I just won a crap bike!

[XmisterIS]

He he!

I wanted a crap, cheap bike to ride to the gym on and to town and back on, because I am not going to take a £1000 full-carbon road bike all of two miles into town and leave it chained to a lamp-post!

Anyway, I am now £41.76 poorer and the proud owner of the completely sh*t contraption that is attached to this post! The seller lives local so I will pop round and sling it in the back of the car (filthy beast) in due course.

It is a three-speed (sturmey-archer) and is a bit rusty round the edges. Apparently it is "ready to ride", so I bid on it. I have no idea what the frame size is; it looks about 18" or 20", which is fine.

The good thing is that it will never ever get nicked, because no bugger would be seen dead on it! I should think that if I chained it to a chav, he would pay me to take it away.

Even if the wheels and other bits are shot to buggery, hopefully the steel frame is a good 'un and can be rebuilt on, should I wish to do so.

Does anyone have any idea what it actually is?! (Anything that is not made of carbon fibre or aero-grade aluminium or titanium is a mystery to me!).

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It's an old roadster with the biggest mirror I've ever seen on a bike.

 

[dav1d]

Even though it's a "crap" bike, I still think you should lock it up good. I was happy that my carbolite looked so crap nobody would nick it. But a valve cap has gone and four spokes broken whilst it was chained up! So someobody has probably tried to nick it or the quick release wheel (it has a built in lock like the bikes in Amsterdam except more discreet). I was also in Wythenshawe once when some chavs shouted "Get the bike!" and came after me, so although chavs won't like the bike, it won't stop them stealing it.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

cant see whats crap about it..looks loadsa fun

 

[Plax]

That bike looks well ace. I'd nick it .

 

[Rhythm Thief]

It may be crap, but it'll still be rolling long after your carbon thing has crumbled to dust.

 

[longers]

I think it might turn out to be a good spend of £41.76.
Definitely lock it up, and with a good lock too.

 

[Campfire]

It'll be fine for knocking around town, rather than using your good one. They're also regarded as quite stylish too in a retro way!

 

[upsidedown]

That looks great !! I reckon you've got yourself a bargain there.

 

[biggs682]

i picked up a Hercules commuter from our local tip a couple of weeks ago once the ice and snow have gone and its had a check over it will be used for going back and forward to work on , so have some fun and use it

 

[woofer]

I pulled a Giant Rock SE out of a skip last year. Quick clean and oil now used as hack to chain to railings in town

 

[XmisterIS]

It's an old roadster with the biggest mirror I've ever seen on a bike.

A roadster, eh?

Well, the mirror is staying, I think it adds to the "uncoolness" of the bike and it seems actually very useful!

although chavs won't like the bike, it won't stop them stealing it.

That does worry me a little - the chavs may deliberately target it for vandalism because it is crap! Mind you, I live in a local yokel town rather than a city and our chavs are somewhat "amateur" when it comes to being completely antisocial pains in the arse.

 

[chap]

He he!

I wanted a crap, cheap bike to ride to the gym on and to town and back on, because I am not going to take a £1000 full-carbon road bike all of two miles into town and leave it chained to a lamp-post!

Anyway, I am now £41.76 poorer and the proud owner of the completely sh*t contraption that is attached to this post! The seller lives local so I will pop round and sling it in the back of the car (filthy beast) in due course.

It is a three-speed (sturmey-archer) and is a bit rusty round the edges. Apparently it is "ready to ride", so I bid on it. I have no idea what the frame size is; it looks about 18" or 20", which is fine.

The good thing is that it will never ever get nicked, because no bugger would be seen dead on it! I should think that if I chained it to a chav, he would pay me to take it away.

Even if the wheels and other bits are shot to buggery, hopefully the steel frame is a good 'un and can be rebuilt on, should I wish to do so.

Does anyone have any idea what it actually is?! (Anything that is not made of carbon fibre or aero-grade aluminium or titanium is a mystery to me!).

The only thing I would change would be the mirror. Then again, I prefer well constructed usable machines, such as what the said bike appears to be.

To me, a £1000 carbon road bike would be dismissed as a pile of disposable crap, and if I won one (for free of course) I would instantly sell it for spare cash and something of quality, such as a Pashley Roadster Sovereign, a Brompton, or a Pashley Guv'nor Plus 4.

 

[Luke Bream]

looks like a bargain. An ex girlfriend of mine spray painted a brand new bike in London to make it looked suitably old and distressed so it didnt get nicked !!

 

[XmisterIS]

looks like a bargain. An ex girlfriend of mine spray painted a brand new bike in London to make it looked suitably old and distressed so it didnt get nicked !!

That's a good idea and one that will fool 99% of chavs and thieves. I was thinking of doing the same with my mountain bike! The trouble is that the more observant thieves would see an old-looking bike, which, on closer inspection has an LX/XT groupset, XT cranks, mavic ceramic rims, XT hubs, and decent Manitou shocks. Then they'd put two and two together ... and nick it.