My Bikes

Like most avid cyclists, I have collected a “fleet” of bikes over the years. They are all steel frame, heavy bikes. Not great for speed (I rarely ever get in a hurry anyway), but excellent for comfort and for hauling stuff. I really have no need for a bike that I cannot put racks and fenders on. With the exception of my touring bike, all of the bikes I currently own are either freebies or yard sale purchases.  My regular daily work commuter (I retired in 2014) was an old Schwinn World Sport that I rescued from a trash pile on the side of the road. It served me well for many years, and is still in my basement as a single speed.

 Around the time I retired, I bought an old Viscount Grand Prix from a yard sale for $15. It is now my daily ride around town running errands and just cruising. 

My touring bicycle is a 1998 Heron Touring bike that I bought used.  This bike came with a story that I enjoy sharing. The previous owner, Ebb, was 84 years old and was participating in the Bike Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT).  According to Ebb’s friend, David, who handled the sale of the bike, Ebb drifted off the side of the road during the BRAT, and died immediately from heart failure. David shared with me that Ebb had told David that when Ebb died, he wanted his bike to go to someone that would put it on the road. I feel honored that Ebb’s family sold his bike to me. My first couple of tours were done on a Trek hybrid bike and it did fine, but what a huge difference to the better it makes to ride a quality touring bike frame when fully loaded. 

Below is my bicycle junkyard, a/k/a basement. My wife is not at all fond of all my bikes. I try to explain to her that when you ride old bikes, you have to collect old bikes to use for parts because a lot of old bike parts are now obsolete. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.