Rat Bikes! Pub Bikes Beaters! Frankenbikes!

much rack, many functional, such deathtrap

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Not a rat, but think it's worth posting

hhsb no?

yeah, in the proper thread.

That's bike junk yard on Parnell street. Guys working there are stoned out of heir mind half of the time and wouldn't know the difference between rim and tire.

This probably belongs here, a BSA WWII paratrooper's folding bike, designed to be dropped out of an aeroplane, unfolded then dumped somewhere in Europe. In daily use as the bank/post office run bike at my work.

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it's beautiful

Spotted this early vigorelli yesterday..

oh you mean messengers. totally.

Got bored of looking at the raw bit by the repair so I painted it vigorelli blue to confuse people.

Booga, i hope them at work use a good lock as early model original spec parabikes are a bit spendy and that appears to have the push in pedals and original crank.

I looked into getting one......... quickly followed by "how much" and not getting one :(

Yeah it's pretty original, the bloke at work is a bit of an anorak for them and has several piles of British and German WWII parabike bits, I gather they have quite a following.

I was looking for one of those. Can't find one that's in a recent price range. Those bikes are seriously awesome.

that's is a nice picture!
but why no straps?

Coaster brake

My spare part / pub / commuter bike:

^more £££ than my sunday-best

It's got to the point where all the spare bits and bobs were too good to sell for fuck all so I thought I may as well frankenstein them.

I know this feel.

slack rear brake cable.

Booga & Arawn, yeah a bit niche and if the parabike has "history" meaning it was issued for active use and saw action in WWII then the price goes up lots, i found a frame only for about £450 then a fork and headset was another £150 i toyed with building up with fairly modern or easy to source period parts and have a really rideable and everyday useable bike that folds in half, the original chainsets with the push in pedal spindle are rare as later bikes had normal pedals, but loads of stock parts can still be found, it's about the cheapest way for re-enactor types to get into having there own transport.
It's a daydream as if it got nicked it would be hard to replace, and by the time i actually got round to doing it the price will be higher, a nice 853 custom frame would maybe be a better option, not as cool and lacking the history but doable.

And on that note Pashley do a modern version of the Parabike £575 it lacks the folding frame and has modern equipment, but a few cans of olive drab paint and some tweeks and a fair copy can be done, someone used one at last years Clunker classic and it was very very nice indeed.

Damn. I pulled out at £45 bidding for a complete one at the bath auction house in 2001... It Went for £80 in the end and I spent my dosh on a broadwood piano!

Don't go looking for prices nowdays Rik :) (i just did, the chainset alone goes for £350.... add another zero for a complete original with the service record)

Sadly broadwood piano's don't appreciate at the same rate....