All the pictures in the ad were of a bicycle hanging upside down, which was weird. What was weirder was the bike's brand decal. Here, I'll turn the picture around.
An Aragon? I hadn't heard of that brand before. I checked Google. I could find only two references to an Aragon bicycle, and both were from people making the same inquiry. Intrigued, I emailed the seller. She didn't know much about the bike except that it had been hanging in the garage for decades, and for $20 the bike could be mine.
I went to go see the Aragon in person. I was met by the original owner who didn't remember where he bought it (his wife guessed West Des Moines). He got the bicycle in high school, took it to college, and then never touched it after getting married. The downtube sports an Ames Bicycle License sticker from '84. I'm guessing he and the Aragon went to ISU.
I gave the bike a quick visual inspection (the tires were too flat and rotted to ride it), and then gave the guy a twenty. He rolled the bike to my car while I briefly talked to his wife. I said goodbye and loaded the Aragon into the back of the RAV. Here it is in our driveway.
I like the frame's highlighted lugs.
Oh, dang it.
I was pretty mad at myself, but I decided to press on until a solution presented itself. I washed the bike, and pumped some air into the tires so it would be easier to move. I shopped around town looking for a suitable rim replacement, but I came up short-handed.
I went back to Craiglist and spotted a working Schwinn Traveler ten-speed. The frame was way too big for me, but the 27" x 1 1/4" tires were the right size. The cheap $26 price tag would be worth it if just the rear rim was straight. I picked up the Traveler after the I-Cubs game. Here it is in our driveway.
My only concern was that the seller had listed the Schwinn incorrectly. This was a 12-speed, not a ten. That meant the rear freewheel had six cogs instead of five. I wasn't sure if this new rim would be too big to fit between the Aragon's dropouts, but I bought it anyway.
Sizing them up: the Traveler is on the left, and the Aragon is on the right. Man, look how warped that tire is.
The Schwinn wheel slid into place with little effort. So, I also replaced the front wheel. The tires and rims are mismatched, but they'll work for now.
Hey Aragon, check out your new pair of shoes.
I rode the bike up and down our street, and the rear derailleur didn't have any problem finding the extra gear. The bike is now lighter because the aluminum rims weigh less than the original steel wheels.
At first I felt guilty for stripping a perfectly good bike, but then I looked closer at the Schwinn. The frame is pretty rough. Not every part matched a bona fide '83 Traveler, either. I think the Traveler was so cheap because the seller had thrown on a couple of spare parts to make this a working bike.
What else I could take from the Traveler and put on the Aragon? The Schwinn's rust-free chain was the same length, so that made a move. So did the pedals.
The crank puller and lock spanner that I ordered from Amazon come in on Thursday.
If I can't make the crank swap work, then at least I can pull the original crank and work on the bottom bracket. I haven't done that before.
Other plans include using the Schwinn's aluminum stem, handlebar tape, seat binder bolt, and center-pull brake calipers. I already switched the pedals, but I have a nicer pair in the parts bin that I might use. I've also got a couple of choices for a saddle and the handlebars.
None of this is necessary. I don't need another bicycle. I don't need to scrounge for bike parts. I just think it's fun trying to solve these mechanical mysteries and putting it all together using found parts. Plus, I get to buy new tools.
I'm actually pleased that the original rim was bent. If it was fine, then I wouldn't be so excited about this project.
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