A couple --
My stories --
I'm commuting on an old Campy Record hub that I found in a trash pile. There was a house in the neighborhood that was one of "those" houses -- home to a local eccentric who collected just mounds and mounds of stuff, mostly scrap metal. The house went up for sale (there was a small fire, and the fire department found military equipment and explosives in the house -- the owner was persuaded to move along...) and a mountain of crap appeared for the trash. Bike parts made up a good portion of the mountain. The guy's taste ran toward old Raleigh "English Racer" Three Speeds, but sticking out of the pile was a nice looking front wheel. I pulled it out, and noticed the "Campagnolo Record" logo. It even had the quick release. I spent the better part of an hour looking for its mate, but with no luck. It cleaned up nicely and, after being rebuilt, I run it as a spare.
I also seem to find a steady supply of red winkie LED taillights for commuting. I've found two perfectly good ones on the bike trail in the past two years.
The best story involves a friend of mine. He's a world class scrounger. Saturdays are spent riding from yard sale to yard sale, buying all kinds of stuff. His garage looks like Alladin's cave, that is if Alladin's treasure was old inexpensive bikes from the '60s and '70's. He has all kinds of stuff. One of his best yard sale deals was a wheelset built up with perfectly new 7 Speed Dura Ace that he bought at a yard sale. Total cost: $5. I offered him $7...