Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Salvaged Gem

Last week a FB post by Andy Ypsilanti alerted Dusty D to the startling news that Ann Arbor's ReUse Center had some of the bicycles from the closing GM plant.

Dusty D immediately snapped to attention!

My husband very kindly and considerately offered to swing by on a work break and take a gander.

Well, he got there at the crack of 9 and managed to snag one of the bikes! I think he picked the best one. Check out the basket. It appears to have been a DIY project. It has life and personality and the mark of its anonymous makers.

Would you believe he managed to fit this beast into his Geo Metro? Yessir. He's a bit of a magician at times.

Dusty D is thrilled that her resourceful and kind husband grabbed this historic and irreplaceable vehicle. I was so overjoyed about it I wrote it up for the Courier. Thanks to Gary Urick at the ReUse Center and to the two plant workers, Mr. D. and Mr. G., who kindly gave me their time and talked with me. I appreciate it!
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4 comments:

  1. Dusty DJanuary 5, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    This beautiful old monster is a coaster-brake type bike of one speed only. The frame is made of 1" thick **steel bar.** Couldn't find a maker's mark anywhere on it but was told by one former plant worker that it at one time painted on, now covered by repainting.

    Man, O man, what luck to snag this old beauty. You really couldn't give me anything that would please me more. Dusty D is thrilled with this craft and will strive to be a good steward of this fragment of Ypsilanti history.

    Thanks are due to my husband who was responsible for obtaining and wrangling home this beast.

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    Laura that is an amazing find! Congratulations! You and Fritz are quite a team. Have you tried riding it yet? The snow was kind of bad today. Kristin Perkins

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2011 at 9:21 PM

    Oh and there's no seat! Can you find an old seat for it? Kristin

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  4. Dusty DJanuary 6, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    Hi Kristen: I sorta tried riding it a little. It is a beast. Heavy, the back fender rattles, it steers slowly and sluggishly. I LOVE IT. It's a real fragment of Ypsilanti history and Fritz is responsible for securing this old beauty. Kudos to him.

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