Mystery Bikes
 

On New Years' Eve my boyfriend and I spent most of the day cleaning up
his house in anticipation of an early January "Marian is visiting the
US" party. Eventually we amassed enough stuff to necessitate a visit
to the nearby dump.

Except it isn't really a dump. I'm not sure what it is. It is a
place where you drop off trash and recyclables that are later moved to
other places, including actual dumps.

On our way past recyclables I noticed a very large collection of
bicycles, a few dozen were visible when we drove by. When we stopped
we discovered that there were at least a hundred or more hiding in
stacks behind the computer drop off. He mentioned that the last time
he was by here bicycles went to the scrap metal pile instead of having
a seperate drop off.

You really aren't supposed to take things home with you when you go.
But, if you are quick about it the employees will look the other way.
There are two obvious reasons for this. Firstly, for many of the
recyclabels there are companies that have contracts for those things.
Secondly, you might get hurt. There may also be other reasons.

(I know about the rules because my boyfriend has run afoul of them in
the past when he's been caught sifting through the computer pile or
checking out the batteries.)

We stood around at the bikes for a few minutes until someone came over
and asked us if we needed help. "Umm, would it be okay if we take one
of these." "Yes, but I don't see you" he says "and be quick so others
also don't see you."

The first mystery bike is a Japanese made women's bike. All white
with no fancy paint of any kind. The drop bars have white tape. I'm
assuming 80s or 90s judging by the condition of the tires which look
like they sat uninflated for years.

On the front (where the fork attaches) there is a blue and red oval
decal with black letters reading vertically H.J.Sports. The outer
edge of the letters, the oval, and the line seperating red and blue
are all silver colored.

Moving to the back of the bike, where the seatpost attaches, we again
get a sticker that says "HJ Sports" accompanied by "Made in Japan."
This sticker has stripes at the top and bottom in a thick blue, thin
gold, medium white, thin gold, very thin black, thick red pattern.

There is a circle, almost like a yinyang on the sticker. This circle
is blue on the top, red on the bottom, white in the middle, with a
black letter H in the center.

Farther down, between the two bars is a small gold sticker with black
type saying Made in Japan.

I'm not sure how to describe the shifters. They're a normal kind I
just don't know how to describe them. Not mounted on the handlebars.
Shimano.

The brakes handles have signs of "a sticker was removed" scum and the
word "cherry" etched into the metal. No other identifying marks.

Front hub has SIW Made in Japan etched into the metal.

The only marks on the front rim are "araya 27x1 1/4 w/0 HP."

Front and back round reflectors are CatEye. The reflectors on the
pedals and wheels are also CatEye.

The front gear cluster has two gears. The rear gear cluster has five.
I don't see names or identifying marks on the gears.

Front derailleur is Shimano "Thunder Bird".
Rear derailleur is a Shimano "Eagle".

I've found "Shimano" written twice more on the metal thingywhatses
that hold the shifting cables snug against the bike.

Instead of being butt-welded the bike is tube and socket construction.
The front fork is especially fancy with the sockets being all wavy.
And one of the two washers is machined to look pretty for no obvious
reason other than pretty.

No visible names on the brakes but the brake pads are, again, Japan.
I can't quite make out if it is Cherry, Gherry, or Sherry. Since the
brake handles are fairly clearly Cherry I'm guessing it is a C.

Rear tire is "The Special IRC Tyre" made of "Nylon."

Front tire is badly flaking from old age but appears to be the same.

If not for a few tiny scrapes I'd be inclined to say that this bicycle
had never been ridden. As is, I admit to being rather baffled at
having found it at the dump. It's a road bike and it looks like it
was once expensive, once well cared for, and once abandoned in the
garage for years at a stretch.

The other bike is less mysterious. I've actually got a vague
recollection of having heard of some of these names before. It
practically leapt out at me from the pile. The Japanese bike was
second from the top and required very little effort to get. This one
was 7 or 8 bicycles deep and getting it risked being noticed and told
off because you really really really _really_ are NOT supposed to be
going through the piles of trash and recyclables to take things home
with you.

One of the ways that you can tell that this bike was well used (other
than age) is the way that it has totally different front and rear
tires. The rear tire is much nicer than the front tire.

As a hunter of neat things (usually at shops rather than dumps) I am
almost ashamed to say that it was the dusky dusty metallic blue of the
paint job that caught my eye. Something about that color that says
"I'm not trying to be flashy because I am not supposed to be flashy."
Because the paint, pretty as it is, is not original. Whoever did this
did a pretty good job (not great) and in the process has obscured any
stickers or decals. There is an obvious front decal made of metal
that is now the same pretty metallic blue as the rest of the bike.

Front rim has the words "Made in England" badly stamped into the
metal. It actually reads "5 x 13/8 Dunlop 26 x 13/[spoke] EA3 MADE IN
E#GLA##" Judging by rust speckles I assume the rims are chromed
steel.

Not that it matters with this bike the way it might have mattered with
the mysterious Japanese bike but the front and rear wheel reflectors
are Cat Eye. The reflectors attached to the brakes are SATE-LITE.

Moving on to the pedals I see "Made in England" followed by "PhillipS"
and what appears to be a serial number - Ao No 848363.

The pedals also have Patent Number 634981.

The kickstand is an impressive number that looks like it could even
take on deep mud and win. It is "Shuresta."

Front hub has "Phillips, Made in England" underneath a layer of grime.
I remembered to look at the front hub because the rear hub is "Sturmey
Archer," "England," "AW," "53," "3," and "Three Speed."

Nothing terribly interesting to my uneducated eyes on the handlebars.
The grips are glittery and made by DORCY. The brake handles are
missing almost all of their chrome.

The front gear is gorgeous with metal cutouts saying PHILLIPS.

Like the Japanese mystery bike it is also tube and socket construction
instead of being butt welded.

The frame has hooks for carrying a tire pump but there is no pump.

So, what do I have? And did I do a good job by breaking the rules and
snarfing these from the dump?

And, if I did a really good job in snarfing, which one should go back
to China with me and which one should stay at home (in the storage
room)?

-M

Mystery Bikes
 

Marian,

If you're going back to Shijiazhong then it sounds as if the blue
english bike is the go. I'd take it to a bike shop and get it overhauled
though. Sounds as if it has the internal 3 speed **** incorporated in
the hub. These were very popular in the 70's when I was a kid. Great
bikes for riding in relatively flat areas. Also sounds as if the blue
english bike is pretty robust.

From your previous posts, I was surprised you would select a road bike
of any description. If you are thinking about doing some longer miles
back in China then I'd take this one. However, it's a bike to ride in a
pair of shorts not a skirt.

Sounds as if it is in such good knick that it probably only requires a
set of new tyres to bring it back up to its former glory. Also I'd
suggest a thorough overhall by a bike mechanic. The wheel bearings and
pedal crank bearings probably need cleaning and lubricating (they may
even need replacement, could be rusted). Chain may also need replacement
or plenty of TLC.

Check cables and brake rubbers on both bikes as the rubber may have
deteriorated and need replacement. Cables may be frayed and/or rusted.

Well done on recycling, its a shame to see perfectly good bikes
go to waste.

There are a couple of retired guys here in Australia who recycle old
bikes by converting them into wheel chairs and other contraptions to
give mobility to disabled people in East Timor. Perhaps your friends
could get a similar program going using bikes from this "dump". I'm sure
there would be a lot of people with disabilities in central or south
America, China even, who would appreciate it.



--

Mystery Bikes
 

Why did the server blank out the word "gear"? It's not rude is it


-

Mystery Bikes
 

Marian Rosenber wrote:
On New Years' Eve my boyfriend and I spent most of the day cleaning up
his house in anticipation of an early January e (in the storage room)?
-M


my bikes a mystery to


-

Mystery Bikes
 

Marian Rosenber wrote:
On New Years' Eve my boyfriend and I spent most of the day cleaning up
his house in anticipation of an early January "Marian is visiting the
US" party. Eventually we amassed enough stuff to necessitate a visit to
the nearby dump.
Except it isn't really a dump. I'm not sure what it is. It is a place
where you drop off trash and recyclables that are later moved to other
places, including actual dumps.
On our way past recyclables I noticed a very large collection of
bicycles, a few dozen were visible when we drove by. When we stopped
we discovered that there were at least a hundred or more hiding in
stacks behind the computer drop off. He mentioned that the last time
he was by here bicycles went to the scrap metal pile instead of having
a seperate drop off.
You really aren't supposed to take things home with you when you go.
But, if you are quick about it the employees will look the other way.
There are two obvious reasons for this. Firstly, for many of the
recyclabels there are companies that have contracts for those things.
Secondly, you might get hurt. There may also be other reasons.
(I know about the rules because my boyfriend has run afoul of them in
the past when he's been caught sifting through the computer pile or
checking out the batteries.)
We stood around at the bikes for a few minutes until someone came over
and asked us if we needed help. "Umm, would it be okay if we take one of
these." "Yes, but I don't see you" he says "and be quick so others also
don't see you."
The first mystery bike is a Japanese made women's bike. All white with
no fancy paint of any kind. The drop bars have white tape. I'm assuming
80s or 90s judging by the condition of the tires which look like they
sat uninflated for years.
On the front (where the fork attaches) there is a blue and red oval
decal with black letters reading vertically H.J.Sports. The outer edge
of the letters, the oval, and the line seperating red and blue are all
silver colored.
Moving to the back of the bike, where the seatpost attaches, we again
get a sticker that says "HJ Sports" accompanied by "Made in Japan." This
sticker has stripes at the top and bottom in a thick blue, thin gold,
medium white, thin gold, very thin black, thick red pattern.
There is a circle, almost like a yinyang on the sticker. This circle is
blue on the top, red on the bottom, white in the middle, with a black
letter H in the center.
Farther down, between the two bars is a small gold sticker with black
type saying Made in Japan.
I'm not sure how to describe the shifters. They're a normal kind I just
don't know how to describe them. Not mounted on the handlebars. Shimano.
The brakes handles have signs of "a sticker was removed" scum and the
word "cherry" etched into the metal. No other identifying marks.
Front hub has SIW Made in Japan etched into the metal.
The only marks on the front rim are "araya 27x1 1/4 w/0 HP."
Front and back round reflectors are CatEye. The reflectors on the pedals
and wheels are also CatEye.
The front gear cluster has two gears. The rear gear cluster has five. I
don't see names or identifying marks on the gears.
Front derailleur is Shimano "Thunder Bird". Rear derailleur is a
Shimano "Eagle".
I've found "Shimano" written twice more on the metal thingywhatses that
hold the shifting cables snug against the bike.
Instead of being butt-welded the bike is tube and socket construction.
The front fork is especially fancy with the sockets being all wavy. And
one of the two washers is machined to look pretty for no obvious reason
other than pretty.
No visible names on the brakes but the brake pads are, again, Japan. I
can't quite make out if it is Cherry, Gherry, or Sherry. Since the brake
handles are fairly clearly Cherry I'm guessing it is a C.
Rear tire is "The Special IRC Tyre" made of "Nylon."
Front tire is badly flaking from old age but appears to be the same.
If not for a few tiny scrapes I'd be inclined to say that this bicycle
had never been ridden. As is, I admit to being rather baffled at having
found it at the dump. It's a road bike and it looks like it was once
expensive, once well cared for, and once abandoned in the garage for
years at a stretch.
The other bike is less mysterious. I've actually got a vague
recollection of having heard of some of these names before. It
practically leapt out at me from the pile. The Japanese bike was second
from the top and required very little effort to get. This one was 7 or 8
bicycles deep and getting it risked being noticed and told off because
you really really really _really_ are NOT supposed to be going through
the piles of trash and recyclables to take things home with you.
One of the ways that you can tell that this bike was well used (other
than age) is the way that it has totally different front and rear tires.
The rear tire is much nicer than the front tire.
As a hunter of neat things (usually at shops rather than dumps) I am
almost ashamed to say that it was the dusky dusty metallic blue of the
paint job that caught my eye. Something about that color that says "I'm
not trying to be flashy because I am not supposed to be flashy." Because
the paint, pretty as it is, is not original. Whoever did this did a
pretty good job (not great) and in the process has obscured any stickers
or decals. There is an obvious front decal made of metal that is now the
same pretty metallic blue as the rest of the bike.
Front rim has the words "Made in England" badly stamped into the metal.
It actually reads "5 x
13/8 Dunlop 26 x 13/[spoke] EA3 MADE IN E#GLA##" Judging by rust
speckles I assume the rims are chromed steel.
Not that it matters with this bike the way it might have mattered with
the mysterious Japanese bike but the front and rear wheel reflectors are
Cat Eye. The reflectors attached to the brakes are SATE-LITE.
Moving on to the pedals I see "Made in England" followed by "PhillipS"
and what appears to be a serial number - Ao No 848363.
The pedals also have Patent Number 634981.
The kickstand is an impressive number that looks like it could even take
on deep mud and win. It is "Shuresta."
Front hub has "Phillips, Made in England" underneath a layer of grime. I
remembered to look at the front hub because the rear hub is "Sturmey
Archer," "England," "AW," "53," "3," and "Three Speed."
Nothing terribly interesting to my uneducated eyes on the handlebars.
The grips are glittery and made by DORCY. The brake handles are missing
almost all of their chrome.
The front gear is gorgeous with metal cutouts saying PHILLIPS.
Like the Japanese mystery bike it is also tube and socket construction
instead of being butt welded.
The frame has hooks for carrying a tire pump but there is no pump.
So, what do I have? And did I do a good job by breaking the rules and
snarfing these from the dump?
And, if I did a really good job in snarfing, which one should go back to
China with me and which one should stay at home (in the storage room)?
-M

Im guessing, but it sounds like the first is a generic Taiwanese
manufactured bike, that was long loved and maintained by some body who
substituted all sorts of parts at various times.

The cherry brakes and shimano gear on the frame is indicative.

I fancy the sturmy archer stuff on the other bike is indicative of
british manufacture.

Beyond that I can't help.




:)



--

Mystery Bikes
 

Spider1977 wrote in message ...
Marian,

If you're going back to Shijiazhong then it sounds as if the blue
english bike is the go. I'd take it to a bike shop and get it overhauled
though. Sounds as if it has the internal 3 speed **** incorporated in
the hub. These were very popular in the 70's when I was a kid. Great
bikes for riding in relatively flat areas. Also sounds as if the blue
english bike is pretty robust.

Actually, instead of SJZ I will be going to Haikou. I've got a new
job.

From your previous posts, I was surprised you would select a road bike
of any description. If you are thinking about doing some longer miles
back in China then I'd take this one. However, it's a bike to ride in a
pair of shorts not a skirt.

I'd almost certainly need to do something about the handlebars to be
comfy but I found that riding my boyfriend's hybrid mountain/road bike
is pretty nice. Way nicer for the long haul than the other bikes I
have used. I've gone farther distances on bikes in SJZ but with far
less of those nasty 'hill' things.

I don't know if Haikou will have hills... I haven't yet researched the
geography of my new city.

Sounds as if it is in such good knick that it probably only requires a
set of new tyres to bring it back up to its former glory. Also I'd
suggest a thorough overhall by a bike mechanic. The wheel bearings and
pedal crank bearings probably need cleaning and lubricating (they may
even need replacement, could be rusted). Chain may also need replacement
or plenty of TLC.

The blue bike has good tires. It looks like it needs fresh oil for
the chain and to have a good lot of grime rubbed off of it but is
otherwise looking tolerable for sturdy riding.

The white bike has crumbling tires (but the tubes are still holding
air, though I have yet to take it out for a ride). One brake is a bit
sticky.

I get the impression that the white bike has sat completely unused for
a looong time.

The blue bike was either recently replaced or recently lost. There is
an auction lot sticker on the seat from a moving company.

Check cables and brake rubbers on both bikes as the rubber may have
deteriorated and need replacement. Cables may be frayed and/or rusted.

Blue bike shows rust speckles in many places. It also has signs of
places where it needs minor repair work. It sings at me that it wants
to be restored into something purrrty. I'm telling myself that I live
in Asia and I have a phonograph restoration project to be finished
before starting on any new antiques.

White bike shows no signs of wear or tear on ANYTHING. There is one
small scrape which, the more I look at it, the less I think it was
done in riding. All of the damage to the bike (especially the scary
tires) looks like old age sitting around in storage damage. Even
though the tires are falling apart to the touch they don't have tread
wear.

Both bikes shone from the pile and could be seen amidst flashier paint
jobs to be the ones worth nicking.

Well done on recycling, its a shame to see perfectly good bikes
go to waste.

Its a shame to see perfectly good 'anythings' going to waste, bikes
are just one of those items.

Mystery Bikes
 

"Marian Rosenberg" wrote

snip
Blue bike shows rust speckles in many places. It also has signs of
places where it needs minor repair work. It sings at me that it wants
to be restored into something purrrty. I'm telling myself that I live
in Asia and I have a phonograph restoration project to be finished
before starting on any new antiques.

I don't know much about Asia (well, except for India), but how expensive
would it be to have somebody there restore the blue bike? Can you get
something like that done cheep?

I don't know if you remember, but I had linked to a similar bike, blue with
cream. A color scheme like that would look sweet.

C.Q.C.

Mystery Bikes
 

Ahh, the age old question.
We're working on a "Bicycle Identification" project. Please come by and add
your suggestions:

http://oldroads.com/d_aut_def.asp?rec_count=1

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles, Inc.
http://OldRoads.com


On New Years' Eve my boyfriend and I spent most of the day cleaning up
his house in anticipation of an early January "Marian is visiting the
US" party. Eventually we amassed enough stuff to necessitate a visit to
the nearby dump.
Except it isn't really a dump. I'm not sure what it is. It is a place
where you drop off trash and recyclables that are later moved to other
places, including actual dumps.
On our way past recyclables I noticed a very large collection of
bicycles, a few dozen were visible when we drove by. When we stopped
we discovered that there were at least a hundred or more hiding in
stacks behind the computer drop off. He mentioned that the last time
he was by here bicycles went to the scrap metal pile instead of having
a seperate drop off.
You really aren't supposed to take things home with you when you go.
But, if you are quick about it the employees will look the other way.
There are two obvious reasons for this. Firstly, for many of the
recyclabels there are companies that have contracts for those things.
Secondly, you might get hurt. There may also be other reasons.
(I know about the rules because my boyfriend has run afoul of them in
the past when he's been caught sifting through the computer pile or
checking out the batteries.)
We stood around at the bikes for a few minutes until someone came over
and asked us if we needed help. "Umm, would it be okay if we take one of
these." "Yes, but I don't see you" he says "and be quick so others also
don't see you."
The first mystery bike is a Japanese made women's bike. All white with
no fancy paint of any kind. The drop bars have white tape. I'm assuming
80s or 90s judging by the condition of the tires which look like they
sat uninflated for years.
On the front (where the fork attaches) there is a blue and red oval
decal with black letters reading vertically H.J.Sports. The outer edge
of the letters, the oval, and the line seperating red and blue are all
silver colored.
Moving to the back of the bike, where the seatpost attaches, we again
get a sticker that says "HJ Sports" accompanied by "Made in Japan." This
sticker has stripes at the top and bottom in a thick blue, thin gold,
medium white, thin gold, very thin black, thick red pattern.
There is a circle, almost like a yinyang on the sticker. This circle is
blue on the top, red on the bottom, white in the middle, with a black
letter H in the center.
Farther down, between the two bars is a small gold sticker with black
type saying Made in Japan.
I'm not sure how to describe the shifters. They're a normal kind I just
don't know how to describe them. Not mounted on the handlebars. Shimano.
The brakes handles have signs of "a sticker was removed" scum and the
word "cherry" etched into the metal. No other identifying marks.
Front hub has SIW Made in Japan etched into the metal.
The only marks on the front rim are "araya 27x1 1/4 w/0 HP."
Front and back round reflectors are CatEye. The reflectors on the pedals
and wheels are also CatEye.
The front gear cluster has two gears. The rear gear cluster has five. I
don't see names or identifying marks on the gears.
Front derailleur is Shimano "Thunder Bird". Rear derailleur is a
Shimano "Eagle".
I've found "Shimano" written twice more on the metal thingywhatses that
hold the shifting cables snug against the bike.

--snip --