Think of this as a monologue from J.J. Gittes in the movie "Chinatown."
In my six years of investigating vintage lightweights, Mrs. Mulwray, angry spouses account for the sale of alot of old bikes at garage sales in the kinds of bungalows you've probably never visited. Divorces, separations, a bad fight, men buying something--like a wood boat or a drink for a cheap floosie--that the wives didn't think they should have bought, or men going on fishing trips with other men, or to houses of--and I'll try to spare your feelings here, Mrs. Mulwray--houses of ill repute, are circumstances where wives have chosen to get even with husbands by selling their things for diddly. These wives can be picked out the moment you drive up to the house with the bougainvillea next to the driveway. They are usually complaining about their husbands to a woman friend who is helping them "clean out" the garage. There is usually an inordinate amount of good quality, men's recreational items on the lawn. These little ladies seem to recognize men who know something about bikes and then relish selling it to a guy for diddly. Now you may call me the leper with the most fingers, Mrs. Mulwray, but I have not seen men do this to women, at least regarding their bikes. Maybe these husbands do dump their wives prized posssessions and I just don't investigate those kinds of things. Maybe here in southern California, where the hydrocarbon sunsets and tritium laced ground water wells at San Onofre distract us from the harsher realities of domestic life, maybe I just focus too much on what the fair sex does to their husbands regarding bikes, but I doubt it, Mrs. Mulwray. I really doubt it. ;-)
Don Wilson
Los Olivos, CA USA
> I was driving to South Bend, Indiana today and
> something sparked a memory of
> a long ago customer that ordered a custom frame from
> me. I haven't heard
> from that person in decades. It made me wonder
> where early frames that I've
> made have gone too. I've been contacted sometimes
> from those that have had
> their bikes stolen. However, that isn't what
> happens to the majority.
> Because I also paint my own frames, those in use
> tend to find there way back
> to my shop to be renewed so I have some idea what
> ones are active. Here are
> some of my theories. What are yours?
> 1. Customers justify the cost by saying it will last
> forever but they have
> resources and like buying new things so what they've
> had gets renewed after
> awhile. They want to know that a frame lasts when
> buying but that isn't
> what they tell their partner after they've had it a
> few years.
> 2. bicycling may become an outdated phase in their
> life. Sometimes because
> of interest and sometimes because of age. I think
> this may be the majority.
>
> I've run out of ideas. There must be nice bikes
> sitting in garages or
> basements somewhere. I seldom get contacted by
> customers wanting to unload
> their bikes. Of course that might be partly because
> it might seem a bit
> rude. "I don't want what you made for me anymore"
> or "I want to get
> something better than want you made for me"
>
> Doug Fattic looking for answers to bike death in
> Niles, Michigan
>
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