle dry, that bad news for me though is my shorts are ruined lol. But am i going to ride it again? Yep, probably right up until the next owner has it, though i'll not be riding it through the moors again, i'm all done with being a snack for insects!  Tonights episode has been brought to you by Sudocrem lol  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 28, 2016 19:05:34 GMT
|
It's been slim pickings at the local tip of late, well, it hasn't really, but i just figured that i have a back log of bikes i need to get rid of, so instead of buying more 'projects' i'd concentrate on having a clear out instead. However i still like to have a little lookie from time to time to see what i might be missing out on. Friday was a day that i was twiddling my thumbs a little so i figured that i would go down there and have a poke about. I was jolly glad i did, as i managed to snag myself an old TV cabinet, which is now doing sterling duty in Pistonpopper Towers. There were also quite a few bikes, and even though i really didn't want, or need anymore, i foolishly went over to browse. There were some pretty decent mountain bikes, and various other 10-15 year old cycles, but nothing really piqued my interest... Until i saw this thing...  Now some of you are probably shaking your heads and wondering why i was interested in a mountain bike from the 1980's? I've wondered this myself!  So why am i harbouring a Fugitive? Well, i honestly cant tell you? I just looked at it, and thought crikey thats old and curse word, then walked away. But when i got back to Pistonpopper Towers and unloaded my new TV cabinet i was still thinking about it. I started thinking that i should go and have another look, see how old and curse word it was. So back at the tip, and i'm stood there looking at it. Surprisingly it was obvious that it had been treasured by someone, as it was in good shape, not really got any rust to speak of, and even the tyres looked pretty new. The chrome on the wheels however was another story. The more i looked at it, the more i thought to myself that if i didn't have it, then as it was old, there was a good chance that no one else would want it either and it would just end up in the skip, and on it's way to being something mundane like a soup can or something. DAMMIT!! I just could't leave it there, the damn thing just spoke to me, like the Quebec scientist Andre Delambre, in the 1958 science fiction-horror film The Fly. You know the bit when the fly is trapped in the web, with both Andre's head and arms, looking terrified. It screams "Help me! Help me!" as a large brown spider advances on the creature... I couldn't leave it there to be sucked dry by the spider!! So instead i rescued it from the jaws of the grab that would inevitably come for it and dump it in the steel recycling bin! So i paid my money, which was far too much really for a bike that was produced in China for American cycle brand owned by Dynacraft BSC, and sold as Magna throughout the Walmart group of companies for less than £100 when new! But like i said, it spoke to me... So off home i went, still confused by what i had just purchased. Once back home i started to give it a proper look over, just to see how mad i was, even Mrs Pistonpopper asked if i had been out in the sun too long! But on closer inspection this is what i have...  TEN SPEED!! Oh yeah, but as i previously mentioned i only seem to use three of the gears at the best of times, so i'm not too worried about that! Look at that tyre!  Gear gaurd, and spoke protector which has seen better days, but theres something about this that i love! Honestly, i am losing the plot!  BMX size bottom bracket!  The wheels are pretty rusty, er, patina'd!  Eighties-tastic reflector chunkiness, and caliper brakes! What more could you want? Check out the condition of that tyre!  Not the comfiest seat i've ever perched me bum on, but atleast it wasn't filled with water, and was dry!  Brake levers and gear shifters, just one look at these, and you would've just known that this was a cheap bike! Anyway, as ridiculous as it sounds, none of this put me off, so i installed some new wind into the very flat tyres, made sure it was all tight, and set off for a test ride!  Make no mistake, this is a heavy old beast! But the ride was pretty good, infact, i really enjoyed riding this bike as there were absolutely no annoying little midges about to get in my teeth! However this isn't to say that the ride went well, because unfortunately i did mange to run some idiotic womans dog over! This stupid woman was walking along with her dogs, (about 10 of them, none of which were on leads) all over the 15' wide paved path through the country side. As i came up behind her, she heard me approaching as with those knobbly tyres i was buzzing along like an old Land Rover! She gathered all her dogs, by trying to herd them like a sheppard, i slowed right down to pass, to about walking speed, but as i passed one of the dogs decided to make a break for freedom and head off into the woods... Unfortunately for it, when he made his break for freedom he was about 1' from my front wheel! I tried to attempt a bunny hop, but as i've not tried that in about twenty years it didn't go well, and hit the poor thing. Luckily for me i didn't come right off, unluckily for me there was some testicular interaction with the crossbar!! NOT COMFY! I stopped to make sure the dog was ok, and this quite sweet looking young woman just let me have it, with a torrent of verbal abuse for not paying attention to what i was doing, and i was a funky useless punt (or something like that!) I then retorted that she really should have control of her mutts, as it was actually a shared pedestrian/cycle path she was walking along. But she really wasn't happy about that, and then got really angry! It was then that she produced a bunch of leads from her bag, and fearing that she have a go at me with what would be like a cat 'o' nine tails i headed off as fast as i could, still with my nuts tucked up in my ass!  Once back home at Pistonpopper Towers, and my nuts were once again on the outside of my body i reflected on what a nice (although quite heavy) bike the Magna Fugitive is to ride, and what should i do with it? The truth is that ultimately it will be up for grabs, but i'm in no hurry. I think that the sadle has to go, it wasn't comfy before the testicle/crossbar intereaction, and it really wasn't comfortable after it! The wheels want changing, as they are quite rusty. I may even change the brake levers if i can stumble across some of those big chunky 'Lee Chi' levers from the eighties, or maybe some two finger BMX levers! I may also change the tyres as i think it might be better as a road bike, and nearly all the riding i do is on paved surfaces. But thats about it really, now all i need to do is have a good rummage through my spares stash, and see what i have! Updates as they occur!  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 29, 2016 14:08:00 GMT
|
This morning whilst out and about with my youngest Pistonpoppet on her micro-scooter i spied with my little eye something beginning with 'B' up in the trees... No, it wasn't a bird, or even a bug...  It was of course, a bike.  And by the looks of things it was a bike that had been dumped in the woods a good long time ago. After fighting my way through the long grass, and untangling the wildlife from it i had pulled the thing free. I then dragged it back to the path we were riding along to evaluate the thing...  It wasn't good, it's pretty rusty to be sure, infact i think without the help of a welder this won't be ridden again. The steering was stuck solid, and the wheels wouldn't rotate, however brute force and ignorance prevailed and eventually the wheels would rotate, and the thing could be steered. But quite what good that did i don't know other than to make it a little easier to push home! I passed the tip on the way home and thought about just pushing it into the tip and letting it meet it's destiny as a soup tin or something, but i felt that parts at least could be harvested from it before it goes to the metal recyling plant.  One of the pedals had actually rusted off, and was laying on the ground next to the bike in the undergrownth, i left it there!  The chain, and rear derailiuer had rusted solid, and no matter what i did, it wasn't going to go round, although the rear wheel did eventually give in and rotate, but the chain stayed rock solid!  But it's a ten speed... Or atleast it would've been at one point! The frame is very rusty, i reckon if i were to sit upon it, it would probably break!  And no doubt if i did sit on it, that sadle contains several gallons of water that would make me look like i'd wet meself! lol.  The brakes look ok, or atleast they look better than the brakes on the previously mentioned Magna Fugitive, and will probably be harvested, and put onto the Fugitive!  I've got plans for these hadle bars too. I've never been a fan of dropped handlebars, but i know that many people are, and i think this particular pair will be better off on a new home... Namely that monterously large framed Raleigh Pioneer that i've got. I think they'll suit that quite nicely. As for the rest of it? Well, it's soup tins i'm afraid, as there really isn't anything else that can be salvaged. The thing that annoys me most about it however was the fact that it had just been dumped in the countryside, worse than that, just five minutes walk away from the tip? I fail to understand why would you walk five minutes into the countryside to dump stuff, rather than drive into the tip and dump it there? It make no sense to me, and one of my biggest annoyances of modern society, infact, the only thing that annoys me more currently is people who think it's ok to let their dogs curse word everywhere, and then just leave it...  On the estate where i live it is everywhere, i've even stood in it in my own drive, and i don't even have a dog! It really freakin annoys me, but what i really don't get are the folks who bother to bag it up, and then just tie the bag in a tree? Whats that all about? There's a tree near where i ride sometimes and it's got dozens of bags of poo tied to the branches, like some kind of sh!tty christmas tree, they're all hanging there like stinky little black ornaments, YUK!! What is wrong with these people, bag it up, put it in a bin, it's pretty simple. I can understand not wanting to pick up dog poo, i couldn't do it, and thats why i don't have a dog! Simple. Hang on... I think i'm on the verge of a full on Victor Meldrew if i go on... Back to the bike, so my plans for this afternoon include stripping the few parts from it that i may be able to use (Hopefully, if it doesn't just fall apart in my hands!) And then take whats left of it, which to be fair will be most of it, to the tip to be disposed of properly!  Might have the reflectors too! Keep Britian Tidy folks! |
| |
|
|
melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 2,010
|
|
Aug 29, 2016 14:19:01 GMT
|
|
Good man for taking care of it.
|
| |
www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 29, 2016 16:13:54 GMT
|
|
Blimey, this is like reading my early years life story with the swapping and changing (and hoarding) of bikes. My old man used to go to the tip every weekend to dump/weigh in all the scrap copper etc from his electrical business and always chucked a few bike bits in supposedly without me knowing. My old mum used to moan that i didnt help much and that i should go with him, no problem, he'd be chucking stuff out and i'd be throwing stuff in. Those were the days when we were swapping forks on Mk1 and 2 choppers and cutting them up, grifters, bombers, tomahawks, chippers the whole lot not worth a penny, looking back i could have been a rich man, but then wed all be rich would'nt we.
Fantastic thread from everyone adding stuff, making me feel all moist and sentimental it is.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 29, 2016 21:10:48 GMT
|
 I've no idea what this is, but i found it down the tip and i liked it, so i had to have it, it's got suspension front and back, and although it is clearly for a child it is just big enough for an adult to ride, although it does look a bit funny. I think that your suspension bike might be a Carnielli. My cousin had one of these in the mid eighties (in black). My brother was not much of a kid to go over jumps, so used this when we were out with our cousin and despite landing nose-first every time, it soaked up whatever punishment we could throw at it. He then tried my other cousin's (normal) bike, despite our warnings and went flying over the handlebars when he landed. In a rage he threw the bike into some stinging nettles. I shouldn't have laughed, but it was really funny... Carnielli bike - looking similar to yours, albeit with a few minor differences:  Am loving this thread. I remember trying a Raleigh Bomber and it was like riding an armoured car. I doubt I could have broken it at all. But at the time I had a future classic, and one I wish I still had: A bronze coloured Raleigh Chopper Sprint GT. That's right - the one with the dropped handlebars. I have never seen another one. Sadly mine was thrown out 30 years ago. Fond (?) memories of slipgear and that t-bar shifter. OUCH!  I had it for about 5 years and fell off many, many times, mainly doing things it was not designed for... It looked like this, although rustier... *Edit - have just seen a mint one advertised for £2000!!!!*   |
| |
Last Edit: Aug 29, 2016 21:17:06 GMT by mrbounce
|
|
|
|
I had it for about 5 years and fell off many, many times, mainly doing things it was not designed for...
