BRM's Bike Garage Sale a big success!

     At least twenty (we aren't sure exactly how many we sold) bikes have been saved from unhappy futures in the Boone County Landfill after Saturday's highly successful Bike Garage Sale.  With everything from little kids two-wheelers and bigger-size BMX-ers to adult road, mountain ,and  "comfotr" bikes and several we could only describe as "collectable" or "fixer-uppers", shoppers had plenty to choose from.
      The 70s-vintage Gitane road bike found a new owner who was looking for a summer project, and he seemed excited at the prospect of bringing it back to riding condition.  A great old Kabuki Submariner Mixte -- with virtually every part original -- is going to Montana with an ISU grad student.  I was pleased to find a buyer for my old Trek 830 -- the very first of the made-in-Wisconsin Trek mountain bikes. Sure wish we could have sold Diane's matching one, but it's hard to find somebody who needs a bike that small.

  Browsers looked over the goods -- and took 'em home.  Our favorite customer had to be the guy who showed up on his well-used Schwinn towing a homemade trailer and left with a bunch of tires, tubes, a rack, the old Blackburn repair stand and a heap o' parts from the "Free" box.  How he got it all on that trailer I still don't know, but he used a bunch of bungee cords and pedaled off with the repair stand splayed on top of the pile and everything holding tight -- at least as far as the corner.

     One bike I had hoped would sell quickly didn't get even a nibble: the mint-condition Panasonic 3-speed (circa 1985).  This beauty has it all -- including a unique 3-speed/coaster brake internal hub, a  Pletcher rack to carry stuff on, and there isn't a scratch on it.  As a matter of fact, NONE of the 3-speeds (also 2 vintage English Robin Hoods and a 70s-era Raleigh with a tall men's frame) got much attention, and we still have them all.  (3-speed fans, are you listening???)
     We did sell the "frankenbike" -- our next-door neighbor's full-suspension, Rolling Rock Green Light promo bike.  It went to some grandparents looking for a bike their grandkids could ride when they came for visits, and this one sure fills the bill.  Grandpa will earn a lot of "cool" points with that one.  Diane managed to sell both the Trek 620 roadie and the near-perfect Batavus Mixte Tourist, and we cleared out a bunch of car carriers, rear racks, lights, computers and rubber...not to mention that TriCo Sports hardshell bike travel case that's been hogging storage space for way too long.  Our local cycling coach bought it and has a promising Junior who will be racing in Europe this summer lined up to use it.
     We still have some bikes left.  Besides the 3-speeds there are a couple of girls 20-inchers, two small mountain bikes (the Trek 830 and a 15" Giant Iguana that's in great shape), as well as a nice 18" Ross mountain bike. Contact us if you're interested in any of these.