Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!" ("new" bike photos)

[yoothgeye]

My neighbor is mentally challenged, 66 years old, uses a bike to get around, a sweet guy, well known in the community, I have talked about fixing his bikes before. I was interviewed at 11am today and this was up just hours later:

http://rrspin.com/roanoke-rapids-weldon ... or-zz.html

 

[user 135]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Nice writeup and a big thumb's up for you. It is fun and rewarding helping others.

 

[slowriderz]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

I HATE a bike thief!!!

 

[Rat Rod]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Way to go man!

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Thanks guys.

Mike really is a fixture in this community, the police look after him as well. Only hours after the theft the police went to their lock-up and grabbed a bike for Mike and gave it to him with a combo cable lock. I was told it would need a little work. I went over to his house when I got home and saw beside the porch, a Genesis 32" bike! Haha, the fenders were all bent, handlebars flopping loose in stem, kickstand busted, and seat broken, but the bike and wheels are straight with air in the tires. However, Mike is short legged and can't straddle the bike, he can't even get on it! That's why I'm building the Hollywood, with 24" wheels, he's heavy, but I doubt he'll bend the frame. He didn't bend the Huffy, but the bike before it, a step-through Sun cruiser, he bent the frame.

 

[ODDER]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Good on ya mate! Great story.

 

[jerrykr]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Good on you! Very good deed!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Nice work Justin!

Luke.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

You may not 'officially' be a bike mechanic, but you are officially a good guy. 8)

 

[aka_locojoe]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Very cool.

 

[DeuceWheeler]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Nice work, way to help out again. That was a great article about Mike.
Theives can :diaf:

 

[the_undecider]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Reminds me of an older guy who sounds real similar to this fellow. He went by "Shanghai" which he said was because he used to be in a biker gang and would take women for rides and not bring them home until he wanted to. He also claimed to be a Korean War vet despite him being too young to have served. I later figured out he was just obsessed with the show M*A*S*H when he flipped out the day he came into the bike shop and saw me wearing a M*A*S*H t-shirt. I went and bought him one at Target.

A local pastor helped him out and he would bring him by the shop when he needed something for his bike. Shanghai had suffered a heart attack and minor stroke which probably had to do with his mental condition. I like to think, despite his problems, he lived happily by getting to ride his bike and somewhat living a life of fantasy. It is sad that his family had abandoned him and he was not able to be around his daughter.

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

I finished his bike at about 1:30am, it turned out nice, I'll try to get some photos.

I was way off on the year of the bike (I don't know Schwinns) it's a '78 Hollywood and was really well built.

I put a set of 24" coaster brake wheels on the bike with brand new Kenda BMX style tires, I painted the rims black. The fenders were toast so I threw them out. I made a set of strut bars that turned out pretty nice (been wanting to make my own forever... oh well). Put on a chainwheel I'd been saving that I think fits the black on black wheels/tires. New chain, BMX stem, big fat Persons saddle, Hunt Wilde grips, etc... It rides really nice.

Tomorrow morning he'll be here and I'll adjust the seat and bars for him and he'll be off and riding, making his rounds. He'll probably be back next week with a flat, I need to stock up on 24" tubes. :lol:

 

[yoothgeye]

Re: Say it with me: "I hate a bike thief!"

Here's the replacement, a 1 day resto-rod... if I'm allowed to call it that.

 

[slowriderz]

Great work! 8)

 

[yoothgeye]

Thanks, I depleted my tube of Park Tool Polylube 1000 grease making sure everything on this bike was smooth, now I need more! haha

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Looks good. The black gives the step through frame a more masculine appearance!

If this guy rides as much as the article suggests, maybe you could paint the fenders black or something, and make them look good enough to keep the water off of his back in wet weather. :idea:

 

[user 135]

That bike looks Tough. Make sure he has a new lock to go with it.

 

[yoothgeye]

The police gave him a new combination lock and through Facebook his brother has told everyone to remind him to lock it up when they see him. I still have the 32" Genesis in my shop that the police gave him (from their "impound").

Yeah, I might sand down the fenders and black them but they are 26" fenders and the bike now has 24" wheels.

Looks good. The black gives the step through frame a more masculine appearance!

Thanks, that was kind of what I was going for, and in the end it looked more like a guys bike than a girls bike. I had been saving that chainwheel for myself, but after I blacked out the wheels I knew that was exactly the chainwheel this bike needed.

 

[Bicycle808]

The k-rads are a nice touch, too.