Hi - looking for an old mountain bike to turn into a theft-resistant runabout as after scaring one potential thief off near Old Street I'm not comfortable leaving my nice bike locked up around town!
Some years ago I had my dad's old MTB which I'd turned into single speed (by means of removing the derailleurs and shifters and wrapping the chain around one gear setup) and despite it being generally locked up to itself with a lock that didn't work, no one bothered nicking it. Although I would regularly find the rain cover removed by disappointed potential theives. One of whom once spent some time unscrewing the £2 lights off it rather than just walking away with the bike.
However I got complacent and a couple of christmases ago while I was away someone did just walk away with the bike. But, the memory of it's theft resistance lives on so I'm going to do it again, and before I trawl the ads of likely already stolen bikes on ebay and gumtree, I thought I'd try here.
So, I am after
- Rigid (i.e. no suspension) mountain bike.
- Around 56cm frame.
- Horizontal dropouts are a bonus
- In London so I can pick it up.
- In reasonable or at least easily repairable condition. Don't mind replacing a rusted chain but would prefer to avoid fitting a new bottom bracket or doing more than basic wheel truing.
Colour and groupset are of little significance as it'll be rattle-canned to make it look even more crap and the gears all whipped off.
Too Long, Didn't Read version:
Anyone got an old mountain bike in the garage or shed gathering dust that isn't completely shot in the London area that they'd like to get a few quid for?
Some years ago I had my dad's old MTB which I'd turned into single speed (by means of removing the derailleurs and shifters and wrapping the chain around one gear setup) and despite it being generally locked up to itself with a lock that didn't work, no one bothered nicking it. Although I would regularly find the rain cover removed by disappointed potential theives. One of whom once spent some time unscrewing the £2 lights off it rather than just walking away with the bike.
However I got complacent and a couple of christmases ago while I was away someone did just walk away with the bike. But, the memory of it's theft resistance lives on so I'm going to do it again, and before I trawl the ads of likely already stolen bikes on ebay and gumtree, I thought I'd try here.
So, I am after
- Rigid (i.e. no suspension) mountain bike.
- Around 56cm frame.
- Horizontal dropouts are a bonus
- In London so I can pick it up.
- In reasonable or at least easily repairable condition. Don't mind replacing a rusted chain but would prefer to avoid fitting a new bottom bracket or doing more than basic wheel truing.
Colour and groupset are of little significance as it'll be rattle-canned to make it look even more crap and the gears all whipped off.
Too Long, Didn't Read version:
Anyone got an old mountain bike in the garage or shed gathering dust that isn't completely shot in the London area that they'd like to get a few quid for?
