Anyone fancy saving a Raleigh Metropolitan...?

[wafter]

Spotted one of these in a bad way in a skip down the road from me (in someone's drive). I was tempted to knock on the door and ask to rob the wheels and saddle for my Routier, however it transpires the wheels are 26" so no good. Having done a bit of research it's apparently an '80s MTB / road bike mashup / hybrid type thing.

There's one on ebay for a very (IMO) optimistic £275, but it gives you an idea of what the bike is.

It looks complete although the chainstays are very rusty, tyres perished, one mudguard knackered etc.. tbh it's probably beyond redemption but though it was worth mentioning if anyone can make anything of it. If you're arsed drop me a PM and I'll tell you where it is

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Go and pull it out of the skip. No matter what state it might be in, those things are really rare bikes.

 

[biggs682]

That would make an ideal commuter or winter bike if you ask me

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

If the skip was local to me that bike would be in my garage already. Those early lugged MTB frames from the likes of Raleigh and Dawes were our equivalents of the early slack-angled fully rigid lugged machines being made by the likes of Ritchey in the USA. I'd say the same also applies to your Bob Jackson. There are clear similarities between the pioneering US stuff and the anglicised equivalents.

 

[Cycleops]

That’s the longest wheelbase I think I’ve ever seen on aMTB.

 

[wafter]

Cheers guys - I'd love to save it but circumstances dictate that I need to be getting rid of stuff, not the other way around. Someone local must be sufficiently intrigured... @Gunk..?

 

[Gunk]

Cheers guys - I'd love to save it but circumstances dictate that I need to be getting rid of stuff, not the other way around. Someone local must be sufficiently intrigured... @Gunk..?

Not for me, I've got enough on my plate!

 

[wafter]

Not for me, I've got enough on my plate!

Not to worry... thought it was worth a punt!

 

[Illaveago]

Why not save it for now . Somebody will come along soon and rescue it from you .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Why not save it for now . Somebody will come along soon and rescue it from you .

To conserve storage space I have the makings of several bikes stored in component form. Generally when I get hold of a donor/project machine I strip it apart right down to the frame & forks and attach a label to the wheels and mechanicals reminding me what bike they belong to, when I acquired it etc.
Complete bikes are not the most space-efficient objects to store, due to those sticky-outy things like handlebars and pedals, so I only leave the bikes I actually ride reasonably often in a complete state. The others are kept in kit form. Wheels and frames will go through a loft hatch, a complete bike won't.

 

[Gunk]

To conserve storage space I have the makings of several bikes stored in component form. Generally when I get hold of a donor/project machine I strip it apart right down to the frame & forks and attach a label to the wheels and mechanicals reminding me what bike they belong to, when I acquired it etc.
Complete bikes are not the most space-efficient objects to store, due to those sticky-outy things like handlebars and pedals, so I only leave the bikes I actually ride reasonably often in a complete state. The others are kept in kit form. Wheels and frames will go through a loft hatch, a complete bike won't.

I do exactly the same, frames can easily be hung up in the garage, groupsets I clean up, wrap in paper and box up, wheelsets go in the shed, I’ve got three currently stored in this way.

 

[wafter]

Why not save it for now . Somebody will come along soon and rescue it from you .

Because I have to move out of where I'm currently living in a month, am trying to clear the place out as a result and my life is falling apart, so I have enough to worry about without concerning myself with saving an old tatty bike and the associated anxiety of what to do with it if I can't find it a new home.

Ordinarily I'd do as you suggest but any more stress, hassle and expectation is likely to push me into "an evening stroll along the train tracks" territory tbh.

 

[oldworld]

One of the times when I wish I was in the UK. I'd take it like a shot and convert it to a tourer.

 

[wafter]

ffs

Freebie thread here - please someone come and take it off my hands before it tips me over the edge!

 

[Gunk]

It needs to be free, it’s horrible