John Hurley wrote:
> I located parts and invested labor in the old war
> horse. The seduction then took hold, for in pouring
> yourself into a thing, it somehow grows in worth.
Nicely written. Thanks for sharing the story.
An old (1961 I think) Peugeot UO-8 (or whatever they called that model then) was my first classic bike too, so I was right there with you. Wingnuts, steel Simplex derailleurs (Record 60 maybe?), plaingauge frame tubes, Peugeot lugs with the stair-step shoreline. As a kid in 1969 or 70 when my Dad was done with it after many miles, I undertook a slow, methodical teardown/rebuild on it. For example, I unlaced the wheels, overhauled and polished the hubs, straightened and steel-wooled each spoke, and rebuilt the wheels with the original steel rims. No idea that this was considered a waste of time until I brought it in to the local bike shop, expecting some kudos. I was proud, but they LAUGHED at me -- can you imagine?! So, who's having the last laugh now?? Uh, never mind, don't answer that.
An independent sort at age 13, the only reason I went in to the bike shop at all was because, after taking the stem bolt _all_ the way out _and_ the headset locknut all the way off, I still couldn't get the stem out. I do remember it really bothered me to have to ask someone what I was doing wrong. (My Dad could have told me, but it would have been so uncool to my 13-year-old self to ask him, of all people.) No, it wasn't "frozen" by corrosion; I just hadn't known to knock the stem binder cone loose. I seem to remember this caused some hi-larity among the LBS crew as well. But they must have sensed a willing victim, because the shop owner hired me to sweep the floor, break down the boxes... and start learning how to actually work on bikes.
The first UO-8s I assembled "for a living", probably in 1971 or 72, came completely wrapped in heavy shrink-wrap plastic, looking like a chrysalis. First thing we did was place the wrapped bike upside-down on a special steel workstand made for the purpose, with an upright "member" that pierced the plastic and went up inside the seat tube. One of the older guys (well, they were all older than me) made a joke about deflowering, and I'm not sure if I got it exactly (being a virgin myself at the time) but I'm sure I laughed lustily anyway, since I could tell that was expected. I probably would have been grossed out if I had got it.
Since I knew my Dad's old '61 Peugeot inside and out by then, and the '70s ones weren't all that different, I did an adequate job on my first try and didn't get fired. Might've been better for my future financial prosperity if I had, because the bike shop scene took hold of me and didn't let go (if you include framebuilding) until I was 40. No regrets though; money isn't everything. Yes I know, some people actually managed to make a little money in the bike shop scene. No doubt my "money isn't everything" philosophy had something to do with why I was not one of those people.
Mark "Still steel-wools an old spoke rather than replace it sometimes"
Bulgier
Seattle WA USA