Where have the "Old Bikes" gone?

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bigredddaddy

bigredddaddy

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I have someone say "Hey, I've got a realy old bike I'll give ya" and I'll say I'll take it. But when I get said "old bike", it's an old ten speed or a badly beatin early MTB. I was exspecting a 3 speed or crusier. Has the defenition of an "old bike" changed? and I never see old Schwinns or anything vintage at garage sales or the ad papers, nothing. Forget the ballon tires bikes with tanks, I think I'd find Jimmy Hoffa before getting my hands on one of those. Keeping in mind that there is ebay but I do not have hundreds to spend on one bike! I think It may be time to take matters in my own hands and build one. :wink:
 
i know what ya mean, seems it would be cheaper/faster to build a frame from stock than look/pay for a real "old bike", even the newer canti-frames are hard to come by w/o people thinkin its worth $100 for a rusted out huffy or beat up sears bike.
 
i agree at college we dont get nearly the number of old cruisers that we used to. and yea when i hear old bike it is normally not all that old. although they do turn up from time to time a week ago an older gentleman brought in two prewar women's hawthorns that were compleate. or a month ago another guy brought in a 24 straight bar schwinn, a prewar unknown girls bike, and a girls monark silver king aluminum bike. so they are still out there you just have to hunt more. put want ads in local papers go around make flyers saying you are looking for old bikes. keep up the faith either that or it is just that we have already ratted most of them :shock: :shock:
 
I guess it all depends on location.... here in the Deep South, older bikes are still fairly common. In the Miami area where I often work, there are no older bikes available at all. I was in Iowa not long ago.... and picked up a fine old Schwinn for $25. I guess it varies from place to place.

BUT that being said.... I cannot see the lack of a Cantilever Frame preventing someone from building a COOL ride. There are ZILLIONS of old Schwinn Travellers, Pugeots, Raleighs and other old Road Bikes out there that make VERY FINE Rat-rods. My semi-Rat TREK is great fun to ride, and is just as COOL as my '53 Schwinn. Plus there are countless BMX and mountain bikes just rusting away. They ALL are suitable for Rat Rodding.

Rat-Rodding is NOT a "Cantilever ONLY" type of movement. It is FAR more creative than that. If you happen to find a Raleigh 3-speed.... then build a Rat-Raleigh! AND be proud of it! The whole idea is to take what you have, even if it looks like junk to the rest of the world, and build it into something COOL! Since the bike is YOUR creation.... YOU get to determine what is COOL and what is not.... and if others don't "get it" then it is THEY who are un-cool.

The concept of "COOL" in Rat-Rodding is not measured by what you STARTED with, but rather with what you CREATED FROM IT!
(DANG.... maybe I should have majored in Philosophy!)
 
Back in the early 1970's, most of the major bike manufacturers including Schwinn, Raleigh, Murray and others commited themselves to the lightweight market. This was prior to the BMX and MTB era's. The manufacturers even designed their advertising around how the new lightweight bikes were easier to ride than the old balloon bikes.The older bikes were then thought of as being obsolete and sadly many were thrown out with the trash or scrapped. When the massive retailers started adding floor space in every wide spot in the road and selling new lightweight bikes cheaper than you could purchase a new set of tires/tubes and labor for grease, that accelerated the old bikes demise even faster. Many balloon "barnfinds" have been sitting in the same spot out of sight since before those days. They are still some out there, but as each day passes, the rusty gremlins gain a little more ground. Thanks!!!
 
I'm hearin' ya TornadoDave. I do have a 3-speed england bike but I'm keeping it stock. I agree that rat rods arn't limited to the cantilever frame, my current ride is one and I also have a huffy of the same. In storage, theres a girl's Schwinn and Mercury, and a Hawthorn thats realy rusty. There's a bunch of other bikes too, I didn't say I turned away those old bikes that were offered. I do live by the Atomic Zombie creedo; Hack, Cut, Weld, Ride. Those 10 speed frames are great to build crazy stuff and a welder makes nothing out of the question for rat bike builds. :mrgreen: And Cashman, I prefer a heavy ride 'cuz they handle better.
 
I think everyone needs to check Hooch's basement! :lol: L8 EM
 
They are still out there...and like the old days, ya gotta get lucky. I have a prewar Elgin frame, fenders and rims coming that I won on the Bay for 50. I bought a rare and complete 39 Columbia Superb with aluminum fenders (no tank, never had) for 200 at a swap and built up my 41 DX Rat Rod with Monark fork off the Bay...maybe the 25-dollar days are gone but the stuff is still out there. Maybe fans in areas where there are lots of bikes should buy the cast offs and sell here instead of the Bay so all Rats could share the wealth...in a perfect world...LOL
 
Down here in Texas old Schwinns are not overly abundant, but they are around.

Many of the ones you find have been brought down here from up north.

The deals are out there waiting, it's just a matter of timing.

I found this on the local CL for $75....was in an attic for 35 years. :shock:

100_4909.jpg
 
I see old bikes every weekend, DIRT CHEAP! I aint giving up my secret, Read my posts you will find my sweetspot. :mrgreen:
 
oh come on ricky they see you commin and say "go ahead take it just dont hurt me" just kiddin buddy we all know their all in hooch's basement and the others got taken apart by dumpster diver :D
 
12bcruzin do you have any pics of your 39 columbia superb? or any info on them or any prewar columbias(prefferably with pics) ive tried old roads,the cabe, daves vintage,,etc. but cant find a pic of the one im looking for :x
thanks!
 
karfer67 said:
oh come on ricky they see you commin and say "go ahead take it just dont hurt me" just kiddin buddy we all know their all in hooch's basement and the others got taken apart by dumpster diver :D
Click to expand...
Taken apart..?? I just have lots of parts ...okay some get take apart..but that's because no one want to buy a bike and pay $50-75 in shipping. I'm in some sort of shipping blackhole where to send anything out is 1/2 million dollars but anything coming here is cheap!

I find my bike at the local dumps and peoples sheds....venture out into the country and look at farmer's shed and garages! Forget about the Goodwills and Salvation Army's they'll charge you an arm and leg for a 80s rusty beach cruiser!
 
Revisiting this topic, I have to ammend one of my earlier comments. I said that old bikes are hard to find in the Miami Area.... but I've since discovered otherwise. Up in Ft Lauderdale (which is only 30 miles away) I've picked up several cool old bikes. Just this last week-end I scored a cool 1960's Schwinn Racer, and the week-end before I got a 1950's Raleigh and a Sear Spaceliner. So, they ARE out there.... even in the Miami area.
 

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