Freebie out of the hedge

[chillyuk]

I have just found a 20" framed Apollo XC26 in the hedge. It has no saddle and the tyres are flat, but I bought it home and had a good look at it and it is obvious it has had almost no use. I have a saddle in the shed so will pump up the tyres and see what happens. I reckon with a good wash it will look OK. It's heavy, it's cheap, it's probably a BSO, but at the price I paid, £0, I can live with it's shortcomings and it looks better than the Universal I had from Freecycle which I passed onto someone else.


PS. I have just read this again. "I have a saddle in the shed so will pump up the tyres". I bet not many people use a saddle to pump up their tyres. DOH!!

 

[mr Mag00]

 

[upsidedown]

Result !

 

[Helly79]

cool beans, pumping up tyres using your saddle depend on how many baked bean you had ROFL

 

[palinurus]

Free snow bike!

 

[chillyuk]

Well, I've cleaned it, oiled it and adjusted it, put a saddle on as it makes riding more comfy than a seat post, and it looks alright. If I keep it I will almost certainly swap out the awful twistgrip gear change for indexed thumb levers, which I already have spare that will match the gears and freewheel.

As I fished it out of the hedge, covered in mud and looking a bit sad, be just my luck to get nicked for thieving it first time out

 

[Losidan]

If you are ever down your local landfill have a look in the metal skip or have a word with the blokes...it is obscene some of the stuff bike wise that gets thrown away...i have had no luck personally but some of the lads on retrobike turn up some right goodies....colnago frames, campag delta 5 pivot brakes, full 531 bikes......

I even wondered about asking if some of the BSO's could be held back...strip them for bits and rebuild a good bike out of two or three jiggered ones. The good bike then can be given to charity for sale or donated to under priveleged kids.....be great to have some ready each year for xmas

 

[Alan Whicker]

If you are ever down your local landfill have a look in the metal skip or have a word with the blokes...it is obscene some of the stuff bike wise that gets thrown away...i have had no luck personally but some of the lads on retrobike turn up some right goodies....colnago frames, campag delta 5 pivot brakes, full 531 bikes......

My father-in-law got me a 1990s Carrera Celeste for a tenner from his local recycling centre. I'm not going to be worrying any roadies on it, but it'll do fine as a station/pub bike.

 

[arallsopp]

Did you check the other side of the hedge for an unconscious POB?

 

[chillyuk]

I haven't tried the recycling centre (sorry, council dump) in this area of Essex yet. I did try in Suffolk and was refused, the reason being that if I fish out a bike from the skip and ride it down the road and have an accident then the council could be held responsible.

Can't beat a bit of elf and safety.