I'm writing from Minneapolis Minnesota where it's raining
and a bicycle race that was supposed to be happening right
now may get scuttled by the weather....
Earlier this week I found a Carrera 7 lying in an alley near
a church in the seven corners neighborhood near the
University of Minnesota...
As I picked it up, I found it to be surprisingly light
despite its size, and even though the seat was gone, the
chain was hanging and the rear wheel had sustained enough
kicking to be slightly out of shape with a few broken spokes
and difficulty turning....I felt it was special.
I orginally thought it was stolen and have tried using local
bicycle internet groups and bike shops to find the owner
without results. The license is from 1978...so the agency
that does the licensing no longer has records and neither
the Minneapolis Police or the University Police have any
report of it being stolen.
Today someone suggested that it might have been "dumpstered"
which I found difficult to believe since it has been cared
for and has little rust. But anything is possible.
Not knowing anything about Carreras, I searched the net
and found they have a noble history as an Italian
racing bicycle.
Even battered as it is, this Carrera 7 is vibrantly RED and
still full of speed and fire.
Although I could donate it to a program that gives bikes to
those in need, considering it's history and lineage, I'd
like it to go to someone who would appreciate that and
perhaps restore it.
Does anyone know someone in Minnesota who would be
interested in doing that?