A couple bikes have been been parked for over a year, unlocked and unmoved at the apartment building I used to live at. I finally inquired about the bicycles to be sure they were indeed abandoned. To my delight, I was given permission to haul them away and give them new lives.
One is a Specialized Sirrius, a great commuting bike that's semi-upright, that I hope to fix up for my dad. The other is a Univega Safari Ten that would be nice for my mom, although I hope to get her something that's easier to shift, but this will work great for now. The pink bike you see on top is a Peugeot banana seater (I didn't know they made kids bikes!) that actually belongs to a friend, but will be receiving some greasy love as well.
I now have a growing collection of tired and neglected bicycles in the Toews' basement, and it was high time to set up a work bench area! Fortunately the Toews already have some important features of a working bike bench including a bike stand, truing stand, a small collection of tools and a peg board! I have hopes of being a sort of bicycling Robin Hood- collecting bikes and redistributing them where they're most needed. Hmm.. maybe that's what I'll name by bike shop someday. Robin Hood Cyclery. :) I like it.
