1995 Team Marin... Shopping Bike

Hi All,

This is my first time showing one of my bikes here (I've bought a few bits on the for sale forum before). I'm not sure if this will make people laugh or cry, but it's posted in the spirit of saving a nice old bike from the tip...

I recently couldn't resist a cheap old Team Marin frame which had suffered some hideous violence (3rd pic) in the past around the seat post (probably getting a stuck one out). The co-op in the village I live in is due to be moving further away, so I thought, I reckon that would make a good shopping bike, so here it is...:









Spec sheet: (doing it properly )

Frame: 1995 Team Marin 19"

Fork: Marin Lite (original)

Headset: Ritchey (original)
Stem: Girvin Flex-stem from an old Raleigh Apex
Stem Cap: n/a
Handlebar: Zoom north-road style
Grips: foam wood look
Barends: none

Brakes: Tektro oryx
Brake Pads: what they came with
Brake Cables: orange ones
Cantilever cable hangers: dunno
Brake Levers: one ancient dia compe, one Tektro eclipse

Shifters:
Front Derailleur: none
Rear Derailleur: none
Derailleur Cables: none
Cassette: 19 tooth sprocket
Chain: sram 830 I think
Cranks: RPM road (cheap from Planet X in a sale)
Crank Bolts: dunno
Chainrings: 39 tooth road inner
Chainring bolts: dunno
Bottom Bracket: whatever was in the frame
Pedals: Planet X cheap alloy

Hub Skewers:
Rims: old (no brand)
Hubs: front just says 'alloy', read is a Shimano rm-30
Nipples: dunno
Spokes: dunno
Tyres: Schwalbe Big apple 26x2.15
Tubes: dunno

Saddle: 'GT bioflex'
Seatpost: Cr-mo off an old Raleigh
Seatpost Binder: Marin Lite

Accessories:
Centre-stand, front wheel stabiliser, racks and mudguards.

Weight:err, quite heavy (see below)

It's a riot to ride. The wine box (same vintage as the bike, no less) on the front is heavier than the frame (hence the wheel stabiliser) but the combination of the 2.15 tyres, thin steel frame and the flex-stem make it unbelievably comfortable!

Hope you like it!

Aesthetically it needs a box on the back as well ;-)

love it!

does the fork stabiliser work? never seen one, is it a spring that just brings the wheel/fork back to centre?

Are you not tempted to use a lighter box on the front?, especially considering the weight when loaded with shopping also :shock:

mark

Must admit I've never seen nor heard of a wheel stabiliser! Intrigued

I can't make out what happened with the seatpost "violence" - has it just been gripped hard so it's taken the paint off?

It's a cool bike anyway, some lovely touches on it.

Re:

Hi All, thanks for the comments.

To CTK, I agree, but then I wouldn’t be able to hang panniers off the back rack... and I can’t put too much stuff in the front...(see below).

To mkone and joe_rides, the stabiliser is indeed basically just a spring between the fork crown and a clamp on the down tube. It does basically just pull the front wheel back to straight ahead. Realistically, the wine box over the front wheels is a bit too heavy, even unloaded. The bike has massive ‘flop’, meaning if you lean it over even a small amount, the front wheel just flops over to ‘full lock’. The spring does help counter that quite a lot (though it doesn’t eliminate it); I think with a lighter front it would work pretty well. It certainly helps a lot when I’m putting stuff in the box, but you do need your wits about you when you’re riding it with stuff in the box. A full load of 12 bottles would be a real challenge, I think, but for a loaf of bread, pint of milk and corn flakes or stuff like that it’s fine. I can understand however why old post office bikes etc had the box attached to the bike frame, not the fork!

A wire basket (or wicker) would be more sensible, but (a) they cost money, and (b) where would be the fun in being sensible...?

In terms of the seat post, it hasn’t really come out in the photo but I’m pretty sure the seat cluster area has been heated (the paint is discoloured and even blistered in some areas), and the seat tube itself is actually ‘lumpy’ for want of a better word where I assume the seat post has been twisted and/or rocked back and forward to get it out. But as I said, I put quite a long old steel post in, and I’m not going to be off-roading on it so I’m hopeful it will be ok! I wouldn’t be taking the risk with an aluminium frame mind you!

Cheers!

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Great looking bike. Very “French” in style.

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Great bike. Hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as the vintage port.

well saved. i like it!

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Cheers all. The ‘french’ look was what I was after. But I got the box empty from a local wine merchant’s so I can’t say how good the port was...

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'95 was a great year for both Bikes and Port.