For me, riding and building road bicycles is one of those things that God threw into my life as a little extra. I'm a gear head, and I love tools and mechanical things. If I must be philosophical and theological, I'd say our human impulse to create is a result of having been created in the image of God who created magnificently beautiful things for the apparent joy of being gratuitously creative (mountain ranges, sunsets, coral reefs, rain forests, desertscapes, starry nights, aurora borealis, and the list goes on and on). God is no pragmatist; he just loves beautiful things.
Below are a few of my favorite bike builds:
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| My first road bike: rare 1980s Dedel, rebuilt from junk parts. It will always be first in my heart. |
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| 1980s Cannondale racing frame, period parts All-American (probably made in Japanese factories) |
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| 1990s Bianchi single speed (SS) conversion All Italian (probably made in Japanese factories) |
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| 1970s Gitane Tour de France rebuild (French) French bikes are a real pain to refurbish with their proprietary parts. |
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| 1990s Raleigh Technium, rebuilt new saddle, pedals, tape, seat |
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| 1960s Raleigh Grand Prix, rebuilt, original paint, new shifters, derailleurs, saddle, and wheels |
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| 1960s Raleigh Sprite, rebuild, original paint more for cruising and city commuting |
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| My best build to date: 1970s Peugeot frame (I think). painted, new wheels, SS flip-flop conversion, total rebuild |
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| 1980s Schwinn Le Tour II. built it with my little brother Cody cool bike, great memories |
Charlie
And then after you fall in love with cycling, Charlie will build you a bike and you will join our riding group
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, they all look the same. Just different colors. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's OK, Bailey, I understand. If you've never been around road bikes, they do all look the same. to me, they're all very different.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, love the bikes.
ReplyDeleteThanks. "VIPER" is an excellent screen name.
DeleteThe second to last one is my favorite. I used to do competitive mountain bike racing and triathlons so I also love bikes. Not quite as much as you though. But I love how you can ride a bike for 20 miles an still feel okay (apart from your legs feeling like Jelly) but if you run 20 miles you are pretty much done-for (spelling?). You should definitly take into consideration my contest I presented to you. Even if it isn't for extra credit it would be fun.
ReplyDeleteMr. Mooney, that was very interesting. I had no idea that you were so skilled at building/rebuilding bikes. My Granddaddy rebuilt old cars and I was fascinated with watching him work. Reading this puts me in a happy place because it puts me in a happy mood beacause I think about my Granddaddy and riding my bike.
ReplyDeleteAnna Cain
I think that all of these bikes look awesome! I still cant imagine riding one of them for so long though! They look so uncomfortable!
ReplyDeleteEmily Hill
I could imagine Mr.moony looking at a six year old on his new bike and saying"ha you call that a bike, why dont you get a real bike." and then riding off laughing. -Erwin
ReplyDeleteThese bikes look really neat! It looks like that it would be really hard to ride one of these, and building one! Are they easy to ride? It looks like it would be hard to ride one of these since the wheels are so skinny!? Are they much different than other run-of-the-mill bikes that you would buy at Wal-Mart? How long does it take to re-build a bike like the ones above? This was a neat article, I enjoyed reading it and learning more about these!
ReplyDeleteI love what you said about enjoying the nature and the weather, while biking. I love observing God's creation while doing physical fitness. -Sarah Nekonchuk
ReplyDeleteMy cousin actually builds bikes that look very similar to the ones you posted above. He works near Petit Jean so when we go to visit we usually ride on the trails he knows about. I agree that it is amazing to see God's beautiful creation as you get out and ride. -Tanner Stevenson
ReplyDeleteThis was a pretty interesting article. I think it's pretty cool how you can take an old bike like that and turn it into what is almost a brand new one and that it actually works.
ReplyDelete-Andrew Steely
wow thats really cool!! My dads obssessed with bikes and racing just like you. I showed him the pics of your creations and he was really impressed. Since I've basically been around bikes and bike races my whole life i can totally relate. People dont realize some of the beautiful scenery you see when you go out ride. -Byron Pascoe
ReplyDeletewow Mr. Mooney i knew that you enjoyed riding bikes a lot, but I never knew that you built and worked on bikes. that amazes me! i wish i was more interested in bikes becuase everyone i have talked to says its a great time to enjoy Gods creation while riding around thinking about what wonderful things God has done.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post! I know that Conway is not really a bike-friendly town, but I still like the idea of bike riding. These bikes are super cool and I think it is awesome how skilled you are in rebuilding them!
ReplyDeletehow long does it take to complete a project like that? it looks like a long, tedious process. Seth Bickford
ReplyDeleteI love the looks of the retro bikes! My grandma has a really old baby pink bike with white handle bars, but I have no clue what year or make it is! This was really interesting!
ReplyDeleteMallory Bryant
I like the very first bike. After the years i have gotten into riding bikes and all the cycling mojo. You could say you were and inspiration, but i also watch the big cycling races on TV and that made it all worth it. But i love all of these bikes, only if they had glitter on them they would be better!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy little brother has started riding road bikes and getting all this fancy stuff for his which to me is a huge waste of time. But he's really into it and has his own road bike now with super skinny tires and whatever else a road bike has (I have no idea ask him). But anyway- the way you talk about bikes reminds me of the car world- some of the best bikes ever made aren't just the new, 2013 model. It's the same way with cars- The most coveted cars in the world are old ones- not new.
ReplyDeleteMichael Gattis
Those bikes are pretty amazing! I wish I had a chance to ride them! I am also a person who likes to build stuff. -Kousei Yamamoto
ReplyDeleteI used to love bikes when i was in the states. Those bikes look awesome! It must be hard to build them. I would be too lazy to build..
ReplyDelete-cindy cho
I knew that you love cycling but I can confidently tell that you love it a lot from this post. How can you have these numerous bikes? I personally like cycling, but that was several years ago. So, it's seems cool whenever I see someone who loves cycling. On the other hand, i am also surprised that you aren't fond of cycling to much degree. In your class, I learned that temperance can apply to everything, even to cycling. I like how you applied that into your life. See, because of what I learned in your class, I'm starting to view things in this way. It's interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteI can feel that you really love cycling. Your first bike actually surprised me. Your first bike is so beautiful although it was made from the junk parts! I have a question. Don't you feel tired after you ride your bicycle? If I ride it, my legs hurt a lot ad don't want to ride it for few weeks. However, I want to try ridng a bicycle from my house all the way to the school! It would be a good exercise and it would be another chance for me to feel interested about cycling!
ReplyDelete-Raina Hyun-