What's with the TreasureTrove

There hasn't been anything at the transfer station in months: no bikes, no frames, no wheels. I am hoping to find something like an 80's Shogun, Fuji, Miyata. I'll strip it and build it up as a trainer bike -- keep my good bike from taking the stresses of the trainer. (Using a trainer wheel with a harder durometer tire causes the shifting to go out of adjustment since the slignment of the casettes is just a bit different).

Regarding a true TreasureBike, I haven't seen anything!

Mother's Day Gift

I had a great TreasureBike experience on Mother's Day.

Earlier the week before I had been in one of local shops where I am known. I was just chatting with one of the guys and we talked about "project" bikes. I showed him TreasureBike and he told me about a SunTour XC Pro bike he was building up -- and his hard time finding shifters.

We'll, I was a huge SunTour fan back in the old days. I owned and loved Campy, but greatly admired SunTour -- especially for their Superbe groupset. Next to Campy, I considered it to have the best finish and function. Heck, much of it was "Campy Copy". Shimano, for a long time, had adequate functionality, but poor finish quality. Of course, that all changed. However, when I started into off-road cycling, I held these notions and stuck with SunTour for a while. It was on my bike, and the bike I bought my brother (pro-deal discount during my bike shop days). Shimano now dominates and the SunTour of yore is long gone.

It turns out I had a few SunTour parts around waiting for something and this was it. I gave to my shop friend some XC LTD thumb shifters (2nd tier -- not XC Pro) and an XCE rear derailleur (3rd tier) on Mother's Day on the way to our celebration. It was a "pay-it-forward" TreasureBike experience.

What goes around come around. That's definitely at the heart of TreasureBike.

"Chain Tensioner"

This one is "hors categorie" TreasureBike stuff. Calling it a chain tensioner is a bit of a misnomer. However, functionally speaking, that's about all its good for. Aesthetically, and as a statement, however, its pure treasure.

My dad bought this 20+ years ago when it was already NOS. He had plans of building up a lightweight super-bike, or French-ish super-bike anyway. This would be controlled via Simplex Retro-friction shift levers (which he is still using on his bike). Eventually, the dream of that project slipped away with the acceptance of the Jubilee's limited functionality. I have never seen one on a working bike -- probably because the design (pivots) wasn't great. Though we didn't know it then, it turns out the special frame hanger was missing, so it never would have worked right.

I had it in a TreasureBox for a long time. I was cleaning up a while back and offered it to the shop I had worked at years ago -- a "thank you" for still offering me discounts -- in case someone needed it. The "boss" (owner and still friend) looked at it and said simply "for a single speed". Many might not have understood the significance of that fragment, but I did. How did I not see it previously? Ah, the wisdom: use it as a chain tensioner for a single-speed conversion. Brilliant.

Now with "the" pedals, a TreasureBike is starting to take shape. Next up, some thoughts on brakes. Then musings on frames.

Nice Meeting

The trove hasn't been too active lately. The same bikes have been sitting for a while, though I did pick up a 700c TIG cromoly fork. That will come in handy at some point.

I did happen upon a free kid's (Gary Fisher MTB) bike while on a 30-miler the other weekend. I thought I'd go back for it after the ride, but turned around and claimed it. When I picked it up, I chatted with the dad. He is the Medical Director (an actual doctor) at one of the big local universities. Nice guy. Reminded me of my late uncle who was also a doctor. Thank you for the bike! It will definitely be put to good use.

Is this the "ultimate" TreasureBike?

I was doing some research at the Speedplay site and was reminded of this bike, which was featured once in Bicycling magazine.

By "ultimate TreasureBike" I mean, of course, the one that was obtained for free! The clone is sweet, but is definitely NOT a TreasureBike. The cost to secure some of those parts, let alone the frame, is pretty crazy. I am happy they did it, but that's not what this blog is about.

Maybe I'll find a TreasureBike that nice some day!

The Dawes

We moved to our house almost 11 years ago. The town's transfer station (where we drop trash and recycling) has a bicycle section that has been a TreasureBike trove from time to time. Right now I'll focus on the insipration for TreasureBike: a dark green, early 70's (I'm guessing from the SunTour derailleur) Dawes retrieved on March 7th, 2009.

The frame was in bad shape and was not safe for saving. It looks like a rider came down hard on the saddle since the seat tube was buckled at the BB. But several parts were worth keeping. In particular, the bike had a pair of Marcel Berthet Lyotard pedals -- the ones shown in the blog header.

I had been looking for these pedals for over 26 years. Yes, 26 years. I can remember being a freshman in high school (26 years ago) and picking up Eugene A. Sloane's The Complete Book of Bicycling. In that book were contained pictures and illustrations of great and classic parts. Daniel Rebour illustrations were among them. I have always recalled the technical illustration of the Berthets and have always wanted to own a pair. You can get them NOS for around $15 0n Ebay, but to find them TreasureBike-style was a great day. They are pretty rusty, and need to be repacked with new bearings, but they are still rewarding after all these years. I thought I was the only person with a fondness for these until I saw this CyclingNews.com photo from this year's Hand-built Bicycle Show. White Industries clearly has a fondness for them too.

Additionally, the Dawes provided my first head badge. The Dawes badge appears to be made from gold-tone aluminum. Its light weight and has no oxidation. It is quite intricately stamped and painted. I would guess its a cheaper version of what they may have used in previous decades (like other brands): brass and enamel. Its still an impressive piece. I have come across other interesting badges before, but always on bikes that were still rideable. I have never considered it right to rob a rideable bike of its badge. That seems kind of sacriligious. To save the badge from a dumpster-bound bike, on the other hand, seems like saving a gargoyle from a church that would be razed -- a memory of something that once brought someone happiness.

In my next few posts, I'll be writing about other parts (that I have and need to find) that could go with these pedals. I'll also contemplate what frame should be used and request your input.

Welcome

TreasureBike is all about the magic of discovery. That magic may be the result of finding a vintage part, a discarded frame, or a new use for something long since relegated to a dusty basement or garage. Most importantly, it’s about paying nothing – or next to nothing – for something that is special in some way.

Yeah, I have a modern road bike with Dura-Ace 7800 and Ultegra 6600. I wouldn’t trade the Easton EA50SL wheels and EC90 carbon post, nor the new 3T Ergosum bars, for anything. But there is something special in finding great old things that connect you with the best of cycling technology from other times and places.

This is not about Ebay, Craiglist, or your local club swap. As beautiful as they are, this is not about a NOS, NIB show bike -- no matter how we admire them (and I do). TreasureBike is about two critical things:

Finding the elements of a TreasureBike, paying no more than garage-sale prices for them, or reusing the really old things you have
Assembling them for use on a bike to ridden – not displayed

It’s mostly about the search and that moment of discovery.

Check back for updates and pictures of new finds.

Welcome to TreasureBike!