replacing stolen bike

[Michael Libby]

Someone stole my bike while I was at work! It was a two month old 2003
Fuji League. First non-department store bike I've ever bought, too. My
prior theory has always been to buy really cheap bikes in case they get
swiped (and sometimes I'm surprised at what people will steal-- maybe if
stealing a bike was a serious crime like "Grand Theft Bicycle", y'know, a
felony).

Thankfully I can still ride a Schwinn cheapo mountain bike I have
(I don't drive a car-- just bike and bus), but I know I'm going to be
anxious to get back in the saddle of something a bit more road-worthy soon.

Here's what initially drew me to the Fuji League: down tube shifters,
dropped handlebars, rack eyelets, fairly light, the price. And after
riding it, I really came to like the firm, leather seat and think the
League was a darn good bike. Even the coloring was nice, black with blue
accents.

Because I have the backup bike and some time, I thought maybe I'd ask
around about what else might be a good alternative to the Fuji League in
that same < $400 price range.

I'm a bit shy on the 2004 Fuji Leagues, being all bright red like they
are, and I might be able to find another 2003 Fuji League in my size. But
these bikes just kind of look expensive, everyone kept telling me so.
"ooh, what a NICE bike!" And I always said "whatever, all the actually
nice bikes cost two and three times as much, but if you say so..." I think
all the pretty decals and the triple-colored seat don't help much.

Obviously I'll be double-locking from now on (today's lock was just a
cable lock) and I maybe will look at plastering some stickers on the new
ride to make it look less "nice". Or something! I'm certainly not going to
let the next nice book look nice, that's for sure.

So what other bikes should I consider with the features I want (road
bike with rack eyelets and down tube shifters) and in the same price
range? And what would I do if none of the LBS don't have any in stock?
Will shops normally order stuff like that or what?

Thanks for your advice and suggestions.

-Michael

 

[maxo]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 02:46:20 +0000, Michael Libby wrote:

> Someone stole my bike while I was at work! It was a two month old 2003
> Fuji League. First non-department store bike I've ever bought, too. My
> prior theory has always been to buy really cheap bikes in case they get
> swiped (and sometimes I'm surprised at what people will steal-- maybe if
> stealing a bike was a serious crime like "Grand Theft Bicycle", y'know, a
> felony).
>
> Thankfully I can still ride a Schwinn cheapo mountain bike I have
> (I don't drive a car-- just bike and bus), but I know I'm going to be
> anxious to get back in the saddle of something a bit more road-worthy soon.
>
> Here's what initially drew me to the Fuji League: down tube shifters,
> dropped handlebars, rack eyelets, fairly light, the price. And after
> riding it, I really came to like the firm, leather seat and think the
> League was a darn good bike. Even the coloring was nice, black with blue
> accents.
>
> Because I have the backup bike and some time, I thought maybe I'd ask
> around about what else might be a good alternative to the Fuji League in
> that same < $400 price range.
>
> I'm a bit shy on the 2004 Fuji Leagues, being all bright red like they
> are, and I might be able to find another 2003 Fuji League in my size. But
> these bikes just kind of look expensive, everyone kept telling me so.
> "ooh, what a NICE bike!" And I always said "whatever, all the actually
> nice bikes cost two and three times as much, but if you say so..." I think
> all the pretty decals and the triple-colored seat don't help much.
>
> Obviously I'll be double-locking from now on (today's lock was just a
> cable lock) and I maybe will look at plastering some stickers on the new
> ride to make it look less "nice". Or something! I'm certainly not going to
> let the next nice book look nice, that's for sure.
>
> So what other bikes should I consider with the features I want (road
> bike with rack eyelets and down tube shifters) and in the same price
> range? And what would I do if none of the LBS don't have any in stock?
> Will shops normally order stuff like that or what?
>
> Thanks for your advice and suggestions.
>
> -Michael

Hmm, for a theft resistant bike in the city I'd say get a used 80s
"sport" bike and throw some fresh bits like tires, tape, etc. on it.
Older sport bikes usually can accept racks and fenders much more
easily than the newer ones, due to them usually having "long reach"
brakes. Then wrap the whole thing in masking tape and spray with whatever
crappy rattlecan paint you've got handy--just make it ugly! If you ever
get sick of the "camoflage", you can just peel off the tape. You should
be able to throw something together that rides like a dream, but doesn't
look worth a damn for 2-3 bills.

good luck, and my sympathies, I just lost my favourite bike of 7 years to
the thieves.

 

[Dan Daniel]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 02:46:20 GMT, Michael Libby
<[email protected]> wrote:


>
>So what other bikes should I consider with the features I want (road
>bike with rack eyelets and down tube shifters) and in the same price
>range? And what would I do if none of the LBS don't have any in stock?
>Will shops normally order stuff like that or what?
>
>Thanks for your advice and suggestions.
>
> -Michael

How about used? The paint will be worn, less flashy, less resale value
to a thief. You can pick up a very good road bike from the '80s or
early '90s for less than your Fuji. When rack mounts were common. And
downtube shifting was the norm.

 

[David Kerber]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Someone stole my bike while I was at work! It was a two month old 2003
> Fuji League. First non-department store bike I've ever bought, too. My
> prior theory has always been to buy really cheap bikes in case they get
> swiped (and sometimes I'm surprised at what people will steal-- maybe if
> stealing a bike was a serious crime like "Grand Theft Bicycle", y'know, a
> felony).
>
> Thankfully I can still ride a Schwinn cheapo mountain bike I have
> (I don't drive a car-- just bike and bus), but I know I'm going to be
> anxious to get back in the saddle of something a bit more road-worthy soon.
>
> Here's what initially drew me to the Fuji League: down tube shifters,
> dropped handlebars, rack eyelets, fairly light, the price. And after
> riding it, I really came to like the firm, leather seat and think the
> League was a darn good bike. Even the coloring was nice, black with blue
> accents.
>
> Because I have the backup bike and some time, I thought maybe I'd ask
> around about what else might be a good alternative to the Fuji League in
> that same < $400 price range.
>
> I'm a bit shy on the 2004 Fuji Leagues, being all bright red like they
> are, and I might be able to find another 2003 Fuji League in my size. But
> these bikes just kind of look expensive, everyone kept telling me so.
> "ooh, what a NICE bike!" And I always said "whatever, all the actually
> nice bikes cost two and three times as much, but if you say so..." I think
> all the pretty decals and the triple-colored seat don't help much.
>
> Obviously I'll be double-locking from now on (today's lock was just a
> cable lock) and I maybe will look at plastering some stickers on the new
> ride to make it look less "nice". Or something! I'm certainly not going to
> let the next nice book look nice, that's for sure.
>
> So what other bikes should I consider with the features I want (road
> bike with rack eyelets and down tube shifters) and in the same price
> range? And what would I do if none of the LBS don't have any in stock?
> Will shops normally order stuff like that or what?
>
> Thanks for your advice and suggestions.

It's not going to be easy to find a bike with downtube shifters anymore
unless you want to build it yourself (a reasonable option if you have a
modicum of mechanical skill); most will come with integrated shifters,
even at the $500 price point.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

 

[Michael Libby]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 03:56:41 +0000, maxo wrote:

> On Tue, 18 May 2004 02:46:20 +0000, Michael Libby wrote:
>> [snip]
>> So what other bikes should I consider with the features I want (road
>> bike with rack eyelets and down tube shifters) and in the same price
>> range? And what would I do if none of the LBS don't have any in stock?
>> Will shops normally order stuff like that or what?

> Hmm, for a theft resistant bike in the city I'd say get a used 80s
> "sport" bike and throw some fresh bits like tires, tape, etc. on it.
> Older sport bikes usually can accept racks and fenders much more
> easily than the newer ones, due to them usually having "long reach"
> brakes. Then wrap the whole thing in masking tape and spray with whatever
> crappy rattlecan paint you've got handy--just make it ugly! If you ever
> get sick of the "camoflage", you can just peel off the tape. You should
> be able to throw something together that rides like a dream, but doesn't
> look worth a damn for 2-3 bills.

Great suggestion. I've started scouting thrift stores and found one old
road bike from an obscure brand (Corsaro?) for $10 that will need some
improvements, but the cost savings over a replacement Fuji League will buy
a lot of spare/replacement parts.

I'll have to hit the garage sales this weekend. Just have to be careful
not to pick up too many $10 bikes, though!

> good luck, and my sympathies, I just lost my favourite bike of 7 years
> to the thieves.

Sorry to hear that. I just don't understand how there's a market for used
bikes (assuming that's why most bikes are stolen). Not with so many being
thrown away or sold dirt cheap used.

-Michael

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 03:11:35 GMT, Michael Libby
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Great suggestion. I've started scouting thrift stores and found one old
>road bike from an obscure brand (Corsaro?) for $10 that will need some
>improvements, but the cost savings over a replacement Fuji League will buy
>a lot of spare/replacement parts.
>
>I'll have to hit the garage sales this weekend. Just have to be careful
>not to pick up too many $10 bikes, though!

You can also try curb-shopping on garbage day...but then you REALLY
end up with too many bikes.
--
Rick Onanian

 

[maxo]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 07:53:50 -0400, Rick Onanian wrote:

>
> You can also try curb-shopping on garbage day...but then you REALLY
> end up with too many bikes.

That's something that hinges on your location, here in Nashville, you'll
never ever find a decent bike on trash day--though I did get a set of
rollers (!!) once Some cities are good for bikes, some, like
Chicago--rock for furniture on trash day.

I spent two weeks looking for a used bike here, and had to pay $70 for my
70s fixer upper--still cheaper than ebay and shipping, and I did get a
full 600 group and a fresh Campy ti BB (!)

 

[maxo]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 07:48:31 -0400, David Kerber wrote:

> most will come with integrated shifters,
> even at the $500 price point.

How do they do it? Buying power I guess...integrated is all well and good,
but for a city utility/sport bike--one gentle spill and you're out >100
bucks vs. 20 for a brake lever. I still ride ones with the cable though
the top, albeit on fancy Ritchey ergo bars, can't be buggered to change

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...

>That's something that hinges on your location, here in Nashville, you'll
>never ever find a decent bike on trash day--though I did get a set of
>rollers (!!) once Some cities are good for bikes, some, like
>Chicago--rock for furniture on trash day.

I've picked up a frame, a trainer and furniture on trash day. I passed
on an older racermate with power unit and other similar items. If you
are patient and have the time and means to tranport the stuff you find,
you can get quite a bit of decent stuff out of the garbage.
-------------
Alex

 

[Dane Jackson]

maxo <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, 18 May 2004 07:48:31 -0400, David Kerber wrote:
>
>> most will come with integrated shifters,
>> even at the $500 price point.
>
> How do they do it? Buying power I guess...integrated is all well and good,
> but for a city utility/sport bike--one gentle spill and you're out >100
> bucks vs. 20 for a brake lever. I still ride ones with the cable though
> the top, albeit on fancy Ritchey ergo bars, can't be buggered to change

They really aren't that fragile. I'm riding bar-ends predominatly now.
But I put about 11,000 miles on my Tiagra brifters on my OCR2, including
some pretty good (bad ?) wrecks. They were dinged up, but otherwise
fine. Right now they're sitting in my parts box waiting for a cheap road
frame to attach them to.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Chameleon circuits rule- my other TARDIS is two Porches and a Lamborghini!

 

[maxo]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:37:03 +0000, Dane Jackson wrote:

> They really aren't that fragile. I'm riding bar-ends predominatly now.
> But I put about 11,000 miles on my Tiagra brifters on my OCR2, including
> some pretty good (bad ?) wrecks. They were dinged up, but otherwise
> fine. Right now they're sitting in my parts box waiting for a cheap road
> frame to attach them to

That's comforting to know, I may be getting something new in the next
year, and I've been suspicious of the integrateds durability. I've test
ridden quite a few, and they certainly are handy and comfortable. I still
have the opinion that they aren't elegant looking, and prefer the graceful
loops of cable, but perhaps I can exorcise the the retro-grouch demons LOL
(hell, I'm still friction shifting--gives me something to do with my hands )