Gazelle

[twojs.bike]

This is sitting outside the local junk store. They are closed today and tomorrow. I think they want $35

With all the English bike buzz recently, I think I will pick it up when they open Tuesday. I really have way too many bikes. Someone talk me out of this. Or into it! Tires look good so it might not be a money pit. (That’s what I always think!)

 

[Captain Awesome]

This is sitting outside the local junk store. They are closed today and tomorrow. I think they want $35

With all the English bike buzz recently, I think I will pick it up when they open Tuesday. I really have way too many bikes. Someone talk me out of this. Or into it! Tires look good so it might not be a money pit. (That’s what I always think!)

View attachment 243759View attachment 243760View attachment 243761

But what if we have another skinny build off??

 

[twojs.bike]

I think I’m falling for it! Now I’m worried someone is going to steal it. I did lay it down so it isn’t in plain sight!

 

[ingola]

You will fall in love with that if you think the Raleigh was a treat your going to love this

 

[twojs.bike]

Finally made it back to the junk store and someone beat me to it. Now that’s it’s gone I want it even more.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Finally made it back to the junk store and someone beat me to it. Now that’s it’s gone I want it even more.

Not sure which emoji to apply

it’s gone

the want is strong

 

[twojs.bike]

It is trendy in my town to spray paint old bicycles put flowers in the basket as yard art. That is my biggest concern. The gazelle will probably be sprayed and used as yard art. Oh well, can’t save em all.

 

[Endlesschain]

how big's your town, who do you know, how fast can you assemble the search party, I, I mean most of us know the feeling when we shoulda coulda woulda grabbed a bike but too late, I would of been cheeky and got a lock and locked it to something " oh look MY key works in the lock,how about THAT then, it must be destiny for me to have this bike, how much did you say you wanted for it? $35? no man here's 40 and I bid you adieu"

 

[ingola]

Finally made it back to the junk store and someone beat me to it. Now that’s it’s gone I want it even more.

That's a shame super price check out the prices of them new and even used used one here will go for close to 500 bucks

 

[twojs.bike]

You will never believe what just happened!!! The odds are one in a million!

I just happened to be driving past the same junk store and glanced over and saw a guy loading the gazelle into the back of a pickup truck. They must have been saving it for him. I did an immediate u-turn and caught him just in time. This was the most down to earth guy you could imagine. The pickup was so old the seats were deteriorated to half their size. He had a German shepherd sitting shotgun that he saved from the side of the road, but I wasn’t allowed to pet. His cellphone was a flip phone that you had to hold it just right otherwise it would turn off. Not on facebook or instagram. Sounds like he communicates with the outside world via his girlfriend. My kind of guy for sure!

He was asking me what I knew about the bike and we got to talking. Showed him pictures of my bikes and told him what I do for a hobby. He paid $10 for the bike. I offered him $50. He had puzzled look like maybe the bike was worth a whole lot more. I told him it probably isn’t worth much except to a guy like me and that to restore a bike like this will easily cost a few hundred in parts.

I told him I would fix it up and just give it back to him and I would work with any budget he had. He said this is fate. Take it and put $300 into it!!!

I will do my best to keep the cost down. I am stoked to get to work on it. It’s too big for me to keep anyways.

Bonus: he has a Raleigh 3speed at home he found on the side of the road!

I have 2 bikes in the stand now, but will queue this up next! Happy to document the build here. I’m sure I will have some questions.

 

[ingola]

That gazelle is in really great shape won't take much to keep the cost down tires maybe the hardest part they are usually 28 inch tip there really available here in Canada our old CCMs used them

 

[twojs.bike]

Is the 28 inch interchangeable with a 700c? They appear to be the same size. ISO 622

 

[ingola]

Except for dutch sometimes there a problem

 

[ingola]

Dutch is 28 1 1/2 iso 635 not 622 so check what you have

 

[ingola]

Does it have the nifty bolts

 

[ingola]

There's your taillight peice

 

[twojs.bike]

I am ready to start this. Maybe a moderate or can move this to the builds forum? Or I can start a new thread.

Here is a before video. Overall this looks to be in great shape. If I can avoid building new wheels, the costs should be very low.

My plan is to tear it completely down. Degrease and derust everything and reassemble.

The Woods valve stem is new to me.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I am ready to start this. Maybe a moderate or can move this to the builds forum? Or I can start a new thread.

Here is a before video. Overall this looks to be in great shape. If I can avoid building new wheels, the costs should be very low.

My plan is to tear it completely down. Degrease and derust everything and reassemble.

The Woods valve stem is new to me.

 

[rgrrbt]

This bike has so many cool details. Enjoyed watching your video walkthrough. Looking forward to seeing how this cleans up.

 

[ingola]

Very cool bike wait till you ride it. Almost like riding your lazy boy