Mariposa

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08-13-2007, 07:25 AM
Zen

Mariposa

Here it is, I haven't heard from the owner yet, I'd like to take it to the bike shop and see what Brian thinks
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...ttubedecal.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...Handlebars.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...aTaillight.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...posadetail.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Mariposa2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Mariposa3.jpg

I would hate to change the stem out because it goes with the bike but the angle is just too acute. The downtube shifter- I'm not sure if I'd leave them or move to bar ends...it's all a pipedream at this point anyway.
08-13-2007, 07:47 AM
mimitabby

you can always get a longer stem like what i have on my bike!
It's a really cool looking bike and the price is right!
08-13-2007, 08:01 AM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Oh Jeez it's gorgeous! If you buy it, please consider changing as little as possible on it!
The fenders, headlight, old fashioned brake hoods, downtube shifters, gold pinstriping, rear rack, handlebars....all perfect and original and very nice quality!
The stem is top notch and doesn't seem like an acute angle at all to me, but then I am not used to modern stems made for carbon racing handlebars.
It's a CLASSIC.

I would say the same thing I usually say to people who are contemplating buying a vintage musical instrument in original condition and planning to modernize it to suit them....better to just buy a modern instrument that suits your needs to begin with, rather than taking an instrument that has survived many years in its original state and then remove and replace parts to the extent that you are forever altering the original design and function. Why not let someone else buy the old one who wants to play it and enjoy it for exactly what it is?

I hope you don't take this the wrong way- it's just that I love seeing old bikes like that all pristeen, and I get sad when I see people toss the original parts and put somewhat inappropriate new parts on them. Then the bike winds up looking like a mish-mash and is not really special anymore.
Just my OWN admittedly biased opinion. :o
08-13-2007, 08:03 AM
mimitabby

Lisa, i wasn't suggesting she modernize it. I have a retro stem that fits me. Bottom line you want to be able to ride the bike ... or keep it as a museum piece.
08-13-2007, 08:11 AM
Kalidurga

Zen, instead of changing the stem, would you be able to install a riser or spacer of some sort to bring the bars higher? Considering the angle of the head tube, that might also bring the bars back a tad, too.

That looks like a heck of a deal for $100. But will your Trek get lonely if you start riding the Mariposa instead?
08-13-2007, 09:40 AM
Zen

The Mariposa would be the utility bike for tooling around town on errands (if I ever get to move to civilization)

Do you think it would take slightly wider tires? I'm kinda thinking of it as a towpath bike too.
08-13-2007, 09:56 AM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalidurga

That looks like a heck of a deal for $100...

It's even a hecker of a deal at $25.
SOLD!
TO ME!
08-13-2007, 10:06 AM
mimitabby

FAR OUT! enjoy.. We want blow by blow details :D
08-13-2007, 11:04 AM
RoadRaven

Zen... thats a fabulous pipe dream!

Looking forward to hearing/seeing the next installation!

Great deal - the Scots blood in me has me really admiring a good bargain - and this one is most excellent
08-13-2007, 11:05 AM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by mimitabby

Lisa, i wasn't suggesting she modernize it. I have a retro stem that fits me. Bottom line you want to be able to ride the bike ... or keep it as a museum piece.

Mimi, I wasn't suggesting you were suggesting she modernize it. I wasn't actually responding to your post when I wrote mine. I was speaking in general terms.

Yes, one can certainly change some parts to make this bike fit someone new. But it would be great to use parts that were in keeping with the traditional style of the bike. For instance, black carbon handlebars with black up-slanted stem would look out of place on this beauty.

But hey, I just wanted to give my own esthetic point of view. In the end, people are going to do whatever they want with their bikes.

It sure is a beauty, and if you left it as is you could sell it for way more than $100 on Ebay or Craigslist I'll wager.
08-13-2007, 11:10 AM
RoadRaven

Zen... thats a fabulous pipe dream!

Looking forward to hearing/seeing the next installation!

Great deal - the Scots blood in me has me really admiring a good bargain - and this one is most excellent
08-13-2007, 11:14 AM
Zen

I could never touch those handlebars, did you see that leather and stitching?
:D :eek: :D :eek: :D
08-13-2007, 11:21 AM
Blueberry

Yes, I think slightly wider tires will fit under the fenders without problems.

There's a chance that that stem can be raised up. It should be a quill, and might have a little more extension on it.

It's a pretty bike!!
08-13-2007, 01:55 PM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

I could never touch those handlebars, did you see that leather and stitching?
:D :eek: :D :eek: :D

You would probably have to at least tilt them up quite a bit though at least- look how awkward it would be to have your hands on top of the hoods where they are now. Whoever set the hoods there must have ridden only in the drops.

You could get the same stem but a bit shorter, and tilt the bars up, and reposition the hoods while you had the bars off.

Here's the type of stem, that you could get in any length to fit you:
http://www.velo-orange.com/nitedest.html

To change the stem you would need to remove the leather tape. Unfortunately the tape seems to have holes through which the hoods are attached. The hoods are in a less than ideal position if you ask me (you didn't, i know!)
But you could reposition the hoods to a better place AND sew on new beautiful elk-hide leather tape, and it would then look like this:
http://www.velo-orange.com/elsebarco.html
(notice the old style gum hoods with the cables coming out the top like the Mariposa has....beautiful!)
Then you could get a matching honey Brooks saddle! (drool drool.....)
It would go from black leather bars and saddle to honey leather bars and saddle....awesome.

Man, I wish that bike was bigger and fit ME! ;) :cool: :cool: ;) :D
08-13-2007, 02:07 PM
redrhodie

Wow, she's gorgeous! $25?!!!! You stole her! Good for you!
08-13-2007, 04:19 PM
Kalidurga

$25?? That's excellent! Congrats :D

I dunno about wider tires. You could possibly go a tad wider, but if you're thinking of knobbies it looks like it'd be a tight squeeze.
08-13-2007, 04:22 PM
Skierchickie

Wow! What a beauty! Congratulations!

Question: I may be a dolt, but what is the thing that looks like a shifter, on the seat tube? I'm not so familiar with classic bikes. Is it just a spare, or is it for some other purpose?
08-13-2007, 04:23 PM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

attached. The hoods are in a less than ideal position if you ask me (you didn't, i know!)

No, I dint ax, but I'm counting on you guys because you know about these classics. What do I know? I chose my pilot because I liked the wheels:D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Then you could get a matching honey Brooks saddle! (drool drool.....)
It would go from black leather bars and saddle to honey leather bars and saddle....awesome.

Don't think I haven't already pictured it with a Brooks:D :D
08-13-2007, 04:35 PM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skierchickie

Wow! What a beauty! Congratulations!

Question: I may be a dolt, but what is the thing that looks like a shifter, on the seat tube? I'm not so familiar with classic bikes. Is it just a spare, or is it for some other purpose?

It engages the generator! Very cool.
You have a sharp eye.
08-13-2007, 04:39 PM
Skierchickie

Wow! Or, as we say around here, Holy Wah! Too cool!
08-13-2007, 04:55 PM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Current comparable Mariposas:

http://www.mariposabicycles.com/650b-touring.html
$2,179.00 USdollars (frame and fork ONLY)

http://www.mariposabicycles.com/mich...teur-bike.html
$4026.00 USdollars

The poor woman selling you this bike for $25...I guess she has no clue she could probably get somewhere close to $1000 for it on Ebay listing it just as is?
08-13-2007, 05:24 PM
Zen

Holy ess, Batman!
I will tell her but I really think she just wants to clean house.
If I sold it on EBay she'd never speak to me again and I like her so I can't do that:o
08-13-2007, 06:08 PM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

Holy ess, Batman!
I will tell her but I really think she just wants to clean house.
If I sold it on EBay she'd never speak to me again and I like her so I can't do that:o

Yes it's kind of a dilemma, especially if the bike doesn't really fit you right.
Maybe you could clean it up and get it working nicely again, then have it sit for a year or so and THEN sell it. This is assuming it doesn't fit you well of course, or else you'd be riding it and enjoying it.
If you do get it, be sure to get a good lock for it- there are people out there looking for fine classic touring bikes like this.
08-13-2007, 06:26 PM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

If you do get it, be sure to get a good lock for it- there are people out there looking for fine classic touring bikes like this.

After seeing that youtube video I think the only really good bike lock is a Rottweiller:rolleyes:
08-13-2007, 09:14 PM
Trek420

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Yes it's kind of a dilemma, especially if the bike doesn't really fit you right.
Maybe you could clean it up and get it working nicely again, then have it sit for a year or so and THEN sell it. This is assuming it doesn't fit you well of course, or else you'd be riding it and enjoying it.
If you do get it, be sure to get a good lock for it- there are people out there looking for fine classic touring bikes like this.

....and if it doesn't fit you :D

Beeyoooteeful bike:cool: :p
08-13-2007, 09:18 PM
KnottedYet

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trek420

....and if it doesn't fit you :D

Beeyoooteeful bike:cool: :p

:confused: :eek: <knot mentally trying to arrange 7 or 8 steel bikes in one little house>
08-13-2007, 09:20 PM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnottedYet

:confused: :eek: <knot mentally trying to arrange 7 or 8 steel bikes in one little house>

now, now.
I think it fits;)
08-13-2007, 09:32 PM
KnottedYet

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

now, now.
I think it fits;)

(I was thinking about our little house/s, with Trek covetting your Mariposa and darn near every steel bike we come across:D not that I'm complaining! More bikes more better)

Zen, that is a lovely lovely LOVELY bike!
08-13-2007, 09:43 PM
Trek420

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

now, now.
I think it fits;)

Darn :mad: :D :rolleyes: ;)

That's ok, I would need to raise the bars higher ;)
08-13-2007, 09:49 PM
Zen

Knott-Ever heard of the Collyer brothers?
08-14-2007, 06:24 AM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

Knott-Ever heard of the Collyer brothers?

Hits a little too close to home for me.... :(
08-14-2007, 06:54 AM
KnottedYet

All rIIIIIIIIIIIIIght! A disorder I can really relate to!

Ok, honey, go look for all the bikes and bike parts you want! We're golden!

(hey, Zen, are you *sure* that bike fits ya? Hmmmmm? Isn't it a teeeeeensy bit too small? Or too big? Eh?)