Baby Came Home To DADDY!!!

Here we go again!  I was about to open this one with a "Beginning of a brand new week"...but it aint, it's Tuesday.  OH boy...gonna be one of those "what the heck day is it?!" kind of weeks!
Anywho! 
Yesterday was quiet....TOO quiet!  But, took advantage of the uninterrupted time and put out four newbies!  YAY!  Got a sweet six speed men's cruiser, real clean, with the full fenders and everything!  Also, a Pre-Wal-Mart Mongoose Pro, you know, back when they made them good.  As well as a classic Schwinn Highlands Trail bike we converted into a great commuter with NEW road tires AND something REALLY special!  It was "Coming Home" day for this gem on Saturday!  We built this custom cruiser almost five years ago, and I just love seeing our old rides still on the road, and running great! Originally, when I started to build her, I was going to do a custom paint, so I stripped it all the way down to bare metal, then took a step back, and realized I really liked the simplicity of the industrial looking bare metal, so I let the bike sit for a few days until it started to patina a little, then hit it with several coats of clear lacquer.  Over the ensuing years it has continued to weather nicely, so it really has an "older" ride feel to it.  That, and a custom made "suicide shifter" and some little chotskies and you get one really unique looking ride!
Today, well my normal "Monday" paperwork and bill paying takes up way to much time, but I'm going to jump now and see if I can get through some more.  I like having room to move in here!
See ya soon!!

26" MONGOOSE PRO

ONLY $95.00!!

MEN'S 26" SIX SPEED CRUISER

ONLY $75.00!!

CLASSIC SCHWINN HIGHLANDS!

ONLY $115.00!!

26" CUSTOM RAT ROD!!

ONLY $160.00!!!

Yes, we ARE here today!

Saturday was fun, y'all!  Thanks for all the visits and helping to send some more rides to new homes! Not to mention the slew of repairs! We love that you chose us to keep you on the road.  One repair really helped demonstrate the dangers of buying a ride off the pages of Craigslist, though.  Young man (baring an uncanny resemblance to Wesley Crusher of Star Trek the Next Generation) picked up an Iron Horse 29'er, which isn't an altogether bad bike (although you really have to make sure the bottom bracket was not cross threaded at the factory)  with some decent parts, but even though the body on this one was in real nice shape, it had obviously sat in the elements for some time and everything was rusted solid.  PARTS SWAP!!  Yea, we usually try and save and repair what's there, but really couldn't in this case, just to far gone.  Needless to say, this rebuild took half the day, as each part had to be soaked in rusticate then manhandled free!  WOOF! At least now he has a real solid ride!
Did manage to put one out, a pretty sharp rebuild on a lightweight Motiv mountain bike, that if someone wanted to slap a pair of road tires on, would make a real nice commuter. 
One real cool thing, was a homecoming.  We built a way cool cruiser custom about five years ago, and it came back to the fold on Saturday.  It's going back in the rack in a little bit, a few tweaks, then back out on the line.  You'll want to come back to check out the pics tomorrow!  Or, later today on Facebook.
Alrighty! With that, I best get a move on and pump out some more newbies!
See ya!

FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

S'Okay! Weird bloody week!  I don't know where my head has been at, but every day this week I have been convinced..it was another day!  I mean, yea, it happens to us all, we're working on what we think is the last day of the week, only to find out two hours before the end of shift...it's only THURSDAY!!  ARRGH!  That's a HORRIBLE feeling!  But no, it's been almost every day!  SHEESH!  Someone is way messing with my internal clock!  BUT... got a real "out of the blue" shock yesterday at the plant.  I'd just started shift and was doing my forklift inspection, when the two big bosses, Phil and Ron came up to me and uttered the ominous words "Steven....we have to talk".  It's that bloody pause after your name that starts the mind racing with the question "OH HELL!  What did I do?!"  Then.... Ron looked at Phil and asked "....should we do it here, or somewhere private"  AH DAMN!  I am in trouble! 
Then they informed me...I was getting a promotion and a raise! 
HAHAHA!! Very Funny!  Give a guy a heart attack!  They dead panned it awesome!  Had me going for a few moments!  But seriously, they are moving me out of shipping and they're going to have me trained to run the metal and pipe molding department, 2nd shift!  WOWZERS!!  See kids!  Hard work DOES pay off!  Not to mention they asked me to train my replacement.  I know, doesn't seem like a huge deal, but it does make you feel proud of yourself that they recognize your desire to work. 
So anywho, on to the bike biz!  This week, as with most weeks leading up to a holiday, has been quiet.  I have embraced this relative solitude to nap...I mean...work (ok, nap a wee bit) on some newbies!  Well, those and repairs.  Managed to put out three today and MAN are a couple of them SAH-WEEEEET!  No, not knocking the third one, but it's  standard DAILY BANGER SPECIAL, and although it's a chromium, with the sharp green paint, the other two outshine it.  First, is a classic Schwinn trail bike.  I love these old rides that competed with the makes of Giants and Specialized for dominance in their time, and even though Wal-Mart has totally screwed up the name of Schwinn today, these ones were built WELL!  And, little industry secrets...same components as their temporaries...but at a lower cost!  This one is extra clean with a NEW set of road tires to make it a real cherry commuter.  The other is a consignment piece with hardly any road time on it!  A GORGEOUS Jamis sports hybrid (2014) and in EXCELLENT shape! Check out the pics below!
Also, today, finally found a home for the TomCat built in the USA ride that has been here for far to long considering it's quality and low price, as well as bringing in a few more repairs!  Thanks to all the folks for their trust, not to mention all the other folks that referred them to us!  You are so SWEET!
Worked late tonight trying to clear a path through all the debris in the back so as to make some room to work!  Not to mention tearing down a couple more rides to get built up tomorrow!  I have a long weekend from the plant so I'll have plenty of time to get through a lot of the rides that have been stacking up! 
Alrighty!  Now, time to lie me head down and get some rest!  See y'all in the A of M!

2014 JAMIS SPORTS HYBRID

ONLY $340.00!!

CLASSIC SCHWINN TRAIL BIKE

ONLY $105.00!!

26" "DAILY BANGER SPECIAL"

ONLY $65.00!!!

Days Don't Get Much Better Than This!

I Know, I know, I know...It's been almost a week!  I've just had SO little to show!  Not that we haven't been busy, oh HEAVENS no!  But it has been almost exclusively repairs!  And NO, we are NOT complaining!  We absolutely LOVE to know we are getting folks back up and out on the road!  We have built a few, mind you, but they have all been special orders right out of bone row! Seriously...I'm not telling stories!  I have had the same Schwinn Hybrid in my rack for five days now, that no sooner do I get back to work on it, does a slew of repairs come rolling through the door!  AND, here at RE-Cycle, repairs ALWAYS come first!  We don't want ANYONE to have an excuse to have to rely on the old, outdated transportation....CARS!  ICK!!
Saturday and Sunday, my usual "catch up on the week" day both started with me opening the doors to folks loading their wounded rides off the cars bike rack (YUCK! Cars again!) and both days saw a steady stream.  Had a guy from my other job come in today, and picked a comfort cruiser out, and we banged it out in about thirty minuets as he waited, so...not even a pic!  BUT, we do have a cornucopia of material to choose from as the flow of newbies has continued, unabated.  I could have worked way on into the evening tonight, but WAY NO!  Today was my "Daddy's Day" and I was SO looking forward to taking the brood out for some FUN! We hit the Countryside Mall (yea... that was the noise you heard) in waves.  Elijah took the girls via cab, as me and the boys rode over!  Yes,  I had an allterior motive to that, as we were going to hang with the wee ones until closing and have some fun!  And MAN, was I sad to have such little time as they were a HOOT to hang with!  I took Miranda and Izzy on the train that goes around the mall, and hung with them in the playplace.  The older kids wandered a bit then took a shot at the Bungee jump!  I was so proud of Logan and Rozy as they overcame their trepidations, and gave it a whirl! Then we hit the food court, and of course, given the choice between food or ice cream, can you guess what the majority choose?  Yea...no brainer!  Logan, always the considerate one, only wanted a drink, and being overly concerned with finance, ask for just a small!  I hadn't eaten so I grab some Thai, and I like it SPICY!  Of course, Elijah helped me eat it, but showing her true Daddy gut, Rozy snagged up some of the Chipotle Chicken and scarfed it down without so much as a bead of sweat!  THAT'S my girl! Once the Mall "officially" closed we wandered a bit around the closed shops, then the kiddos wanted to play on the escalator...who am I to deny!  Well, it was fun for about three tries until security came over.  *SIGH*  Every party needs a pooper!
On our way out to wait for a cab for the girls we stopped by one of those "Picture Booths" (YEA!  They still have them!) and got us a memento!  Six kids crammed in a phone booth! HILARIOUS!  Pictures are now adorning the counter at the shop!  Can't take my eyes off them!
Once Elijah brought the girls home, he grabbed his bike and headed back as me and the other boys awaited OUR viewing of Captain America!
OH.....MY....GAWD!
LOOOOOOOOOOVED IT!!
No, no movie review!  Suffice to say...FREAKING PERFECT!! They got EVERYONE of the newbies PERFECT!!  I LOVED the Black Panther, his fighting style, how he landed from a high leap!  Oh....Fanboy HEAVEN!  And, Spiderman..the NEW one...I didn't think I was going to appreciate it (I still like the Toby Maguire trilogy...Okay, not so much number three) but, well...darn it...he was awesome!  AND we got to see Antman become (SHOOT:  SPOILER ALERT) Giant Man!  YES!!!!!!!   okay...Just one more give away, it's funny, but as Marvel made the WISE choice of casting Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange it begged the question: "any time a production company hires one of the two leads of Sherlock, are they obligated, by contract, to hire the other one?  Yep...Martin Freeman (Watson) seems to have gotten himself into THIS Marvel movie! HAHAHA!!  No complaint AT ALL, I love them both!
Well, when the movie was over me and my boys took a detour into the malls pub/restaurant and sat about outside discussing the flick!  Of course, Elijah, our families DIEHARD DC fan, was trying his VERY best to NOT admit to how good it was! LOL! and of course, Logan, our Magic fan, was debating on how easily it would be for wielders of magic to vanquish all of them! Me? I just sat there grinning from ear to ear SO proud at these young men, and the fact that I helped breed the next generation of Fanboys! No matter WHAT fandom they love!
Oh my heavens what a GLORIOUS day!  I will be floating on these smiles ALL week!
Tomorrow, with all repairs caught up, I am going to do my damndest to try and get out some fresh pickings!  Here's hoping!
You all have an absolutely MAGNIFICENT evening!  Look forward to seeing you soon!

Daredevil and Elektra (sorry, once you read it..you'll get it!)

Often times I will degrade into a self righteous rant in regards to the carelessness and danger of the car driver, but today I even the playing fields by recognizing and admonishing the actions of some fool hearty cyclists. 
Unfortunately, I do see, from time to time, cyclists taking far to many unnecessary risks, and due to some unknown sense of entitlement, perhaps as there mode of transportation is somewhat more maneuverable than a car, end up breaking simple traffic laws.  Such actions as ignoring traffic signals, cutting through intersections, or crossing the street diagonally without the use of a crosswalk all could result in fatalities, which they don't seem to recognize could be THEIR fatality!  Let's face it, even if you're sitting at the crosswalk waiting on the signal and once you get it...just cross without so much as a backward glance to check for cars making a right hand turn.  Oooo.  I've seen my fair share of clips and crashes because the bike rider couldn't be bothered to glance over his shoulder at the quickly oncoming right hand turn.  Look, fellow cyclists, doesn't matter IF you had the right of way, IF you get smacked by 2000+ pounds of fun?  Well...you do the math! 
The reason I squawk about this, is this morning on the way to work I was at the dreaded intersection of Union and Patricia waiting for the light.  At that moment a car traveling North turned into the Right Hand turning lane wait to "Right on Red".  My cross signal came on, but being neighborly a waved the young woman to take her turn before I crossed.  As she was just starting to move a cyclist I didn't hear flew up from behind me, and even though I was CLEARLY waiting at the light for some reason, he veered around me. launch off the edge of the median with an impressive bunny hop and flew into the intersection without so much as a head twitch from right to left!  The young lady panicked and slammed on her breaks, and even though her infant was securely nestled in his car seat, the sudden head slam startle him and started him crying!  Seriously folks, is there ANYWHERE you need to be SO BAD that paying with your life would be worth it?
Let's get it together, and look out for each other!
Okay, public service announcement over!
Thanks to everyone for coming out and paying us a visit yesterday, and as has been the case this week, didn't put out anything new, as I was doing repairs all day.  NOT that there's anything wrong with that!  We DID, however get in a SWEET consignment piece!  The ever popular, HIGLY sought after (but tough to find) Townie Elektra pedal forward cruiser!  OH YES!!  and this one is CHERRY!!  Bought less than a year ago and rode three times!  nIIIIIIIIIIIce!  Check it out below!
I have one more repair for today, then I am hoping with fingers crossed, that I can get on to some of these newbies!
SO, better stop yappin' and get at it!
SEE YA!

2016 TOWNIE ELEKTRA!!

ONLY $240.00!!!!!

casual greetings

Well, I definitely wouldn't call it slacking off. Had every intention in the world to get started back up on the newbies, but ended up getting in a bunch of repairs today which had me jumping all day! A real big old shout out and thanks to all the folks for bringing in their rides for repairs and have absolutely no problem dedicating my day to keep them focused on the road.
But, unless there's a bunch of stuff waiting for me when I get there in the morning I'll get jumping back on the newbies as I have that hybrid commuter just sitting there looking at me, waiting!
Logan finished the day off pretty strong. Not sure if he sent any bikes to new homes or if it was all repair pickups but I'll find out in the morning. We still have quite a few to go through to get some more new stuff out. Took one long look at that me cruiser I got in that might just be a prime candidate for the road bike Cruiser hybrid that I want to come up with. But that may have to wait for a full day such as Friday as it's going to take some serious work but I may just end up tearing it down tomorrow to get started.
Definitely want to thank all the folks who kept the phone jumping today as well as it seems that a lot more folks are finding out about us lately. Whether they're coming in from out of state or they're just locals discovering, whichever works.
Well, tonight at the warehouse definitely kept me busy as I'm running on short steam. Gonna go ahead and sign off and take a shower and hit the sack.  I hope to see you all tomorrow!

....WHOA! Week Got Away From Us There!

(Earlier this week!)
Well hello there. Today was very interesting. Ended up spending half my morning trying to deal with the whole phone snafu. Seems like it was a phone theft after all. The gentleman who came in last night and utilize the phone just before closing came in this morning to check on his bike. I inquired as to whether or not he may have picked up the phone accidentally and he recalled that his friend that was with him may have picked it up off of the counter thinking that it was his. He left the shop to go to his friends house to retrieve the phone. When he returned he brought back an entirely different phone. He had no idea where it came from nor does his friend. The question that stuck in my mind is how many phones do they have on their possession. Needless to say it would appear as if I'm going to have to pick up another phone, again. In the meantime I switched the shop number to the house phone so that I don't miss anybody's call.
So after the time spent dealing with the phone company I was able to get a couple of hours in on repairs and newbies. Tore down two to get ready to go and one of them will make an excellent before and after. The other which is a 26-inch men's dual shock mountain bike did not require all too much effort. That one currently is occupying the space in my rack so that I may finish it up tomorrow. Pretty nice little Daily Banger (Heh, heh, heh!  Before I did my proof read, predictive spelling wrote that as "Deli Bangor"  We suddenly are selling kosher meats in Maine!! LOL!!) special that will keep somebody rolling on the roads for quite some time.
Lots of folks have been wanting to sell and or trade bikes, lately. We are obviously, during the summer time, having to be a little selective. With so much to choose from the still sitting outside on bone row we are in no short supply of material to work with. But we're always looking out for that special something that may walk through the door. I must admit, skeptical as I was in regards to spending a lot of time online through Facebook and such, it seems to have had some good effect. Had two folks come in today to grab new rides brought here specifically from our listing on FB. The men's 6-speed Cruiser we threw together the other day left right quick. As well as the 24-inch Schwinn Dual Shock mountain bike that we had just put out the night before. This was picked up by a dad looking to upgrade his son from his current 20 inch. He was quite enamored with our efforts and expressed his joy in what we do and how we do it. We always love to hear those kudos to let us know that we are on the right track. Hope you get plenty of use out of that 24 before he sprouts and you have to come back in for a 26-inch. But remember we always do trades so that'll take a few bucks off of your next upgrade.

Tomorrow looks to be more of the same with quite a few newbies that I need to be working on. Keep an eye out on the  Facebook Page and Twitter for all the goodies we'll be putting out for you folks again and again and again. LOL!
All right, with that I best get my Tushie in gear and go and get a shower and some rest. Y'all have a good night talk to you soon!

Fast Forward to Saturday!
The first part was from Tuesday, and things have been a little busy, although I have to take some responsibility for not updating here sooner.  As is often the case when I embark on a new path (IE: FB and Twitter) I have a tendency to neglect or forget other things.  Yes, maintaining and updating our other pages can be time consuming, not to mention the fact that I linked up with a few "Community Pages" on FB, pertaining too (oooo big surprise here) MST3K! 
Yes, a group of over 5000 like minded "Misties" who, among other things, try and best each other, in light hearted fashion, at "Out-Riffing" each other.  Explain?  That's where we quote quips from the show, and try and be as exacting a possible, in order to relate the lines that were spoken in the original show.
Yes....I have no life.
BUT, I have not been beaten yet! Hee, hee
ANYWAY, they are REAL good folk and I have been cross posting our shop site and the number of view has increased dramatically!
The end result is...I gotta get organized! 
It hasn't kept me from keeping busy though, as far as repairs and newbies go! Oh, Nay, Nay!  I have been averaging two newbies a day this week, and will post pics below of the ones that remain. 
Today, has been a slew of repairs coming in, and we have been kept entertained by several of the nice folk who have patiently waited for me to get them on the road.  Thanks to all for coming in to see us and You can come keep us company too...if ya wanna?
OKAY!  So, today, gonna get the repairs that remain, banged out and try and get through the mountain of goodies we have picked up this week, either torn down for parts or rebuilt!
HERE'S HOPING!
See ya soon!

24" DUAL SHOCK MTB!

ONLY $45.00!!

MEN'S 26" DUAL SHOCK MTB!!

ONLY $85.00

20" MONGOOSE BMX!!

ONLY $55.00!!

WHY We Do It!

So, yea...every now and then, there is that little nagging voice in the back of my mind, that I always end up dismissing but there is that briefest of moments where i sometimes ponder: "hmmmmmm?"  Most often that voice chimes in right after a long slew of "Daddy Language" usually in accompaniment to hard wrenching on some tired piece of steel, that just doesn't want to give up the grave!  Sacrilegious expressions such as "It's just a Huffy!  SCRAP IT!"  or "What a USELESS piece of SH......winn!" have a tendency to jettison from the evil, vitriol spewing demon seed, obviously spawned from some unholy coupling of a "Boutique" Bike shop employee and a conservative radio talk show host!
*shudder*  (visualize THAT! some wafer thin, arrogant, wormy guy in a Khaki shirt with the mouth the size of Rush Limbaugh!  AHHHHHHHHH!!!)
BUT, the Self-righteously indignant side of me, ignores it's caterwauling and just keeps on going!  For, I can tell you, a bike has to be SERIOUSLY gone (like "frame damage" gone) for us to give up on it, regardless of what the graphics on it's sides denote it to be!  We'd rather an old piece of steel get a second life, than become imbedded in a landfill somewhere! 
It's with that very "Mission Statement" stuck firmly in my craw, did I persevere through the below pictured Huffy.  She was pretty rough when I pulled her from the pile, but like all rides, they need a second chance to shine!  So, check out the before and after and I'm gonna get started on the other goodies we snagged up yesterday!
See ya soon!

"YEP!  ALL THAT WORK, ALL THOSE PARTS AND IT'S ONLY...

$85.00!!

MOTHERS DAY SALE!!!! OPEN TODAY 9AM-3PM!!! 10% OFF EVERYTHING!!!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, Y'ALL!!!
If all goes according to plan the mother of my children is being pampered right now by the simple act of being allowed to sleep in.  The kiddo's have their gifts all made up (hand made ones are always the best) but they're letting her get some much needed rest, first.  And hopefully, my Mom is planning a good day up North and get's some pampering, as well!  Me? I got up early to open up shop for a special, seat of our pant's. last minute, relatively unplanned and poorly promoted "Mother's Day, "Day-Of" One Day Sale"! (yea...you can see how much thought we put into the title!  Yeesh!)  That's right! 10% off everything in the shop!  Oh, no worries, if you're looking to buy two or more bikes, we'll cut even a better deal!   And, yes, that discount goes for any repairs as well, but get 'em in soon, as the special sale ends at 3pm!  That's when I empty the house of all kiddo's, take 'em to the park, and let mamma have some quiet time!
Yesterday was another relatively quiet one, but we did have a LOT of looky loo's!  WOOF!  I wish I had a dozen three wheelers sitting in the shop, as truly, that seems to be the ONLY thing anyone has been looking for lately.  We had a couple repair pick up's and sent one bike to a new home.  But, that ONE bike made my WHOLE week!  I'd just finished up an older men's Huffy MTB.  This one was a "Sub-DAILY BANGER SPECIAL"  or what we call, an "AS-IS SPECIAL"!  Basically, a bike that comes in that is mechanically sound, but not the prettiest of rides.  However, due to there relatively low re-sale value, taking the time to go through, clean up, rusticate, and overhaul would not increase their over all value much at all.  SOOOOO, we just make sure everything works right and put them out AS IS!  They're for folks who just need a WAY cheap mode of transportation to get around.  This one went out at $45.00 and no sooner had I put it into the line, did a nice gent and his little girl enter the shop.  His first enquiry was as to whether we purchased bikes from folks.  Now, I've been doing this long enough to recognize the inflection of that particular question.  This gent didn't have a bike to sell, but in fact recently had one stolen, and was covertly trying to see if perhaps we picked it up.  Yes, the sad side effect of buying bikes from folks is sometimes, some thieves are actually stupid enough to try and sell them to US!  Heh.  This fact has proven to be disastrous to many, as little do they know, we work quite closely with the local constabulary, and not only that, are pretty good at reading folks when it comes to who really owns what.  To date, we have recovered 87 stolen bikes, returning them to their rightful owners AND gotten eleven would be crooks into the court system! 
ANYWHO...
I let it play out and he did in fact reveal, that earlier that day his cherry Jamis Boss Cruiser had been stolen, and had we in fact seen it.  Unfortunately not.  This was clearly disheartening, as he revealed, that he only had his daughter a few days a week, and the weekends were when they enjoyed their bike ride together.  He then asked if we had any cheaper bikes for sale, so they wouldn't loose that time together.  I pointed him towards the Huffy, and he looked at the price tag, and even though he was impressed by the low price, when he opened his wallet I swear a moth flew out.  Yes, as the majority of his funds went to child support, he only had $30.00 left to spend.  Well, folks, call me an old softy but seeing the disappointment in both their faces at the thought of losing that special time together, I just said "give me what you can" and to please go and enjoy their evening.
Yes, even the most stalwart of men, bristling with masculinity can get a tad bit "misty" at a moment like that.  We enjoyed the male equivalent of a supportive, sympathetic hug in the form of a firm hand shake, and he and a very elated little girl went off to enjoy their evening!
Yes folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again THAT is the kind of thing that makes this little enterprise SOOOOOO worth all the headaches!!
Well, I also had some time to start pulling through the pile out back and getting some other goodies started.  My first victim is a six speed cruiser (as that's the second most popular bike folks are looking for right now) and given it's condition, thought it would be a nice candidate for "HOW WE DO IT!".  Yes, another pictorial representation of the transmogrifying transformation each and every piece of scrap metal goes through around here before becoming a shining beacon of Veloist purity (oh, my...THAT doesn't sound egotistically ostentatious...does it?) so check out the before pics below, and later today we should have the "REVEAL!" 
Okay, with that, I'm gonna git a crackin'!
See ya soon!

HOPEFULLY, THEY'RE OUT RIDING TOGETHER AS WE SPEAK!

HOW WE DO IT!!!!!

FIRST, DIG A WRECK OUT OF YOUR PILE...

THEN, STRIP IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO FRAME (GOTTA GET ALL THE RUSTY PARTS OFF TO CLEAN OR REPLACE!)

TAKE SAID RUSTY PARTS AND PUT THEM THROUGH THE WIRE WHEEL (OR STEEL WOOL AND PB BLASTER)

AND...OOOOOOO...LOOK AT THE PRETTIES!!!

NOW...STAY TUNED 'TILL LATER AND SEE THE FINISHED (AND VERY REASONABLY PRICED) RESULTS!!

ROAD TRIP!!!

If y'all didn't get the point yesterday, today, being the weekend, should have alerted you to the inescapable conclusion that...IT'S FREAKING GORGEOUS OUTSIDE!!  If you are currently in a semi prone position, reclining or even sitting, please, GET OFF YOUR BUTT'S AND GET OUTSIDE!!!
....no, no.. not yet, finish reading first!
We had Logan open up this morning and Owen and I went and paid Bullet a visit to grab some supplies for the shop.  Loved the ride!  And Ooooooooh...If you are out and in the mood for some barbeque, there's a trailer/smoker set up just before the train tracks on North Highland whose smells will make your taste buds leap off your tongue and go a runnin'!  Had the cash I was carrying not been ear marked for bike parts...well I'd be still sitting there working on my second helping of pulled pork and collard greens!  It has WAY too long since I had a good batch of homemade collard greens! 
Oh...man...my stomach is rumbling just thinking about it!
But, yea, it is perfect weather for getting out and exploring such wonders, today!  And trust me, I don't think we have much time left to enjoy this mildly cooler weather before the sweaty indignity of summer will be upon us!  You know, the point where the only option for outside entertainment is standing inside the mall looking out the sliding glass doors, as they slowly start to melt!
Ugh.
This week has been a WAY quite one, although oddly enough, the biggest thing folks have been searching for is three wheelers?  Weird.  We haven't had anyone looking for one all during retiree season, then, the minute they head back up North, everyone wants one!
Sad Face.
Unfortunately, the only one we have gotten in the last six months was WAY to far gone and only worthy of parts.  It had an ok bolt on rear end good enough for another truck, or given the right frame coming in, possibly a home made three wheeler. We'll have to see!
Yesterday was allocated to trying to get the eBay up and running, then some much needed cleaning and organization (not to mention catching up on repairs) then on to Newbies!  I did manage to get out one sharp looking Mongoose DXR AL dual shock MTB, but the other two I put in the rack, another 26" DBS (which turned out to have a crack in the frame) and a sweet looking ladies Free Spirt 3 speed that unfortunately had  wheels so badly riddle with small dents, she needed to end up going back on the back burner until such a time as I actually get in a good enough set to replace them.  So, yea...only one newbie out after a lot of effort. 
Today though, after doing up the final repair (that needed the aforementioned parts run) I'll be back on some of the goodies from out back.  We have a couple cruisers out there, and folks are looking for them as well!
So, with that, best get my butt in gear and get some work done!
See y'all soon!

26" MONGOOSE DXR AL DUAL SHOCK MTB!!!

ONLY $85.00!!!

I'd Love To Smack The Snooze Button On THAT Wake Up Call!!!

As promised we banged out one newbie today!  Quite the chore as I discovered...i am out of 26" rear wheels!?  Yeesh! Had to lace one up from scratch.  That's gonna mean a few rides being put on the back burner but may inspire me to tweak on some of the road bike frames I got kicken around!  We'll see.
With all the rain last couple days, visitors have been sparse, so the usual flow of fresh meat has been meager...so nothing to wrench on!  Maybe time to dip into the yard stock!  Not a bad thing given I still have to weed through it.

Okay...that's as far as I got last night before the day wore me into bed...
Now...on to this morning!

Ugh.
Was awoken earlier then usual by a phone call.  Well... as of yesterday I was under the false assumption that all had been resolved with the department of revenue, and we were FINALLY on the same page.
Heh...that lasted less then 24 hours.  I received the revised amounts of the charges on our account and had talked with our Tax Specialist yesterday to set the terms for payment.  For whatever reason, ALL that was somehow jettisoned in the ensuing hours and this morning I was informed, via voicemail, that the entire amount needed to be paid...tomorrow by five!?
Let me tell you, woman is NOT as fickle as the Tax Man!
At this point my brain was starting to cramp and an all to familiar nervous twitch started in my right eye. Hurriedly I got dressed and jet into the shop to recheck the stipulations on the letter I received, only to discover this.....

Okay, so we understand each other...The letter was written and dated 5/2/16, then mailed.  In the body of the letter it states that I have to respond to this letter ON OR BEFORE 5/1/16!?  Yes...all the conspiracy theories ARE TRUE!!! Our government has been running extensive experiments in time travel, and the practice has become SO wide spread, through ALL branches of the government that they automatically assume that EVERYONE can travel backwards in time!!!!
AMAZING!!!
Yes folks...I had to respond to the letter...a day BEFORE they even thought about WRITTING IT!!! 
Oh wait...maybe the stories about government run labs dabbling in psychic powers is true as WELL!
GAWSH!!!
My cup of sarcasm runnith over!
Seriously....THIS is what I am dealing with at least three days a week!  And you wonder why I sometimes don't get a lot done? 
And what's even worse is, when I finally did get through and got the matter resolved (in effect the phone call was a scare tactic.  Apparently he gets flack from HIS superiors...and it trickles down hill) and pointed out the disparity in dates...I got a non committal verbal shrug and NO explanation, just; "you have to pay this amount..."
REALLY!?!
Thanks for clearing THAT up!
So...after that emotionally draining exchange...I'm sitting for a few, sipping my coffee, shaking my head...and then getting to work!

I leave you with this....

....negative....it just impacted on the surface.... (or...101 Uses For A Dead Taun Taun)

Yea...I WAY slacked off today!
In all fairness, it wasn't all my fault!  First up, when I got home yesterday morning at 3 am Elijah was still awake.  And he has to be up at FIVE to get to work!  He has bouts of insomnia and couldn't fall asleep (a side effect of over stimulation) and didn't lay down until four.  I set my alarm for five and stayed up to make sure he made it out on time, so...I was a wee bit bushed.
I did TRY to work but the two projects I started on turned out to be unsalvageble...so frustrated, I set down for lunch...and got caught up in an episode of MST3K.
There goes the day!
My bad.
I'll do better tomorrow.
Also tried getting eBay up and running, and although I have our page back...it kept crashing my internet connection when I tried to list.  Ah well. Try THAT again....tomorrow. Well, it was a very filthy night tonight in the rafters cleaning cobwebs!  no. Thats NOT a euphemism.  Literally...on a scafold vacuming up ten plus years of overzealous spiders!
Ick.
I SO need a shower!
Until tomorrow.

Okay...It's tomorrow!  Not the greatest of starts!  Passed out on the couch last night, because after breathing in all the dust and cobwebs I KNEW it was going to be a SNORING night!  Angi need's her sleep too!  Was awoken...too bloody early, by Izzy standing on one side of me and Rozy on the other arguing over a shirt...LOUDLY! Apparently they thought the lump on the couch was yesterdays laundry!
sigh.
As Angi was awake from getting Miranda ready and off to school, I flopped into bed for another couple Z's.  She got me up around nine, with coffee, and I reluctantly spilled out onto the floor, only to be greeted with the pitter patter of fat raindrops!
And to top it off...I left my boots on the porch last night!  Ugh!  Squishy feet!
BUT....
The SHINING MOMENT IS...Today is May the Forth!  Do YOU know what day that is?!

YES!! The Annual day of celebrating ALL things STAR WARS!!
(well...except those GAWD AWFUL prequels!  THEY...NEVER...HAPPENED (insert Jedi Mind Wipe here))
I hope you have your celebratory plans ALL in order (me...*sigh*...I'll be sucking up more cobwebs probably....but I'm going to pretend the spiders are Stromtroopers and my vacuum is infused with the Force!) and I'd love it if any revelers would send me some pics I can post!  It'll be me living vicariously through you! 
Needless to say, though, showed up a wee bit late this morning, waiting for a break in the rain to make a run for it, BUT, I'm still going to try and bang out at least ONE!
Here's hoping!
OKEY DOKEY!

Typical Timely Tuesday

Hunkerin' Down to more "Desk-Top" time!
With a little help from Elijah, we got the Facebook Page up and running again (Re-cycle Bicycles...that simple! Check It out and Friend us for up to date info on all the goings-on and latest additions to the line up!) and our Twitter (again...Re-Cycle Bicycles... notice a pattern?) so you can get 140 characters (or less) of whimsical wisdom and the newbies right as they roll off the line!  We figured, best to stop fighting the march of progress and jump on board!  Helps those looking for "THAT" ride to get first dibs! 
Yesterday was pretty brisk, I must say!  Had several more repairs, a good sign for a Monday, and took a classic Motobecane Mixie frame out of moth balls and built her up, nice and pretty!  Then, about four minuets later, she went to a new home with a very excited young lady eager to get back into riding, post haste!  Hey!  We don't begrudge you your enthusiasm! We include the photo below, just as proof we DID do something yesterday!
Today, as I said, the computer is all warmed up and waiting as I begin, once again, to enter the convoluted world of....EBAY!  *SHUDDER*
Oy.  Sometimes, it proves to be profitable but others, it can quickly become a time consuming Juggernaut!  Hopefully the prior will prove true this time around. 
I will try and only delegate a little time each day to it, as last summer I all but allowed it to consume my time.  Don't want to let everything else slide, this time round!
Okay! With that, I best get a crackin'!
See ya soon!

Nope, didn't last long AT ALL!

Don't Try To Force Feed A Gift Horse In The Mouth

Okay, okay, okay...this is just to freaking weird!
A little back story; once again I have become steeped in the quagmire of the Florida Department of Revenue, the self same agency that gives bureaucracy a bad name!  Due to a few late payments, we have a wee bit of penalties to pay, and whereas you may think it would be a simple matter to get an accurate total of what's due, well, that thinking can only apply to agencies that actually have a clue as to what they are doing! No, I have been on the phone, every day for the last three weeks TRYING to get my assigned "Tax Specialist" on the horn to give me the info.  In that time I have been able to speak to him ONCE, last Wendsday.  During that brief contact he merely stated we "needed to pay" to which I responded, somewhat irritably; "how much?!" His response was that he had left the info on my voice mail.  With assurances that I would call him right back, I checked.  No voicemail message from him, but when I called him back three minuets later...got his voicemail, and so it has been the remainder of the week.  But here's the kicker!  Saturday, as is part of my every day ritual, I went on line to check my banking activity, and lo and behold saw that the DOR had cashed two payments on the 22nd...but on the 29th...returned them?  No, they didn't bounce, they just...paid it back?
Perplexed, I called Tallahassee this AM to inquire as to what the deal was...and the "Tax Specialist" stated that they, in fact, HAD NOT refunded me any money, and in fact had credited my account?!  UM.... well.... all I know is the exact amounts I had paid had been refunded a week later into my account, and that I would be more then happy to send them a screenshot as proof.  Here's the funny part...the "Tax Specialist" actually became annoyed and adamant that I was mistaken!  That they in fact had NOT returned it, that in fact it MUST be a banking error!  Well...I talked to the bank on Sunday (24 hour service...YAY!) and THEY swear that the DOR returned it!
(OKAY...at this point envision a cartoon character with his head vibrating violently then a Spanners Style cranial explosion!)
SHEESH!
Okay...fine!  I tried to do the RIGHT thing (again) and was slammed HARD against a brick wall!  No worries!  I'll take my toys and go home!
ANYWHO!
Back at it again today, and going to try and bang out a few newbies! YEE-HA! 
Hope to see you folks today!

Oh....Did I Mention?

Zoinkers!
I should have mentioned earlier that we were, in fact, open today! 
Sorry!
Late notice, eight minuets before closing! 
SO sorry for that!  Came in to catch up on the repairs that came in yesterday, as we were off having a blast at the Rat Rod Show! 
Some unknown benefactor left a bevy of goodies on our doorstep, so we send a boisterous THANK YOU for all the goodies!  The Ladies Giant Rincon that was left should be a fun project!  After finishing up the repairs went to work on an excellent DAILY BANGER SPECIAL candidate, pic below! 
Also, used the day as a good excuse to get the place picked up a wee bit!  Last week, several of the folks returning North left some care packages for the family, and I thought I sent all the perishables home the day they came in...opps.  Upon opening one box I, regretfully, discovered where the odd smell was coming from!  
YIKES! 
No Harm, No Foul!
OH!  And while I'm thinking about it, finally got the Twitter account rolling!  Check out "Re-cycle bicycles" for the up to the minute...er...updates on what we got going out! Yep!  For all those folks looking for "THAT" ride, this will be a quick, easy way to see what we're cranking out!  If you see something you like just give us a holler and let us know you're coming in to snag it!
OKAY!
Now, promised the kiddos I'd bring them to the park for a little bit, so I guess I best get a move on!
See ya soon!

MEN'S 26" "DAILY BANGER SPECIAL!!"

ONY $70.00!!

WE LOVE FREEBIES!!!

Rat Rod Riders Round Up!

Today is the big Dunedin Rat Rod show, and some of the kiddo's and I are preparing to head out (waiting to juice up my phone so I can grab some pics).  Have already chatted with a few people that went earlier this morning and they inform me this one is pretty good size.  Hopefully I can find out the time of the next one so we can get a booth set up to pimp out what we do.  Got the Clown Bike up and running yesterday and took her around the block a few times to test my rusty mounting and dismounting skills.

  Still a tad bit shaky, the ill result of the bad fall from the last time I rode her...um four or more years ago.  But, after a few minuets it was just like riding a bicycle...um, wait, what? 
Hope to see some of you folks there, as well, and when your done, feel free to come pay us a visit!  Okay, gonna head out and when we get back, I'll have some pic's to share with you!

WOW!!!  That was AWESOME!!!  And what a perfect spot!  On Edgewater drive just before beautiful downtown Dunedin in the auxiliary parking lot of the church, nestled beneath a beautiful canopy of trees, providing ample shade for all in attendance.  Looked to be a good amount of folks in attendance, all of like minds!  And MAN, were there some beautiful rides there!  I was DAH-ROOOOOLIN'!  One bike was up for raffle, a replica of the classic Western Flyer! 

Several of the rides in attendance were straight forward classic, full of charm accented with the patina of age, some were straight up rust buckets, filled with the mystery of a long life. 

Of course, there were some gorgeous restorations and others praying for the chance to shine again.

Not to mention some newer factory customs...

And home made customs full of whimsy and character!

"What "Tank Girl" would ride...if she didn't have a tank!"

"obviously a light meant for blinding pilots!"

Of course, as would be expected being held so close to the shop, we saw a lot of our regulars there and made many new friends.  Had a good talk with the coordinators, and got the info into their bike club the Rat Riders.  They invited me to tag along on their next outing, but not sure if I'll ride the Clown Bike for that!  They mainly have a convoy of sharp cruisers out bar hoping, and....well, I can't imagine navigating that ride through narrow Dunedin streets after a few brews! 
After seeing all those WAY cool customs...OH...I got the ITCH!  Definitely going to the drawing board! I have a concept in mind, which will not be a small bike, and a full custom frame build.  And, no surprise, inspired by Firefly!  SO, keep an eye out for that...hopefully.

What was a REAL hoot was as we were wandering about, I began to notice something very flattering, all total, I saw about two dozen bikes there that we had rebuilt and sold!  Oh, some had been taken and fully restored, while some were just being flipped. One in particular, the Pepsi bike we sold about two months ago for $80.00, the buyer had out for $350.00!!  I wish him luck! 

OH!  And I did buy a few things! Funny though, the thing is, they had nothing to do with bikes!  A gent had these buried in a box at the corner of his table, but when I saw them a FLOOD of nostalgia hit me, as I LOVED reading these things as a kid!  I had to have them....

And, even though we didn't win the Classic Western Flyer in the raffle, we DID win this....

I don't know if any of the vendors made any serious cash, didn't see a lot of visitors walking away with parts stashed under their arms or wheeling out rides, but everyone there seemed to have had a good time.  Of course, my ego was stroked at all the show stopping glances I got on the Clown, and parking it out front, a lot of photos were snapped of her!  There was only one other tall bike there, a double decker but, nope, ours is still the tallest!

  And I only fell once!  Well, not fell, had to bail off when we were headed out because the kids were all higgly piggly about me.  They don't follow direction very well at times.  All in all though, the guys in charge ran a real awesome show, and I am quite thankful for their efforts.  The more folks out there willing to do things like this to promote the lifestyle and addiction THE BETTER!

And finally, MY pick for BEST IN SHOW (but it only took third place) is this crazy concoction resulting in a SWEET little piece of STEAM PUNK!!

Now, I'm gonna take a moment and connect with the Rat Riders and find out their next run, then it's back to the grindstone!  See YA!