DrRumack80
Wore out three sets of tires already!
So....I wanted to see if anyone's thinking was as way out there as mine! 10 years ago, I log on to Ebay searching for vintage mountain bikes and parts. An old, circa mid 80's Stumpjumper pops up, buy-it-now for $30, location Gloucester, MA. It was in sad shape, had a rusty chrome replacement fork, tires were falling off, etc. The seller was a local junk dealer, and would not ship. This was the last step before he took the Stumpy, and some other bikes he had, to the scrap yard.
I was ready to pass it by, but then I remembered how I had visited Gloucester and nearby Salem as a child. Half of my family lives in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, so I have a connection to the area, and had gone up on visits numerous times in the 80's and 90's on family vacations. The 1991 Halloween Gale, later known as The Perfect Storm, was a big deal here on the east coast. I devoured the book and enjoyed the movie. I was obsessed with the story of the crew of the Andrea Gail, which had sailed from Gloucester. I realized that this bike had a connection to that time and place.
I searched Gloucester bike shops and came up with Big Mike's Bikes. He was willing to pack and ship, I just had to send him a UPS label. Mike cautioned me that the bike was not worth the cost of shipping, but I went ahead anyway. 😁 He did mention he would take the bike for parts if I passed on it.
Less than a week later, it arrived. It had a dealer sticker from the Magnolia Bicycle Shop. (Magnolia is a village within Gloucester) It was in worse shape than I realized. The rear wheel was toast - THE axle was broken, hub was shot, and the rim's sidewalls were paper thin in spots. None of the chainrings were original. This bike had some serious miles on it. Was it worth the cost of rehabbing it? But it did have a quality, lightweight Japanese lugged frame....
I sourced a replacement Specialized rear hub of the correct vintage, and my LBS built a new rear wheel on it using the original stainless steel spokes. The front rim had a good amount of wear on braking surfaces, but was not as bad as the rear and still had some life left in it. Amazingly, the sealed bearings in the front hub were good - the wheel just spins and spins. New saddle, new grips, and new pedals. Added a set of Specialized Rock Combo tires, and she was back on the road. It rides surprisingly well, very smooth and it soaks up irregularities in the road with ease. It also felt good to save a bike from the crusher.
Today, I use it as an occasional rider or to run errands. I would want to replace the original Specialized crankset to do any serious riding, as they were known for developing cracks. The front wheel will need attention eventually, too.
Is anyone else's thought patterns as warped as mine? Hahaha! I'd love to hear if any of you bought a bike for strange or illogical reasons.
First two photos were taken by the seller.
I was ready to pass it by, but then I remembered how I had visited Gloucester and nearby Salem as a child. Half of my family lives in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, so I have a connection to the area, and had gone up on visits numerous times in the 80's and 90's on family vacations. The 1991 Halloween Gale, later known as The Perfect Storm, was a big deal here on the east coast. I devoured the book and enjoyed the movie. I was obsessed with the story of the crew of the Andrea Gail, which had sailed from Gloucester. I realized that this bike had a connection to that time and place.
I searched Gloucester bike shops and came up with Big Mike's Bikes. He was willing to pack and ship, I just had to send him a UPS label. Mike cautioned me that the bike was not worth the cost of shipping, but I went ahead anyway. 😁 He did mention he would take the bike for parts if I passed on it.
Less than a week later, it arrived. It had a dealer sticker from the Magnolia Bicycle Shop. (Magnolia is a village within Gloucester) It was in worse shape than I realized. The rear wheel was toast - THE axle was broken, hub was shot, and the rim's sidewalls were paper thin in spots. None of the chainrings were original. This bike had some serious miles on it. Was it worth the cost of rehabbing it? But it did have a quality, lightweight Japanese lugged frame....
I sourced a replacement Specialized rear hub of the correct vintage, and my LBS built a new rear wheel on it using the original stainless steel spokes. The front rim had a good amount of wear on braking surfaces, but was not as bad as the rear and still had some life left in it. Amazingly, the sealed bearings in the front hub were good - the wheel just spins and spins. New saddle, new grips, and new pedals. Added a set of Specialized Rock Combo tires, and she was back on the road. It rides surprisingly well, very smooth and it soaks up irregularities in the road with ease. It also felt good to save a bike from the crusher.
Today, I use it as an occasional rider or to run errands. I would want to replace the original Specialized crankset to do any serious riding, as they were known for developing cracks. The front wheel will need attention eventually, too.
Is anyone else's thought patterns as warped as mine? Hahaha! I'd love to hear if any of you bought a bike for strange or illogical reasons.
First two photos were taken by the seller.
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