Amazing amazing freecycle bikes...

[Jonny69]

Freecycle strikes again!

I wanted to shorten my commute a bit by keeping a bicycle at each end. I already have a freecycle bike that owes me next to nothing but it's a smart bit of kit: ultra-lightweight Reynolds 531 frame, alloy sprint wheels, super skinny tyres, classic Flite saddle and I can't risk leaving it chained up at a station because there's no way I'll be able to replace it. So I put the word out for a junk bike that I can do up, or a frame for me to make a bike up out of my stash of parts.

I've ended up with two more bikes but I'm sort of back where I started

Bike number one is a small-wheeled Raleigh RSW 16 from 1966. It's in fab original condition, rack on the back, dynamo front and back lights and 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub, in dark green. Info here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/rsw.html

So that's quite collectable and they fetch a reasonable amount on eBay.

Bike number two the lady said it was ancient and had skinny wheels and probably too far gone for me to use. Worse case scenario all I needed was the frame and it would have to be pretty dead to not be able to use. I picked it up earlier, it's quite a pretty bike with curvy old-style bars and my first thought was blimey this is light! Had a look online, it's a Viscount which was an aerospace company that used chrome moly tubes in their bikes and alloy forks. Mine doesn't have alloy forks, they are chrome which apparently was due to a recall in 1978. Info here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html

Amazing!

So two sets of tyres and tubes later and I'm the owner of another couple of cracking bikes. Better invest in more locks

I'll get some pics soon but here's a pic of the Reynolds one I got a while back: