Just took the Yukon and wanted to see what I could find, I had already picked up a Schwinn Spitfire from a CL ad so I only need a few more bikes to make the trip worthwhile. Passed a lot of small towns on the way and not much panned out, thought I would hit the local thrift store and clean up but it just doesn't work that way in the real life.
So scanning CL, my cellphone and trying to drive I finally picked up a few more bikes and talked to a lot of nice people, just talk to people, they will most always be happy to help, or at least point you in the WRONG direction. And sometimes that is the right direction, cruising a little town I called a guy about a nice little Schwinn Hollywood for a good price, he had to go to the doctor so didn't have much more time to wait and gave me general directions, unbelievably I was only blocks away after circling the town for 1/2 hour. I could no longer get him on the cell since the service was blacked out but I had an idea about where it was, as I turned down an alley to try calling him again, an old man in a car was backing out of his driveway, as we caught eyes we both realized this must be the the guy (maybe the bikes on my bike rack had something to do with it).
Checked out the bike and pay him cash to close the deal.
I was cruising to pick up the bike I had bought on CL, after taking over an hour and a half to find this farm in the middle of nowhere, I thought I would cruise the neighborhood.
I found a guy in front of a farm on crutches with a couple other guys that were using a torch to cut up some scrap. I asked if they had any old bikes or parts they would like to sell, he said he had a couple, I walked through a field of stickers, really sucked, I just threw the socks away.
The bikes were trash, only late 80s bikes and I said I was looking for "older" bikes, "do you know anyone else that might have some?" I asked, well he said his granny had some, I said where does she live and he said right down the road. He loaded into his car with his wife and we drove down the road to her barn, we looked in the window of the barn and there were over 30 gumball machines and a car under a cover, he didn't have the key but went into the house to find it.
Once we got it I looked under the cover and there was a mint 70s corvette, really cool, he said his dad had next dibs on it so I said his dad should get some life insurance to protect him from the family. He took me to the back and there was a very dusty and dirty bike, I imagined it would be a ladies bike since it was his grannies but it was a pre-war skip tooth Montgomery Wards, Hawthorne in red, well it was kind of reddish brown now. Made him an offer, he said don't tell anyone and pocketed the cash and I was on my way.
I was glad to be home and not be sleeping in a Walmart parking lot.
Saw some great country, and it was wild flower season, I am getting the itch again but will have to wait for spring!
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