[PLUG-TALK] Used bicycles in Portland?

[wes]

On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 6:56 PM, John Jason Jordan <johnxj at comcast.net>wrote:

> I live about 17 blocks from the Max yellow line. On August 30 it will
> no longer go to the Galleria; instead it will run up the new transit
> mall directly to PSU, a common destination for me. It will be much
> faster than taking the 35 or 44 bus. However, 17 blocks is a bit long
> with a backpack full of books, yet I hate taking a bus to the Max
> station. Therefore, I am thinking of two-wheeled options. Plus, I could
> use a bike for little trips to the store and stuff. I could even use it
> to pedal my ass all over town. OK, maybe not.
>
> Today I stopped at Freddy's to look at bikes, plus I went to Weir's
> Cyclery in St. Johns and to Cascade Cyclery on Killingsworth. It seems
> that a low price for a decent new bike is about $400. Note that my main
> requirement is "cheap." I am not interested in competition racing,
> taking a world tour, or impressing people with how much money I spent.
> I do want something lightweight (lots of hoisting onto those pegs in
> the Max car), and easy to pedal with several gears. And I want skinny
> tires; no mountain bikes with knobby tires. Otherwise, I don't care.
> Wait ... I do care about the seat. I have in mind the seat of a John
> Deere tractor. I don't know who designs bicycle seats, but I doubt they
> ever actually sat on one.
>
> I also already have a bike that would serve my needs. However, it has
> been in the garage for at least 20 years. The tires are flat and
> probably rotten (32 x 630 ~ 27 x 1 1/4). It has the handlebars that
> curve down, and I recall how uncomfortable it was bending forward all
> the time. And it weighs at least 20 kg. And it has dual brake levers,
> but one of the levers on the right side (rear brake) is broken. It's a
> Rampar, and getting parts of one of this vintage might be difficult -
> although I do note that 27 x 1 1/4 tubes and tires are readily
> available. I could probably resuscitate it for $50-75, but I never
> liked this bike very much. I'd rather get something more recent.
>
> There was a recent discussion here about bicycle shops in Portland, so
> I know there are some readers who know all about where to go. Does
> anyone know of a bicycle shop that might have a decent used bike for
> me? Alternatively, someplace that can find odd parts for a Rampar that
> hasn't been manufactured for decades? (It was a Japanese bicycle made
> for the American market only, for the UK firm Raleigh, in case you've
> never heard of Rampar.) And if I get a different bicycle, it would be
> good to know of someplace where I can donate my old Rampar for
> recycling.
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I am looking for an old bike to restore. If you end up not using your
Rampar, and would consider giving it away, I would not mind having it.

-wes
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