My Old Bike

[mimbresman]

This bike is not a mountain bike, but its an adventure bike... I've had it since 1981. When it was new I rode this bike from Albuquerque, NM to Jasper, AB, then on to BC (via the train) up the BC coast, Denman and Hornby Islands, across Vancouver Island in one day, the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands.

Its also been on short tours and day rides in Michigan (double century), Illinois to Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oregon, Arizona, etc.

This bike got me through college when I didn't have a car, and I was actually buying new toeclips for it at the Bike Coop in Albuquerque and walked out with toeclips and a Trek 850. The old Univega pretty much got shelved after that.

She's still around, hanging from the rafters in my mom's garage. She a good bike. When I am home, I air up the tires and take her for a spin.

Her coolest notalgic features are; Mafac cantilevers, 5-speed Suntour (friction of course), triple Ofmega crank, and Eclipse racks and panniers.

[longhaultruker2]

i like it,M.'specially with the history it holds w/ you.
the oldest bike that i kept that i bought new is a mid-sh '90's diamond back....but it's in peices,strung out betweenst 3 sheds,the frame's in primer,etc,etc,etc.
the problem in that is,it's been in that exact condition since 2000 or so:o

[north20]

Good stuff; cool that you get to tool around on her when the chance presents itself.

I had a Specialized Expedition back then ( maybe a couple years newer than your Univega ) when they were still beefy touring bikes. While I still own it, I haven't even seen it in a couple years ... A friend's daughter is using it for school transportation and she's attending college in a different state. Makes me feel good knowing the thing is still being used for what I originally bought it for: getting around and loaded touring.

[mimbresman]

One of my tours on that bike was in 1984. I had finished summer classes. I was done with all my class work and just had student teaching to do. My work study job was done. I had no income. I was going to start a new part-time job in about a week. $32.00 was all I had to my name, so I decided to go for a bike ride. My budget would be $8.00/day. I figured it would be the cheapest way to live for the next few days.

It was a 4-day tour. On day 1...had the panniers packed with ramen noodles, mac and cheese, and granola bars from my cupboard. I headed out a I rode up Hwy 180 and camped in the trees off the road. I bought an ice cream bar (it was late July), maybe some water and stuff at a mom and pop. Total cost was less than my budget.

Day 2...Rode from near Reserve, NM to Alpine, AZ, then on to Hannegan Meadows at 10,000 ft in the Blue Range. At Hannegan Meadows I set up camp, rode over to the general store to have a beer. A guy sitting at the bar saw me come in and said, "Hey its the bicyclist! Let me buy you a beer." So I was under budget that day too.

Day 3...Left Hannegan Meadows down route 666 (great number...unfortunately AZ changed it, but it is still route 666 in New Mexico) and headed for Morenci. The descent was steep, curvy, and long. At Morenci (maybe 5000 ft) the workers at the Phelps Dodge copper mine were on strike. They called me a scab as I rode through town. I decided not to stop. I rode on to 3-Way, AZ then the long climb up to the New Mexico border. I camped down a dirt road near the NM border. I spent a little money at the 3-Way store, but I was still under budget.

Day 4...Head back to Silver City. I am riding out of the hills beyond Mule Creek, NM and there is a pronghorn antelope in the road. Since I was going slightly downhill, I coast toward the antelope. The antelope starts running down the road. I am right behind it pedaling in high gear. I am just a few feet behind the antelope. I sprinted and the antelope spooks, jinxes right, and heads straight into a barbed wire fence. Antelope fur went flying! The poor guy was tangled in the wire for a few minutes, then got itself unwrapped, scooted under the fence and ran off. I felt like a chump.

I continued on to Silver City arriving about 3:00 in the afternoon. I still had something like $10.00 left. Luckily I was to start my new job a few days later.

[davkatreb]

Jeeze, mims, why would anyone need more bike than that? She's a looker, a'right; reminds me of the 1976 Raleigh I got last summer to build up fixed.

Funny thing-I rode the thing fixed awhile and it was like floating on a big fluffy cloud. Wanted something a tad more burly for fixed, though, so I swapped the track wheels and Sugino over to the Crosscheck. Much better-suited to its purpose.

So I'm gonna put the original 27 inch wheels on the Raleigh along with some nice Shimano 600 stuff and old skool shifters. 27 inchers on Normandy high flange hubs with five speed. Shimano 600 road double. (Got a triple crank but it's a fugly boat anchor. Not going on a lugged steel frame.) They made shit right back then, and they made it to last. Shame not to use it.

[RepublicanSS]

Its cool that you have a bike with such a history. The other day some friends I ride with and I were waxing poetic about our old bikes and I thought of my old Schwinn Sierra (with bullmoose bars) I had in college. It was too damn big for me (23") and I wracked my boys a few times on it, but hey that's life. After I graduated I sold it a mailman that lives in taft. He is four inches shorter than I and he still rides that bike today. The seat is all the way down, no post showing, lol, but he does ride it.

I just remember taking long rides and half the time having no idea where I was, but hey as long as I made it to class it really didn't matter when I made it back. Noe worries and those were great times.

[davkatreb]

Its cool that you have a bike with such a history. The other day some friends I ride with and I were waxing poetic about our old bikes and I thought of my old Schwinn Sierra (with bullmoose bars) I had in college. It was too damn big for me (23") and I wracked my boys a few times on it, but hey that's life. After I graduated I sold it a mailman that lives in taft. He is four inches shorter than I and he still rides that bike today. The seat is all the way down, no post showing, lol, but he does ride it.

I just remember taking long rides and half the time having no idea where I was, but hey as long as I made it to class it really didn't matter when I made it back. Noe worries and those were great times.
The politics forum is thataway.>>>>>>

[BMAC]

One of my tours on that bike was in 1984. I had finished summer classes. I was done with all my class work and just had student teaching to do. My work study job was done. I had no income. I was going to start a new part-time job in about a week. $32.00 was all I had to my name, so I decided to go for a bike ride. My budget would be $8.00/day. I figured it would be the cheapest way to live for the next few days.

It was a 4-day tour. On day 1...had the panniers packed with ramen noodles, mac and cheese, and granola bars from my cupboard. I headed out a I rode up Hwy 180 and camped in the trees off the road. I bought an ice cream bar (it was late July), maybe some water and stuff at a mom and pop. Total cost was less than my budget.

Day 2...Rode from near Reserve, NM to Alpine, AZ, then on to Hannegan Meadows at 10,000 ft in the Blue Range. At Hannegan Meadows I set up camp, rode over to the general store to have a beer. A guy sitting at the bar saw me come in and said, "Hey its the bicyclist! Let me buy you a beer." So I was under budget that day too.

Day 3...Left Hannegan Meadows down route 666 (great number...unfortunately AZ changed it, but it is still route 666 in New Mexico) and headed for Morenci. The descent was steep, curvy, and long. At Morenci (maybe 5000 ft) the workers at the Phelps Dodge copper mine were on strike. They called me a scab as I rode through town. I decided not to stop. I rode on to 3-Way, AZ then the long climb up to the New Mexico border. I camped down a dirt road near the NM border. I spent a little money at the 3-Way store, but I was still under budget.

Day 4...Head back to Silver City. I am riding out of the hills beyond Mule Creek, NM and there is a pronghorn antelope in the road. Since I was going slightly downhill, I coast toward the antelope. The antelope starts running down the road. I am right behind it pedaling in high gear. I am just a few feet behind the antelope. I sprinted and the antelope spooks, jinxes right, and heads straight into a barbed wire fence. Antelope fur went flying! The poor guy was tangled in the wire for a few minutes, then got itself unwrapped, scooted under the fence and ran off. I felt like a chump.

I continued on to Silver City arriving about 3:00 in the afternoon. I still had something like $10.00 left. Luckily I was to start my new job a few days later.
That must of been a fun ride coming down that mountain,If you've not been through there in awhile the town of Stargo and old Morenci are completely covered by the mine now.

[mimbresman]

That must of been a fun ride coming down that mountain,If you've not been through there in awhile the town of Stargo and old Morenci are completely covered by the mine now.

I haven't been to Morenci in a LONG while. We used to play them in football when I was in high school. Their football field was built on a slag pile butted up against a cliffwall. If you wanted to kick a field goal or extra point, the kicking team had to go to the endzone at the cliffwall so not to lose the football. If kicked off the other endzone, the ball would go off the slag pile and roll down the hill.

I remember that descent off Hannigan Meadows was fun.

[mimbresman]

The old girl still has it!

The Univega rocked the Katy! Well worth the money getting back into shape. Smooth, comfortable, fast (relative term here). Tooks some hits at Rhineland but kept going. Stable!

The old Eclipse panniers worked great. Had to zip-tie the bottom bungees in place (what do you expect from 27 year old panniers). Pics when I get home.

[phlatlander]

The old girl still has it!

The Univega rocked the Katy! Well worth the money getting back into shape. Smooth, comfortable, fast (relative term here). Tooks some hits at Rhineland but kept going. Stable!

The old Eclipse panniers worked great. Had to zip-tie the bottom bungees in place (what do you expect from 27 year old panniers). Pics when I get home.

so we won't have to wait, here's Mimbs & his girl enjoying MO's hot hot heat.
24907

[rockyrider]

so we won't have to wait, here's Mimbs & his girl enjoying MO's hot hot heat.
24907Great band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxuiUpU8G8M) that, but they're from Victoria, BC not Missouri.

[mimbresman]

I fell in love all over again...

[ironspoke]

Good stuff Mimbs!

That tape looks like you need to put a few thousand miles on it. I have a feeling you'll get there soon enough.

:D