WobblyGoblin(tm), formerly known as RedBot(tm) , is the somewhat laughable result of the chain of events, so to speak, to come out of the LookTheft(tm) of 2007. As you know, R3 readers, my sweet, sweet Look was stolen last summer, which necessitated both the purchase of a new higher-end road bike for the efficiency, (the Cervelo, next the new Look) and a city bike for urban travels, during which I might want to leave the bike unattended for a period. However, THAT bike project, which started as a frankenbuild single-speed, and was meticulously, lovingly torn apart and rebuilt as a sweet, sweet fixed gear by the name of Fix-e. Which soon became obviously more precious emotionally than any city bike, and not disposable enough to use as originally intended. So I was back at square one. I decided to hunt down a beater, something I could ride around town in a mellow manner, lock up and go to the movies, and whatever happened to it, from vandalism to partial theftery to complete theftery, was no problem, A disposable bike! And yet, it must be aesthetically pleasing enough to me that i want to ride it, let alone look at it. Yet, not so aesthetically pleasing that it would be desirable as a purloined product. I looked around the city on an exploratory mission with one Lung, but even the unridable, broken down junkers were over $150, every available frame around being desirable for either a burning man bike, a messenger beater or a fixed gear conversion by someone or other. I was surprised. So, that was a bust. I was considering one of a few models of entry level single speed bikes new, but while it would be sufficient for low-speed, low impact, disposable riding despite the bottom end components, it did not meet the requirements of low theftability. EVEN assuming it was black electrical tapefied.

Enter ebay!

I came across this seller, among many auctions that I was considering, including cheapie beater 10-speeds that would require conversion and be difficult to resist making awesome, and other cruiser type old bikes, who had absorbed a number of these bikes from Montgomery Ward back in the day, and has been slowly converting the stock into motorized bicycles to be sold locally in Kansas. This bike was one of three he was selling off which were too beat up to be worth prettying up for sale. I got it for $40 + $40 shipping. Add replacement tyres (these are old, and dry rotted, and I never ride someone elses tyres!) and the requisite research to size them ($40) and a new seat to replace the beautiful but ripped up and ass-threatening original ($30) and three sweet, sweet seal horns ($3 ea.) and I’m gold, Jerry, gold!

The ride is melllllloow. You can get a little bit of speed on it, but it’s kind of rickety and I want to minimize my crash damage risk. HA! It’s got a coater brake AND a kickstand, and tells you so (the former, not the latter) right on the frame. And, thanks to my sweet, sweet horn mod, you can hear me coming from a block away!

WobblyGoblin(tm), locked up to a theater or pub near you! (or near me.)

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1. Team Lope Bike Bio: Fix-e
2. Team Lope Bike Bio [Retired]: Sweet, Sweet Cervelo Soloist
3. Team Lope Bike Bio: roadLook