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Mystery Bikes



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 7th 04, 05:14 AM
Marian Rosenberg
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Default 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
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  #2  
Old January 7th 04, 05:20 AM
Pete
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Posts: n/a
Default Mystery Bikes


"Marian Rosenberg" wrote

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


Yes

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)?


Mix n match if you have time. The best frame with the best components.
Or the best frame and *all* the components.

Pete


  #3  
Old January 7th 04, 08:05 AM
Q.
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Posts: n/a
Default Mystery Bikes


"Marian Rosenberg" wrote
snip
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."


Does it look a bit like this:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/champ.html

If I understand it right, the hub was made in 1953.

If you do a google search for Phillips Bicycle a lot of stuff will come up.

Don't know a whole lot about these bikes, but I'm sure some others will
chime in.

snip

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


Isn't thee a joke about that ... if you go to the dump, and come back with
stuff, you just might be a redneck (c:

Sounds like you did all right to me. They just destroy these bikes for
scrap?!? It's a shame, there are many organizations which would recycle
these bikes back to people who could use them, those old steel framed,
fendered 3 speed bikes are excellent commuter bikes.

C.Q.C.


  #4  
Old January 7th 04, 04:37 PM
Marian Rosenberg
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Mystery Bikes

"Q." LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com wrote in message ...
"Marian Rosenberg" wrote
snip
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."


Does it look a bit like this:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/champ.html


Yes. It is a little hard to tell since the chain guard on that
picture is hiding most of the fancy metal work.

If I understand it right, the hub was made in 1953.


Cool.

If you do a google search for Phillips Bicycle a lot of stuff will come up.

Don't know a whole lot about these bikes, but I'm sure some others will
chime in.

snip

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


Isn't thee a joke about that ... if you go to the dump, and come back with
stuff, you just might be a redneck (c:


Quite possibly so...

He's even got a dead car in front of his house. It happens to be a
vintage porsche but it _is_ (at least currently) a dead car.

Sounds like you did all right to me. They just destroy these bikes for
scrap?!? It's a shame, there are many organizations which would recycle
these bikes back to people who could use them, those old steel framed,
fendered 3 speed bikes are excellent commuter bikes.


Well I'm not quite sure what they do with these bikes. At some point
in the past my boyfriend brought stuff that counted as scrap metal and
there were bicycles in the scrap metal pile. This time round they
were very obviously sorted out and had their own drop off point.
There was also some semblance of order to the stacking.

-M
 




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