Fixing 50 bikes, 31 and 32, Giant Cypress

Miley and Billy Ray as traded

 Hi

 Today I was visiting my Mum and Dad, and on the way home stopped at a free book depot, and then continuing on the same long street spied the bikes shown above. At first I thought it too good to be true, but then on going back to check, it wasn't, there were 2 bikes there free to good home. They are Giant Cypresses, one step through and one diamond frame.

Anyway, after a minor struggle getting them into the car (couldn't close the back hatch, so I secured it with a mancky bit of string ) drove home carefully.

Not too much wrong with them, and I have already taken the chains off and they are soaking in vinegar to derust. One of the big problems seems to be the gearcables on the diamond frame. The coatings have disappeared and they're now just a mess of rusty wires.

After thinking a bit, I decided to call these bikes Miley (step through) and Billy Ray (Diamond frame). Of course I then thought of Miley Cyclist and Billy Ray Cyclist. Ok, Dad jokes over.

Update October10

 The Cypress bikes really couldn't be stored under cover at our place, and I was relieved to hear that Simon from Wecycle had room at his place for 2 I'd fixed. He's about a kilometre away, and I rode one bike (steer / brake / gears right hand) while pushing and steering the other (left hand) to his place and deposited them in his back yard. 

Then I walked home, and found the Mongoose bike above (or ex-bike) in a pile of rubbish outside a building site. I grabbed the bike, and 2 people asked me on the way home if my wheels had been stolen!

In the afternoon, I worked on the step through Cypress out the front of our place on a very pleasant afternoon, and got it going, swapping over rusty handlebars and a gear cable outer from the Mongoose.  The Mongooses rack didn't fit the Cypress, it was too small. Little bit of cleaning up still to do, not much. 

The test ride of the step through Cypress was amusing. It rides well and has a very upright ride position, and the spongy seat was full of water from being left outside. So I got wet shorts, and it looked like I'd p#$%ed myself, and I showed off this fashionable effect to my wife Christine who was reading on the verandah. "I just couldn't wait" "Couldn't hold it back" We are in the midst of a very long lockdown, you do need to laugh about something.

The step through Miley all fixed with reflectors and rear rack added. Should be a nice bike for someone. Rack is from Suzies bike which now has the Mongoose rack.

Here is Billy Ray, mostly fixed. All the gearcables were changed, and the left gearchanger / brake lever was swapped too, it only selected 2 of 3 gears.

Billy Ray, ready to go. Its a big bike, with a 54cm seat tube plus the extra height of a suspension seatpost. Drink bottle cage from Mongoose.

New rack on Mylie, carrying a 27" wheel,

as delivered to Wecycle. I made out a tag for her at this stage, so she can be selected and go to a new home.