Justin's Bicycle Shop, Open For Charity!

[yoothgeye]

Here are the bikes that were brought to me Monday night:

$200 Tricycle:


$175 Scooter, this thing is awesome, my 5 year old son is loving it, the platform is aluminum and it has a full aluminum skid plate under it and the V-brakes stop it quick.


And the J.C. Higgins lady bike, I recognize the Murray chainring and dropouts... any idea on year?

[yoothgeye]

April 3rd 2012: The little boy that I gave the blue Huffy 10 speed road bike to showed up yesterday riding on a flat back tire, go figure. Since the gears didn't work anyway I pulled off the cables, removed the rear derailleur, and took off the chain. I grabbed a 27" wheel/tire off my wife's old 10 speed bike, pretty chrome with yucky gumwalls, but after the compressor it was holding air. I took off the multispeed freewheel and swapped on a 20 tooth freewheel from an OCC Chopper wheel. Then I put the wheel on the bike and dangit if the Huffy didn't have 26" wheels. No fit, no way. I had no skinny tires to fit the original wheel and no tubes, well, his old bike was still in the yard, so he went and got that. I pulled out a Mongoose frame he wanted and gave that to him and he rode off on his old bike holding another frame. It didn't feel like I got much done with this customer today.

[cman]

I have days at work like that too.

As long as you are having fun, you will reep the rewards.

[kingfish254]

That JCH frame looks a lot like the Murray Meteor Flite that I picked up. I was guessing early 60s on it.

[brett4christ]

What's a bike like these last two ladies bikes worth? Not really sure of the maker, but it lookd darn close to both of these. The front rack on the one I found, if I remember correctly, had two "pads" or "plares" that made up the "load" surface, and the rear rack had a chrome rod down each side. It's in about the same shape as both of these, but does have both wheels, though, I can't remember the condition.

I went to pick up some bikes for my ministry. and the guy said he wanted to keep that one. His only reason was he thought it was old. It did have a city registration decal from '75. I may go back and "educate" him on the financial burden of restoring a bike in such condition. In realith it would need it all....tires/tubes, seat, bars, stem, pedals, a MAJOR clean/sand/paint, and maybe some re-chroming.

Thoughts?

[kingfish254]

In general, I don't think there is much "collectable worth" to a lot of ladies bikes. They are typically worth more as parts bikes for mens bikes. I will be removing the tank, front and rear racks, chainguard, seat, etc....... from my Meteor Flite.

[yoothgeye]

I feel the same, had that JC Higgins been a man's bike I'd be thinking about what I was going to do with it, while I already know what I'm doing with the lady bike... turning it into a pile of parts. The lady it came from was the original owner, she paid $20 for it new. I need to save these old lady frames for a burrito build.

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Justin,
I don't know what your plans are for the tricycle (flip it/part it), but there are some cool 'reusable' parts on it. Those emblems would look great on rat rod tank for starters, the front fender would look great on the rear of a scooter, and that headlight cowling.......

You may be able to pull the emblems and still flip it (best of both worlds)

Good luck and great work you're doing. You may never know the influence you have on the kids you help out, but trust me, you do.

Cheers,
Dr. T

[yoothgeye]

Justin,
I don't know what your plans are for the tricycle (flip it/part it), but there are some cool 'reusable' parts on it. Those emblems would look great on rat rod tank for starters, the front fender would look great on the rear of a scooter, and that headlight cowling.......

You may be able to pull the emblems and still flip it (best of both worlds)

Good luck and great work you're doing. You may never know the influence you have on the kids you help out, but trust me, you do.

Cheers,
Dr. T

Thanks Doc, right now my daughter is riding this tricycle, I also have one of the trikes like you get at farm supply stores with the heavy duty frame and big pneumatic tires that will remain in the family, but I've also recently acquired 2 heavy duty school playground tricycles and a cheap Mongoose tricycle that I will be donating to my son's preschool, currently the kids fight over the tricycles they already have there that are falling apart.

You are right though, very cool parts/ideas on this tricycle. I will be fixing the light, just has a bad battery pack (already have a replacement) and needs the switch on the handlebars rewired. Why does a tricycle need a headlight? I don't know, but it will stay.

[yoothgeye]

Today at Justin's Bicycle Shop I will be doing some spring cleaning (per Mrs. Justin), this will include scrapping some bikes. I normally give any scrap steel to the roving junk men to cruise the alleys here, but today I have enough metal all at once to actually reap the benefits myself. I will be piling all the steel I can on my trailer for a trip to the recycler for some money. I know my scrap guy won't be happy when he sees some stuff gone and knows that it didn't go into his truck, but it's my trash, I might as well finally make some money off of it.

[kingfish254]

Don't you hate it when the CEO makes you downsize!!!??????

[brett4christ]

Just don't forget me and my post-Easter field trip to Justin's Bicycle Shop!

PM sent!

[DesignIt]

Very cool "business model"! Your "return on investment" may be a bit longer range than most, but it will pay off in a big way!

[yoothgeye]

Don't you hate it when the CEO makes you downsize!!!??????

Haha, I would if she was indeed making me, she just says its time to clean up, and I see this as a good time to throw out some stuff and make some money at the same time. Scrap guy stopped by a few minutes ago, he's circling like a shark, he won't be happy when he sees some big pieces gone.

[brett4christ]

It's your stuff and he's a big boy! He'll get over it!