Justin's Bicycle Shop, Open For Charity!

[yoothgeye]

Yeah, I bought the shop from a retired clown.

From one clown to another!

OK, who's got the rimshot this time?

[yoothgeye]

Yesterday I had to straighten some handlebars, then a boy showed up with a flat, I was tired of fixing it so I gave him the Murray USA mountain bike.

They were waiting around the corner to pounce when I got home today, I had to fix a snapped link on a kid's bike. Seems the local kids are all wanting "pro" BMX bikes, instead of Wally World bikes. I get that. I have one kid on a nice Eastern come and I work on his bike, but many of the kids have been asking me about "Framed" brand "pro" BMX bikes. I have seen the bike a couple times around town, just a white bike with black components and a very simple "Framed" sticker on it, so I looked them up today, seems like only available on eBay for $139 with free shipping. Looks decent.

That's the bike that showed up today with the broken chain link, I like the bike, but it's just got a 1 piece crank, no name brand parts, but with just a rear brake and the micro drive on it, it's a very convincingly cool BMX bike.

I then tightened up a crank arm on a Walmart Genesis BMX bike, the chrome one with fake anodized (read: candy orange paint) parts. And these boys liked bikes, so I sent them away with 2 more free bikes, a 12" kids bike and the 16" chopper I made a couple years back.

Then I was hit with the worst headache I've ever had in my life, I couldn't think, couldn't see straight. I get migraines, but mine come with nausea, this was just an intense headache, made me cry... it's still lingering. Ouch.

[KJV]

one of these days, you might get back to building;
your bikes.

[yoothgeye]

one of these days, you might get back to building;
your bikes.

I sure hope so, I'm trying to figure out when I'm going to have time to build my build off bike. Last year I stayed up late to build, but I'm really not ready to do that this year. Maybe I'll set up a velvet rope in the yard and work inside of it and the neighborhood kids can come and watch me build and I can instruct them while I work on how to fix their own bikes. That's called empowerment!

[kingfish254]

Or you could use them as slave labor!

[yoothgeye]

Or you could use them as slave labor!

Only if it's an anything goes build off.

[KJV]

its the joy of helping others..
Joy ; Jesus,others,yourself.

[yoothgeye]

its the joy of helping others..
Joy ; Jesus,others,yourself.

I know the song to that saying!

[yoothgeye]

OK, without getting into too much detail, the one "customer" I have that comes all the time has had a life that 99% of us could never imagine. I am privileged to the information from church. Trust me, it's been horrible and it's still really bad. He keeps his chin up, but only being in 5th grade, he really shouldn't have to deal with this. He's the one that I gave the frame to and he brought it back and we fixed his bike. I've given him 2 mountain bikes and a road bike and 2 of those bikes have returned to me. He's a good kid and he always asks me about helping him make a special bike for him. I decided tonight after dinner that I would do something for him.

I remembered a frame I had hanging up on the wall, just a cheap BMX frame that I had primered almost a year ago and then left for dead. Inspired by a King Sting that someone did up in "rasta" colors and knowing I had some red, yellow, and green in the shop I went out and got to spraying:



He's been wanting something different so while looking for wheels and tires I grabbed an 18" wheel tire off of a mini OCC Chopper, found the chrome fork from the bike originally, and some chrome bars:



I mounted a 20x3 West Coast Chopper tire on a rear straight laced rim I found, but the chainstays wouldn't let it happen and I wasn't going to modify the frame after just painting it, so I looked some more and I came across a brand new tire I bought last week. It's a Mongoose "flame" tire that was on clearance at Walmart for $4, it was the only one I could find and surprisingly it doesn't match the flame tires that come on the bikes stock, so it actually looks different:



I have a 1 piece crank and chainring that have already been painted with the dark gray hammer finish paint, so I painted a stem to match. I have a set of green foam grips that will tie in the green from the back, back to the front. Just gotta pull out a brake, grab a seat, and some pedals (maybe a chain too, haha) and this bike will be ready for him.

He stopped by and I showed it to him, he's really excited, I told him he would have to take good care of it, not "modify" it (trust me on this one), and keep the brake on it. I'm excited to see how this comes out!

So much for the 2 bikes in the shop I'm working on for myself, I walked circles around them gathering parts for this quick build.

[Fahrrad]

As i have said before, good for you. We need more like ya.

[Peatbog]

OK, without getting into too much detail, the one "customer" I have that comes all the time has had a life that 99% of us could never imagine. I am privileged to the information from church. Trust me, it's been horrible and it's still really bad. He keeps his chin up, but only being in 5th grade, he really shouldn't have to deal with this.

The fact that he has a place to come too and get away from it all for awhile has got to help him tremendously. There is probably a reason he comes to you all the time, and bikes might just be his excuse but not be the real reason. Keep up the good work.

[yoothgeye]

The fact that he has a place to come too and get away from it all for awhile has got to help him tremendously. There is probably a reason he comes to you all the time, and bikes might just be his excuse but not be the real reason. Keep up the good work.

You hit the nail on the head, I had this pegged a while back, he likes bikes, but he likes that I "put up" with him. I always wish I could do more for him, so I'm hoping this will go a long way since this bike is specifically being made for him instead of me just giving him more leftovers.

[KJV]

keep up the ministry , Brother.
your in our prayers. "JOY"

[kingfish254]

The worth of your work will not be judged by the coolness of the bike, or even teh smile on the kid's face, but in the hereafter! Keep it up!!!

[brett4christ]

Love the bike, the idea, and most importantly what you are doing for the kid....and I don't mean building a bike! He'll remember this for a looooooong time!

"....to the least of these......"

SDG
Brett