Found a free bike...need input.

[BC2COCyclist]

I was headed down to get my stepson from school when I spotted a bike with "free" on it. Intrigued, I went closer to it - I was excited to see "Made in USA" on it so I grabbed it and walked it and my Trek to the school hahaha.

It is steel and extremely heavy. It says Roadmaster and Kodiak and ATB on it. It would appear that was once a bike sold in Sears (not good) but I'm wondering if it's worth keeping as a beater bike due to being "made in USA?" The wheels are out of true, the brakes still work/dunno about the shifting.

My DH looked at me like I am insane when I showed it to him, he thinks it is "too heavy." I've always thought, to some extent that "steel is real."

Rehome it? Fix it up as a grocery-getter/beater bike? It was free...

[Fredwina]

Roadmasters are usually considered of the same Ilk as Huffy, Murray, and Magna.
from looking at the parts diagram (http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-model/Roadmaster-Parts/Bicycle-accessory-Parts/Model-3810SRB/0886/1303200/10037747/00001?blt=06&prst=&shdMod=) it's really cheap (one piece crank, stamped brakes), so it's not worth putting a whole lot into.

[BC2COCyclist]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/Ariansnow/roadmaster1of1.jpgThanks! So it's not worth it even though it's Made in the USA?

A friend of mine thinks it's a re-branded Raleigh from the 80s, given that it is Made in the USA and not somewhere in Asia...thoughts?

eta: apologies for the crappy photo - it was in the back of the van and I didn't have the key to open it.

[Bike Writer]

Free is always good, if you don't want to invest a lot of money into it then this could be your practice work on bike. You might be able to true up the wheels with a spoke wrench and watching an online video? If the repairs you need to make are not costly to purchase items for it you could stand to save a lot by doing the labor yourself, plus you would gain skill and knowledge as a side benefit. Of course, that's only if you are so inclined to enjoy tinkering.

The bike could be kept for an errand bike or fix it up a bit so that it is functional and make someone happy by giving it away, who knows, you may inspire someone who can't afford a bike to take up the sport. Think of how that could change a persons life.

[BC2COCyclist]

Thanks :) DH is more of the tinkering with bikes type...I might give it to one of our cyclist friends hmmmm

[Seajay]

That bike is a death trap. :( Please use it only as a practice repair bike or throw it out. Cut it in half so someone else is not tempted to ride it. Do not give it to a friend.
Not being flippant. Seriously. If this were a car it would be a 1970's Pinto with a rag stuffed in the gas tank, no brakes, bald tires and a bucket in place of a seat.

[BC2COCyclist]

I wonder if it possible to recycle it? (haha re-cycle)

[pll]

How about donating it?

http://bicyclecolo.org/articles/donate-your-old-bike-pg67.htm

[Seajay]

How about donating it?



Assuming the local bike donation service is similar to the one in our neighborhood...They likely will not take it.
The bike cannot be made safe as is and none of the parts on it are usable on another bike.
Sure, its technically a donation, but it ends up being a liability because they would have pay to dispose of it.
Better to hand the bike donation service $10 and throw the bike away in your own trash.

Reminds me of our dump run a couple times a year. People are always coming up to us.
"You can't throw that out, its a perfectly good bike"
"Sir, we donate everything worth donating. These are just scrap metal. Please climb out of the pit. We already cut the tubes so no one would hurt themselves trying to ride them" :)

[luv2climb]

Roadmasters are BSOs ("Bicycle Shaped Objects"). Same with Magna, NEXT, Murray, Huffy, and the rest of the department store bikes.

I have not-so-fond memories of the Murray mtb I bought in 1985 destroying the rear derailleur shortly after purchase. It was used, but still in good condition. Well, as "good" as a BSO can get anyway. :D

A friend of mine insisted on buying a Wal-Mart BSO last summer, despite my warnings and pleas not to. Guess who got to wrench on that POS when it needed almost everything adjusted immediately? :rolleyes: Needless to say, I uttered every cuss word in the book working on that POS!

Even scarier was the e-bike I bought a few years ago from a friend's neighbor. It had a front hub motor on a Roadmaster frame. That thing went at least 20 mph, and the thought of a mechanical failure at that speed caused me to sell it. Besides, I never got into the whole e-bike thing. I always got much more satisfaction from powering the bike myself.

[OakLeaf]

I don't know why you couldn't recycle the scrap metal. AFAIK any ferrous metal is recyclable? If you don't have curbside recycling or a scrapyard near enough to bother with, aren't there all kinds of organizations putting out construction dumpsters for scrap metal drives, like there are here?

[Owlie]

I have not-so-fond memories of the Murray mtb I bought in 1985 destroying the rear derailleur shortly after purchase. It was used, but still in good condition. Well, as "good" as a BSO can get anyway. :D




I relearned how to ride a bike (in the month before buying my bike) on a Murray mtb. The thing was a death trap--almost non-functional brakes, among other issues. It was borrowed from a friend who got it for $25 at a yard sale. Yeah...

[BC2COCyclist]

I am a tree-hugger so the thought of throwing away that much steel horrifies me, I mean I recycle everything I can get my sweaty mitts on....hmmmmm I don't think the BSO will fit in our huge recycling bin...

[OakLeaf]

That's why G*d made hacksaws.

I swear, there was nothing so satisfying as taking a chainsaw to the pressboard cabinet of our old TV, that hadn't worked right in three years, so that the nasty bits would fit in our car to take to the hazmat collection station. :D

[BC2COCyclist]

lol!

[zoom-zoom]

That's why G*d made hacksaws.

I swear, there was nothing so satisfying as taking a chainsaw to the pressboard cabinet of our old TV, that hadn't worked right in three years, so that the nasty bits would fit in our car to take to the hazmat collection station. :D

Here's how my hubby took care of an ancient particle board dresser that was already falling apart: video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=3L_DSePNUF4)

[goldfinch]

A number of you mentioned that the bike is not safe, is worse than worthless, and should be destroyed. How do you know that? I thought frames on just about all bikes were pretty durable and it is the components on the cheaper bikes that may make the bike not work well or even be unsafe. (Assuming that the frame doesn't look rusted out.) I ask because I have bought Craigslist bikes for relatives and they have been fairly old and cheap. I just make sure the bike functioned fine, including braking and shifting correctly, with true wheels, and that it generally looked well maintained, even if it might be a Huffy. Have I been off base?

[pll]

A number of you mentioned that the bike is not safe, is worse than worthless, and should be destroyed. How do you know that? I thought frames on just about all bikes were pretty durable and it is the components on the cheaper bikes that may make the bike not work well or even be unsafe. I ask because I have bought Craigslist bikes for relatives and they have been fairly old and cheap. I just make sure the bike functioned fine, including braking and shifting correctly, with true wheels, and that it generally looked well maintained, even if it might be a Huffy. Have I been off base?

I have the same question as goldfinch. I do not see anything in the bike that would be a red flag to me.

[Irulan]

That bike is a death trap. :( Please use it only as a practice repair bike or throw it out. Cut it in half so someone else is not tempted to ride it. Do not give it to a friend.
Not being flippant. Seriously. If this were a car it would be a 1970's Pinto with a rag stuffed in the gas tank, no brakes, bald tires and a bucket in place of a seat.

Really? Do provide your sources and facts for "death trap" comment please. Isn't that a bit overkill?
I know that it's a piece of junk... but please justify the death trap comment. Plenty of people use POS bikes for errands, commuters, spare bikes and most importantly, when they can't afford something "nice".
Hundreds of low income people can't be wrong, can they?

[Trek420]

All bikes are good :)

[Cynedra]

All bikes are good :)

+1 Awesome comment

[7rider]

All bikes are good :)

I had an aunt who always said, "There are three kinds of "good." There's good, there's no good, and then there's good for nothing." Which is it?
:rolleyes:

[Fredwina]

Considering back in the deep dark past, I got started on a Magna (gasp!), I would vote for the first one:) but then I ride a recumbent.