Weird Bike Sighting of the Week

I don't think I'd believe this one if I hadn't seen it myself, but so
help me it's true. I stopped by the post office today, and noticed a bike
outside the front door. Nothing special about the bike itself, just a
smallish Mongoose full suspension MTB. Looked like a 19" frame at most,
with 24" tires. The owner must have had a growth spurt or something,
because as I got nearer I noticed that the seat post was easily a foot
long. Closer still, and I could see that it was made of wood! What kind
of wood, I wondered as I went inside and did took care of my errand.
Shovel handle? Nope, they're too big. Rake? Nope, still too big. A
cut-down mop handle, maybe? And then I stepped back outside the PO, where
I could take another look. Something seemed familiar about that piece of
wood, thw way it was rounded on the bottom end where it protruded from the
frame. And up where it attached to the seat, what was that? Threads?

EGAD!

This guy had replaced his original seat post with the handle from...









(thought of it yet?)











...a toilet plunger!


I rode away impressed with the guys ingenuity, or maybe just his
audacity. At any rate, I rode away grateful that I am not the person who
will be astride that bike when the seatpost breaks.
So, can anybody top that, or do I win the Sighting of the Week Award?


Bill


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| An animal will leave a carcus after he gets his belly full, |
| but you never see a banker do that sort of thing. |
| --Butch Cassidy |
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wrote in message
...
I don't think I'd believe this one if I hadn't seen it myself, but so
help me it's true. I stopped by the post office today, and noticed a bike
outside the front door. Nothing special about the bike itself, just a
smallish Mongoose full suspension MTB. Looked like a 19" frame at most,
with 24" tires. The owner must have had a growth spurt or something,
because as I got nearer I noticed that the seat post was easily a foot
long. Closer still, and I could see that it was made of wood! What kind
of wood, I wondered as I went inside and did took care of my errand.
Shovel handle? Nope, they're too big. Rake? Nope, still too big. A
cut-down mop handle, maybe? And then I stepped back outside the PO, where
I could take another look. Something seemed familiar about that piece of
wood, thw way it was rounded on the bottom end where it protruded from the
frame. And up where it attached to the seat, what was that? Threads?

EGAD!

This guy had replaced his original seat post with the handle from...
(thought of it yet?)

...a toilet plunger!

I rode away impressed with the guys ingenuity, or maybe just his
audacity. At any rate, I rode away grateful that I am not the person who
will be astride that bike when the seatpost breaks.
So, can anybody top that, or do I win the Sighting of the Week Award?


Bill


When it breaks, some lawyer will help him sue Mongoose because their manual
didn't warn him about the dangers of replacing the seat post with a toilet
plunger handle.

wrote: (clip) Something seemed familiar about
that piece of wood, thw way it was rounded on the bottom end where it
protruded from the frame. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Too bad you didn't get a picture, "cuz I'm having difficulty visualizing the
part about the rounded part protruding from the frame. You mean sticking
out below the bottom bracket? How is that possible?

Leo Lichtman wrote:

wrote: (clip) Something seemed familiar about
that piece of wood, thw way it was rounded on the bottom end where it
protruded from the frame. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Too bad you didn't get a picture, "cuz I'm having difficulty visualizing the
part about the rounded part protruding from the frame. You mean sticking
out below the bottom bracket? How is that possible?

He said it was a full suspension frame, so it probably has the seat tube
ending far above the bottom bracket. A picture would be interesting.

Double points if it has a plunger where the seat should be.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

Warren Block wrote:

Double points if it has a plunger where the seat should be.

That would be LarryBoy's bike.

RFM
http://www.cyclelicio.us/

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:42:29 +0000, D_Frumious_B wrote:


...a toilet plunger!


I rode away impressed with the guys ingenuity, or maybe just his
audacity. At any rate, I rode away grateful that I am not the person who
will be astride that bike when the seatpost breaks.
So, can anybody top that, or do I win the Sighting of the Week Award?

How's the damping compared to carbon?

wrote:

EGAD!

This guy had replaced his original seat post with the handle from...
...a toilet plunger!


I rode away impressed with the guys ingenuity, or maybe just his
audacity. At any rate, I rode away grateful that I am not the person who
will be astride that bike when the seatpost breaks.
So, can anybody top that, or do I win the Sighting of the Week Award?


Well, those handles are pretty hard wood, probably last as long as a
carbon fibre or aluminum post the same length. However if you were
going to use it that way, should probably cut off the end sticking out,
and maybe the threads, and give it a nice coat of silver or aluminum
paint, so it at least looks like it belongs. Maybe he was heading to
the bike shop to get a new seat post, that handle would do the trick for
a few days at least. Perhaps he had run out of money before he had run
out of week (quite common some places), and was waiting for new money to
buy the seat post.

W

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 18:48:37 +0000, Little Meow wrote:

The Wogster wrote:

wrote:

EGAD!

This guy had replaced his original seat post with the handle from...
...a toilet plunger!


I rode away impressed with the guys ingenuity, or maybe just his
audacity. At any rate, I rode away grateful that I am not the person
who will be astride that bike when the seatpost breaks.
So, can anybody top that, or do I win the Sighting of the Week
Award?


Well, those handles are pretty hard wood, probably last as long as a
carbon fibre or aluminum post the same length. However if you were
going to use it that way, should probably cut off the end sticking out,
and maybe the threads, and give it a nice coat of silver or aluminum
paint, so it at least looks like it belongs. Maybe he was heading to
the bike shop to get a new seat post, that handle would do the trick for
a few days at least. Perhaps he had run out of money before he had run
out of week (quite common some places), and was waiting for new money to
buy the seat post.

W


For the sake of safety, and to keep with the plumbing theme, it would be a
good idea to reinforce the plunger with a few hose clamps.

Don't forget the thumbshifters:

http://tinyurl.com/8khx5

Little Meow wrote:

Outstanding! Stylish AND robust.

For those reluctant to leave behind the comforts of home:

erica.unikmedia.net/pix/uprising/P0001857.jpg

The possibility for jokes is pretty much endless.

"Joe, are you overheated? You're looking a little flushed."

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Too bad you didn't get a picture, "cuz I'm having difficulty visualizing the
part about the rounded part protruding from the frame. You mean sticking
out below the bottom bracket? How is that possible?

It was a full-suspension frame, with a seat tube only about six inches
long, and open at the bottom.

Bill

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| We must be the change we seek. |
| --Mohandas K. Ghandi |
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