I was driving down a different street in a different city today and saw a bike in front of a big Goodwill store. I gave the bike a closer look (as I'm sure all of us do) and the glaring third tube in the center of this chrome bike almost caused me to crash my van. Sometimes thrift stores put bikes on display in front of the store, right? I pull an aggressive U-turn and sure enough, it's a Thruster Tri-Power. I like Thrusters--they aren't real high on my list, but I wasn't going to pass one up. Closer inspection revealed CW bars, a Tuff-Neck Pro Model, TRX forks (bummer they weren't Thruster forks too), a cheapo front wheel, a super nice, silver 7C with a Shimano DX hub and Sugino Maxy Cross cranks, all mounted on a 8 out of 10 scale chrome Tri-Power (it had some slight surface rust and no stickers). I went inside and by chance, the first person I saw and asked about the bike was "Ray" (his name tag said so). "That's my bike!" he said excitedly. Ray was obviously a "mentally challenged" adult (how come no matter how I try to word that it sounds offensive?), but very proud of his bike. I asked if he wanted to sell it and he said "no thank you". I thought about it for awhile, considered offering him what I thought was kind of a lot of money for it, then reconsidered. I did find a really cool MG sports car tee shirt and walked out the door. My conscience was getting the best of me (even though I hadn't offered him anything--I guess just that I had even considered the idea). I went back into the store and found Ray. I told him if he did decide to sell that bike, not to take less than three or four hundred dollars for it. One of the ladies behind the counter said people are always trying to buy it from him. I tried to drive the point home with her that the bike was worth a lot to the right person. Another girl said "He has a whole garage full of bikes like that at home". One can only wonder what is in that garage....

[ September 28, 2006, 11:29 PM: Message edited by: scottTowne ]

It is the acts you do when you do not have to that are the true measure of ones character.

Cool story! you should follow up on this, hell mabe if nothing else you could show him VBMX.

I think the attention he apparently gets from owning the bike makes him happier than any dollar amount ever could.

Cool story,,, I'd like to think that most of us here who post at this site would do the same !!
Hey, maybe you can go back and ask if wants to sell any of the old bikes in his garage !! LOL ! just kidding !

A good story indeed, and kudos to your character to help him not get shafted when/if he decides to sell it.

Halfway through, when he said he didn't want to sell it I was thinking "omg someone should at least tell him what it's worth"...then you turned around and did just that.

I agree with Doug, to some people, attention is a wonderful thing.

Great story Scott.

It would be nice if more people did that. Awesome.

You deserve props, you are a good man.

Cool story. Maybe you should try and get him to check VBMX - he may find a bunch of new friends

I'm assuming he had a good lock on that thing, or you would have mentioned suggesting that to him too. Looks like I found the answer why I never find bikes at thrift stores, the employees snipe them up! Good for Ray! Great suggestion kcmobmx! Wouldn't expect any less out of Astronoskipper or 99.5% of the VBMX.com community.

You are a good man Scott Towne. Your good deed daily!

Joe Baumert

I appreciate the kind words, but I wasn't fishing for compliments. I acted out of "almost guilt", after all. ha ha. I just thought it was kind of an interesting story about a cool bike.

Scott is a good person and honestly aren't we all a little "metally challenged"?

God speed to Ray. May he bust a "Timmy Judge" daily on that beast.