Fifty Plus (50+) - What to do, what to do?

I need a winter project.

I was just down in my shop looking over my bikes and came to the conslusion that I didn't want to change anything on any of them. I think that they're all perfect just the way they are.

I'm not really interested in adding another to my fleet although, for some reason, the letter "R" keeps going through my head. Now what could that possibly stand for? Anybody have a recumbent frame to sell? If so, you get bonus points for 24" wheels but I'm not willing to pay very much.

I'm toying with a new rattle can red/orange/yellow paint job for the fixed gear to match the handlebar tape. (How's that for wagging the dog?) If I decide that I don't like it I can always do it over again next year. I wonder if my vinyl sticker maker can laser cut some masking stencils for me.

Anybody have any other bicycle project ideas? They don't have to make sense. In fact, the less logical sense that it makes, the more likely it will trigger my imagination.

What to do, what to do?

How about doing a build or two that you just give away to some local kid? It doesn't have to be an expensive one. My experience is that you can pick up some very useable bikes at yard sales and the like for $20 - $40. Often they just need cleaning, new cables, lubrication and new grease in the bearings and they are road worthy. The first bike I gave away like this was well worth the time and effort just to see the look on the kid's face.

How about doing a build or two that you just give away to some local kid? It doesn't have to be an expensive one. My experience is that you can pick up some very useable bikes at yard sales and the like for $20 - $40. Often they just need cleaning, new cables, lubrication and new grease in the bearings and they are road worthy. The first bike I gave away like this was well worth the time and effort just to see the look on the kid's face.

I've done some of that. The problem is that my standards are too high. I'm not interested in just cleaning and maybe new cables and brake pads. That's work. I hate work. I want to play. I want to repaint the frame, lace up a kick ass wheelset, stuff like that. I can turn a $40.00 junker into a $400.00, not all that much better, marginally upgraded junker real fast.

A fully faired recumbent trike for the cold weather.

Don't know if this is applicable to any of your bikes, but my project for this winter is lacing up some alloy rims on my wife's Brisith 3-Speed wheels, 40h rear 32h front. Of course the S/A hub will stay in the back, but I may put a better hub (maybe with QR!) on the front.

Plus, I need to find some better handlebars for that bike, and possibly a new stem.

All the other bikes are fine.

Rick / OCRR

A fully faired recumbent trike for the cold weather.

Now there's an idea!

Lots of new skills to learn - fiberglass lay up, how to mount the body. Lots of area for cool paint graphics. Probably not terrifically practical but who cares?

Convincing the wife that $3,000 for a tadpole trike kit to use as a starting point might take the whole winter by itself.

Don't know if this is applicable to any of your bikes, but my project for this winter is lacing up some alloy rims on my wife's Brisith 3-Speed wheels, 40h rear 32h front. Of course the S/A hub will stay in the back, but I may put a better hub (maybe with QR!) on the front.

Plus, I need to find some better handlebars for that bike, and possibly a new stem.

All the other bikes are fine.

Rick / OCRR

Want to buy (or trade for) a Mavic 40 hole rim? I don't think that i can help with the handlebar or stem.

Thanks Retro Grouch,

But I already have the rims, alloy Alex (if I remember right) that I bought from QBP. Lovely rims, still in their foam wrapping. The next step is to measure for spoke length calculation. Will use either DT or Wheelsmith SS, probably straight 14g (2.0 mm).

Rick / OCRR

With the limited Good weather we are having over here- I think it will be time to strip bikes down to a bare frame and rebuild. Got a couple that I have never done that on yet- so You will probably hear the swearing over there as I try to take out the bottom bracket on the Kona. Last strip down that had was 10 years ago.

With the limited Good weather we are having over here- I think it will be time to strip bikes down to a bare frame and rebuild. Got a couple that I have never done that on yet- so You will probably hear the swearing over there as I try to take out the bottom bracket on the Kona. Last strip down that had was 10 years ago.

If it has a Shimano cartridge bottom bracket a genuine Shimano bottom bracket tool will make removing it a breeze.

Do not under any conditions start playing around with Aerobars.....:eek: That will open a whole new can of worms.


Strangely enough.....bike painting, home style seems to be in.

Strangely enough.....bike painting, home style seems to be in.

I think that repainting the fixie is going to be it. My vinyl stick on guy can make me some temporary stickers that have a low tack adhesive. I even have a yellow water bottle cage laying around so the cost for this project should be quite reasonable.

My plan is to paint the whole bike with a white undercoat and cover it with yellow. I'll mask off the lettering and paint the whole bike orange. Then I'll mask off the color bands and paint the bike red. Finally, I'll pull off the masks and spray clear over everything.

A week between colors and a couple of weeks before I reassemble the bike and it just might be Spring.

If it has a Shimano cartridge bottom bracket a genuine Shimano bottom bracket tool will make removing it a breeze.

10 years of Mud & Crud and I remember who fitted it.

I think that repainting the fixie is going to be it. My vinyl stick on guy can make me some temporary stickers that have a low tack adhesive. I even have a yellow water bottle cage laying around so the cost for this project should be quite reasonable.

My plan is to paint the whole bike with a white undercoat and cover it with yellow. I'll mask off the lettering and paint the whole bike orange. Then I'll mask off the color bands and paint the bike red. Finally, I'll pull off the masks and spray clear over everything.

A week between colors and a couple of weeks before I reassemble the bike and it just might be Spring.

It sounds beautiful. What brand/type of paint will you use?

Now there's an idea!

Lots of new skills to learn - fiberglass lay up, how to mount the body. Lots of area for cool paint graphics. Probably not terrifically practical but who cares?

Convincing the wife that $3,000 for a tadpole trike kit to use as a starting point might take the whole winter by itself.

:lol: True!

Start on her now in time for next winter. :)

It sounds beautiful. What brand/type of paint will you use?

I made the decision this morning to buy myself a spray gun and to use auto paint from somewhere. I have a friend who is a body shop painter and who does custom motorcycle painting on the side. My plan is to call him and see what advice he gives me. The real objective here isn't the end result so much as the learning process.

What size do you ride? There's a great Mondonico frame with fork in 54 cm, on Ebay.

Road Fan

What size do you ride? There's a great Mondonico frame with fork in 54 cm, on Ebay.

That's a little too small for me. Most people would say that I should ride a 56 but I tend to go up a size because I want a taller head tube.

Woo Hoo!

At our family thanksgiving gathering yesterday my son asked if I'd be interested in tradeing a seldom used Park workstand for a used Chris King rear hub. Sounds like a deal to me.

Unfortunately the King hub is 135mm OLD and I need 130mm but, if I remember right, that's just a left side plug axle replacement on a King Hub. We'll see.

In the fortunate column, I already have the right spokes. My left side spokes will be 0.7mm long but that's within the acceptable range. Stub axle and a new Open Pro rim and I should be good-to-go.

My son just left.

He should come by more often. He got the Park workstand, a Specialized floor pump, a cassette tool and chainwhip. I also reworked a rear wheel that MIGHT hold together enough for him to ride tomorrow. It's pretty beat up but he's got a new wheelset coming next week.

I got a mountain bike rear wheel with a Chris King hub. It's a wheel that I built for him about 10 years ago and the Rhyno Lite rim is still pretty straight and round. I told him that he has a real good wheelbuilder. He also owns a never used spray gun that I've got my eye on.

My winter projects are beginning to take shape.