Clunker Challenge 2018, whose it gonna be?

The Bike Forums Classic and Vintage group has a quasi annual Clunker challenge, long story short- find a bike and get it road worthy for $100 or less and ride said bike for a total 100 kilometers, all within 100 days.  The clock started on July 3rd,  I toyed with the idea last year but the Motobecane Mirage was too small for me, this year it occurred to me that I  ridden quite a ways on on the Specialized Allez that I paid $80 for but I replaced the tires and if that hadn't blown the budget, Paselas, I have been using my Brooks saddle and VO seat post not the ones the Allez came stock with, so that wasn't going to work.  Stuff from the parts bin, aside from grease, has to be assigned a cost, so you really want a functional bike as found or it had better be free if it needs consumables.

I have been passively looking for an 1980s MTB to replace the sadly departed 1986 Miyata Trail runner. so it occurred to me I might kill two birds with one stone.  With that in mind I started searching CL for mountain bikes under $100 and I found 4 likely candidates.

Contestant #1.

A Specialized Rock Hopper, can't tell if its lugged but it is the right size and has the top mounted thumb shifters I would like, and its only $50.  The downside is that it would be a 4 hour round trip to get this bike and I never got a response on my inquiry so no Rock Hopper.

Contestant #2.

A Sekai Mountaineer SL.  I know from my inquiry that it has the thumb shifters I want, and that the owner would take $40 for it.  Bad news its hi-ten steel frame (low end), not lugged and its about a 3 hour round trip to get it.  Hmmm.

Contestant #3.

A Univega Alpina Country,  I have not worked on a Univega yet so that is intriguing, good size and it has a rack.  According to the ad it has a new saddle, chain and pedals.  The downside, not lugged, not sure about the shifters and while the seller was willing to come down a bit its still $80 and its a 2.5 hour round trip to pick it up, if traffic isn't a bear.

And finally Contestant #4.

A 1990 (I think) Bianchi Ibex.  Its lugged!!! and its 10 minutes away and I have never worked on a Bianchi before.  It is $80 which doesn't give me much wiggle room, but it did have a tuneup in the last year, and it has trigger shifters which I am not wild about.







Whose is it going to be?

Yeah, I am a sucker for lugs and it was basically in my back yard so I went and got it tonight.  At first glance the tires, cables and chain look fine.  I did notice the wheels, tires and tubes (presta and shrader) are mismatched but otherwise it appears mostly stock.

Suntour components would indicate to me that its not much newer than early 1990s and I don't believe there were many lugged steel mountain bike past early 90s either.

Both front and rear derailleurs have cabling that runs along the top tube and then down which will be a first for me.

Seven speeds in back, haven't had the wheel off yet so I am not sure if its a FW or Cassette.

And as I said a Bianchi is a first for me, albeit made in Taiwan rather than Italy.

The dark blue paint gives off a real Purple vibe in person so I am going to name him Barney.

One good thing about this challenge is that I am essentially forced to ride the bike as is, so I can find out if I like it, if it fits, if it feels right before I go fill an Amazon cart full of tires, pedals, cables and chains etc.  100 kilometers ought to be far enough to figure out if the Ibex is a keeper.

Ride. Smile. Repeat.