When it rains it pours

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
486
Reaction score
415
Location
Bangor, ME
Rating - 100%
8   0   0
More pics in the am.
upload_-1.jpg
 
This Raleigh Rambler MX came to me through typically serendipitous means. Ill try to be concise.

I drop my daughter off for day 3 of basketball camp. Leaving, there is a church van up on blocks, with what looks like a columbia canti from a distance. I gotta see whats up, i drive over, and cant believe what im seeing. At this point, im sure whoever is lying under this van may be my new bff. This bike looks like a home brew klunker. Ive never seen anything like this in my area. So, I just start jabbering away at the van. "Hey man. I love your klunker. This bike is great" hes all "hi brother, who is that?" So he pops out, 80+ degrees and hes wearing denim and sweats with a knit hood. Hes a from Georgia, he bought this factory klunker at a yard sale, and hes been using it to go back and forth from this parking lot to walmart for parts and tools. Its probably 8ish miles one way with no considerations for bikes.
I ask if the bike would be available for sale or trade. He says "yea man, since you like it so much, ill let you tell me." I said id be back. I go to th e VZ Vault, and pick this up.
upload.jpg

Not the trailer, just the white bike. Was my spring rider. Ive been holding onto it specifically to trade to someone whos commuting on a decidedly non commuter bike.
When I came back, he starts saying oh no, this is too much. V brakes, 21 speeds, aluminum hybrid, fresh from tune by ftom a pro. I got many "god bless you" and a happy ammount of hallelujah. He did get around to asking why the Raleigh was worth so much. He said he was into bikes, so i told him the Gary Fisher, Allen Bonds, Joe Breeze story. 80s bike made to look like a bike made in the 50s and rebuilt for dh racing in the late 70s. he liked the back story. He said he was going to write "Lucas" on the bb and bring it back to Georgia. He was happy.
 
Last edited:
Some more finds from the spring, dont think i ever posted
upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg


These bikes both came from the same place, right next to my daughters pre-k. I bought them from the owner's son, as they were cleaning out the family home. The son was in Maine from Germany. Both his parents had pasded away recently, and we spent hours together in the garage with him telling stories about his dad, before I left with the bikes. His dad was the milkman for my neighborhood in the 40s-on. He was the first person on the st every trash day, and he was a picker from the old school. Dont throw away what can be fixed! everything in the garage was made of solid wood, heavy metal, well oiled, made to last.

The old man liked blue. He loved bikes and riding, but his wife never learned how. As an older adult, he bought the Schwinn Twinn new to ride with his wife. The odometer has 3k+ miles on it!!
 
Last edited:
Got a wicked haul today, tell you what bub.
upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg


Not shown are the associated missing wheelsets, a two bike display stand, and a n.i.p pleichner rat trap rack. All for under... drumroll... $10. No dickering, trades, or good ole boy deals, just seripendetious timing. Its been a good week.
 
Last edited:
Saturday was another good day.

upload_-1.jpg


I have an Adams and i love it. I was thinking about painting it yellow as my bike is silver and thats my fav. color combo. Along comes this...
upload_-1.jpg

Looking for the rest of this trek tag alpng coupler if anyone has one lying around.
upload_-1.jpg


Steamy punk rat bait.
upload_-1.jpg

upload_-1.jpg

The Univega is a whip. Came with trek and copper grill.
upload_-1.jpg


And this is what started the day. I knew where these all were. They showed up at sundown. If you are wondering why a grown man wants a crap pile of rusty Next barbie bikes, check out my boten entry!
upload_-1.jpg
 
The recumbent sitting to the right was $350. The new ladies Schwinn Admiral was $85. Sticker on this one was $35. Talked himself down to $30. Rode it down a dirt road first thing.
upload_-1.jpg

He said it was a '55. I never thought to ask him the bikes story. Any info appricated.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
 
'97 Dyno Blaze field find.
Fields in Maine are not kind to bikes.
upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg

Sr hubs. Not much is original.


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
Looks like there is enough there to make it worth saving though!

Luke.
 
My new higgins from @motu, plus the other bikes that have come to be mine through work this fall. Can anyone help me with the chrome one?

upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


upload_-1.jpg


All three in this pic.
upload_-1.jpg


Chrome bike says all terrain bike, chromo main tubes. I do kinda know what it is, but im interested to know what year. Not too much is original. Crank maybe. Stem is a stumper. Not the pro model. Idk size, guessing the 20"
 

Latest posts

Back
Top