Hiya:
While gawking through the computer stuff at the local Salvation Army
thrift store, I took a gander at what was in the bike rack in the back
this week. A Fuji S-12 S sport tourer and a flat black painted
(original paint) Motobecane 10 speed with drop handlebars (and, on the
Motobecane, extension levers on the brakes, stem shifters, stamped
dropouts). Very clean. Too clean. If they'd been cleaned and degreased
by the SA workers they wouldn't have light dust down by the bottom
brackets. Unused bkes -- how sad.
Adding to the sadness, both of these hardly used bikes were fitted
with nearly identical front fork generator lights, and identical water
bottles (the Cannondale velcro ones) , identical kickstands and
identical frame pumps (Zephal). An unused couple's set of bikes -- how
sad.
Adding to the sadness: Both frames, although different sizes, were
too large for me.
Self-interest aside, it gets sadder -- I talked to one of the
workers about the price and she said the tagged price was standard for
adult bikes ($60). However, earlier in the week, they'd tagged two
beach cruisers "that looked like new" at twice that. Sad. No -- because
they sold the same day. NOW that's sad, especially as local prices for
new single speed beach cruisers range from $99 to $149 for normal
models (and up for premium/boutique branding like Paul Frank, Electra
or Schwinn).
Robert Leone [email hidden]