On our way home I decided to take a back road for a change, and to avoid a little traffic, and along the way out of the corner of my eye in the dark I saw what looked like the faint red twinkling of a bicycle reflector reflecting the light from my headlights on the side of the road. I zipped passed and began to think "hmmm was that a bike someone was trying to get rid of or throw away?"
Having been keeping my eye out for 80's era bicycles and curious as to what that reflection was I quickly asked Bec if she would mind me turning around to see what it was. Of course Bec being the sweetheart she is didn't mind at all.
As I pulled up to the bottom of this driveway I could see some things laying in the yard of this home. Positioned for abandonment I knew the items were being discarded. I saw one bike lying there, but could tell that it was just a junkie mountain bike, and behind that a piled mess of stuff. I figured it couldn't hurt to stop and see what it was so I did. As I walked up to it I could make out the faint outline of a bike, as I got closer I realized it was a road bike. Not until I picked it up could I tell that it was definitely an 80's bike. With the little glee of a school girl I ran the frame over to the car to see what kind of condition it was in and then the best news of the night... it was a BIANCHI! I about sharted there on the spot. An extremely well known brand having been around since 1885 producing some the finest bicycles in the sport. I of course was not going to let this bike go and I promptly threw the frame and two wheels into the back of the car.
I couldn't believe that someone would just throw this bike away! It may not have been brand new and was in need of a little fixing up, but to throw away such a great bike! But as Bec then stated on the way home, as I was giddy with joy, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." At no other point has that phrase pertained to me as much as it did right then.
Since that glorious night I've been working on cleaning it up and replacing some of the parts to get it in working order again. I think I have to thank the person who owned it not only for getting rid of it, but for keeping it in such great condition over the past 22 years.
The Original
Cleaned Up
I tore everything apart to give it a real good cleaning 
All the components off the bike for cleaning 
All cleaned up and put back together
A complete nearly restored 1987 Bianchi Strada 
6 comments:
Dude, Jesse, that is sweet! Way to clean that sucker up!
Thanks! It took me only a couple of days to really get it in good condition and I only had to buy new tires, tubes, handlebar grip tape, and a seat. Everything was under $100 and people are selling this bike for 2 or 3 times that... crazy huh?
Your post made me laugh out loud, you little sharting school girl!
She's a beauty!
pretty sweet score, too bad some poor little italian man in harrisburg is beating all the little neighbor kids for stealing his bike that his ex-wife threw on his front yard when she was returning all his crap.
Well I actually took it out of a garage, but the door was open and the people were looking the other way so I figured it was free rein.
Nice ride. I'll be in touch with a list of retro items I'd like to have. Perhaps you could keep an eye out for me?
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