Occasionally I stop and have a conversation with an ex-cyclist who is now disabled and rides around in an electric buggy. Last week I saw him, he asked why I no longer rode my Mercian and I said it was stripped down awaiting a trip back to Derby for frame renovation. He said there is one in my garage if you want it come and have a look at it sometime.
Yesterday as I rode past his house his wife called me and asked when I was going to look at the bike. I stopped went into the garage with her and the bike was covered in a layer of sawdust. Someone had been doing woodworking near the bike without covering it up. She said he had not been able to ride it for the last 15 years. Other than the sawdust it looked okay, then I asked how much he wanted for it. She said nothing we just want it out of the way. I did say they could easily sell it, but she just said it need to go. I went home got the car and brought it back here.
It has 531 competition tubing with red metallic paintwork. Campag Mirage groupset with 9 Speed Ergo Shifters. Mavic Rims on Campag hubs. 3T Morphe handlebars. Schwalbe tyres that look new and a Rolls saddle.
Weather is quite bad here today so I will give it a good clean and lube and hope to have a ride later in the week.
