SOLD - 1968 Ladies Austrian Sears & Roebuck Five Speed

I procured this rare bike from a dude who also tried to sell me his above ground pool and his 1977 Ford pickup truck. He was the kind of guy who "knows a guy" for just about any situation you may find yourself in. You need a truckload of granite slag for your driveway? He knows a guy. You wanna learn how to build a perpetual motion machine? He knows a guy. You lookin' for a weird old bike from Austria that was made in the 1960's and sold at Sears? He knows a guy.

This is one unique ride with a great combination of original features: 27" wheels, a two-tone leather seat, five speeds, some wild Austrian decals, lots of chrome, and a "rat-trap" rack on the back. It was a little dirty and rough with oxidation. The chrome cleaned up very well and the original paint shined up nicely. I tuned the brakes and gears and added new tubes, hybrid gumwall tires, and hand grips.

With a leaner frame, fenders, a rack, and five speeds, this is a perfect city bike.

$150.00

Fuel

"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race."

- H.G. Wells

Fuel

I'm proud of how much Pittsburgh has done for the cycling community. Incredible trails, bike friendly buses and businesses, car-free commuter events, and more. If you live in or around Pittsburgh, or plan on visiting soon, check out this site:

http://bike-pgh.org/

SOLD - 1976 Fuji Sports 10 - My Bike

I received a call from a woman a few weeks ago. She said, "I know you sell bikes but do you ever do trades?"

Normally I don't.

She went on, "I babysit this little boy who loves to ride bikes but his was stolen. A thoughtful neighbor gave him an old ten speed bike but it is waaaay too big for him. He can't even get his legs over the bars. I think you would like the style of this bike a lot. I thought you may have something that would fit him."

I told her I had a possible match in a used mountain bike (a gawdy looking thing with lots of logos and shock absorbers and technical flare) that I didn't want anymore. I arranged to come check out what she had to offer. When I pulled up to her garage I saw this 1976 Fuji Sports 10 Road Bike and I instantly fell in love. I wanted that bike! Now, the big question was, would this little kid like the bike I had to offer? Suddenly, I felt strangely nervous. The lady called in to the house and out came the kid. I was at the mercy of his young opinion. I gently rolled the bike up to him and presented it as an offering in hopes of his acceptance. He looked at me, then at the bike, then to his babysitter, then back to the bike. With each glance his smile grew larger. Things were looking up! I told him to take it for a test ride. He looked to the babysitter for permission, which she granted, and he hopped on and pedaled down the street.

The babysitter called out, "Do you like it?"

He lifted his head skyward and screamed, "OH YEAH!"

Everybody wins.

Fuel

"Revolution might be too much to expect, but I do believe that Americans are more ready to forsake their 'cars on steroids' than they have been for a while."

- David Byrne, talking to Death and Taxes magazine about his new book, Bicycle Diaries

About Five and Dime Bicycles

My wife had her mind set on getting a retro balloon tire beach cruiser. She shopped around and found one that seemed affordable, about $150.00, from a big department store. I wanted to surprise her by buying it and having it waiting in our living room for her to find when she returned home from work. After seeing the bike first hand at the store however, I had my doubts as to whether it would hold up or not. I left the store, headed home, and went online to read some user reviews from people who purchased the same bike. What I found was not pretty. Complaints ranged from "uncomfortable ride" all the way to "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE FELL APART AFTER ONLY 2 MONTHS!!! SOMEBODY CALL THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU!!!"

So, department stores might not be the way to go. I started hitting Craiglist in search of a quality vintage bike. I found several that looked perfect but every time I contacted the seller I was informed that the bike had already been sold. That got me thinking that there just might be a market for clean, solid, reliable vintage bikes. If a bike is still in good shape after 20, 30, 40, or more years, it is obviously built well. Plus, old bikes are just plain cool.

The goal of Five and Dime Bicycles is to provide incredibly affordable, eye-catchingly unique, ready-to-ride vintage bikes. We're rescuing old bikes from basements, garages, yard sales (where I found my wife's bike!), and flea markets and getting them back where they belong - on the road. We personally favor the style of old ten speeds, road bikes, and cruisers so that's what you'll find the most of at Five and Dime. Riding a bicycle is economical, fun, good for you, and good for the environment. We're looking forward to matching up old bicycles with new owners.

Think globally, bike locally. - Five and Dime Bicycles

SOLD - 1986 Free Spirit

1986 Free Spirit 26" Ladies' Campus Cruiser. The previous owner must have loved this bike because it has been very well taken care of. All I had to do was tune it up, clean it up, shine it up, and it was ready to ride. The sunset orange paint matches the brown leather seat and brown hand grips perfectly. This bike rides like a cruiser but has the thinner tires and weight of a road bike making it very agile and perfect for city commutes. There are many, many years of good riding left in this bicycle!

$100.00

SOLD - 1988 Murray Monterey

This 1988 Murray Monterey 26" was rescued from the clutches of some abusive little children at a yard sale. The heathens had almost completely destroyed it. Perched like vultures on the porch steps, the kids shot us icy glares as we carried the bike away to safety. When we found it, the tires were flat, handlebars bent, rims taco'd, and frame covered in rust. Here's a picture:

(warning - not for the faint of heart)

The bike was completely stripped down, aligned, tuned up, given a new two-tone paint job, tubes, and tires. It is a heavy bike with a solid steel frame and it cruises like a dream. Balloon tires and a wide, springy seat make for a very comfortable ride. This bike has been getting a lot of attention in the short time that we took it out for photos. I wish I had a few more of these ready because I could sell them all quickly.

$135.00