All New Bicycle Preservation Society
What: Bicycle Preservation Society (BBP’s BPS), a program that continues the story and journey of historic and interesting bicycles.
Why: Each bicycle has its own history. There are a stories baked into its faded paint, memories polished into it’s aluminum brake levers, and experiences worn into every cog. If you dived deep enough you might discover where a bicycle has gone, how far it traveled to get there, what obstacles it overcame, and who it came in contact with along the way. BBP’s had frames donated that were ridden in the Tour De France, ridden around the world, and ridden around Boise everyday for 50+ years. Each bicycle has a story to tell and hopefully continue.
Most steel framed bicycles that come into BBP have plenty of life to live. In fact, these frames will outlive all of us (hopefully not in a landfill). Unfortunately BBP does not always have time to repair each one, and many are taken apart never to ride again. And that’s where you come in.
How: The Bicycle Preservation Society is a program that attempts to bring new life to special bicycles through story telling and match making. Each week BBP will feature a new Preservation Bicycle, with details about its history, recommendations for its revival, and tips for the perfect match/rider (size of rider and type of riding).
Interested adopters will fill out a short adoption application, pledging to do their darnedest to bring it back to riding condition and committing add some more miles to its journey. We will prioritize riding over collecting and parting out.
How much: Each bike will come with a recommended adoption fee, usually around $40, but we will make our best effort to be flexible if the perfect match is lacking funds. Our goal is to find someone who will love and ride each Preservation Bicycle. Adoption fee also covers membership to the Bicycle Preservation Society, which will someday get you a sticker and not much else.
When: Now, check out our first preservation project below.
Preservation Bicycle Number #1
Make: Nishiki
Model: Competition
Year/Age: 1974 / 45 years old
Size: 58cm for someone 5’9 -6’0
Adoption Fee: $40
Recommended Repairs:
With a new/used 700c wheel set, 38mm tires and tubes, and perhaps some updated long reach caliper brakes, this could be a smooth riding daily commuter or light touring bike. Probably $150 in parts needed. a little less if you can find the right used stuff at BBP. All of this work could easily be done at BBP, but we’d also recommend some tooth brush and cleaning time at home while watching a movie.
Bicycle History:
Well, we know that registration for this bicycle renewed on April 30th 1989 in Missoula Montana, aka the bicycle town (see registration sticker below), and we know that it was donated to BBP in 2019. Based on the beautiful wear and tear on the paint, the existing front handlebar bag, and markings than indicate a rear rack was once attached, we can assume this bicycle has covered great distance with gear. It’s not rusty, so in hasn’t spent much time on the coast or in the rain, so we’re guessing those miles took place on the open roads of Big Sky country.
What other stories can we discover from these pictures?