Bicycle Mechanics - Refurbishing old bike-where to start?

Although I have a new bike, I pulled my old bike out of a barn today and decided that I would try to refurbish it. It has been sitting in the barn for years, the tires are rotted and I will need to do a lot. But I always liked the way it fit me. It is a ladies bike, 10 speed with touring handlebars ( I think you might call them north road nowadays). The brakes are shot, so I want to change them out, the chain is completely rusted and I hate the location of the gear shifts which are on the tube which slants down, really hard and awkward to reach and I would like to put the new gear shifters on the handlebars if that is possible? It has nice shiny fenders which I will keep. I will take a picture or two and post. But where to start? What should I attack first? And what components do you recommend? I am not in a hurry. And I don't want to spend a lot of money. It will just be an around town doing errands bike.

I have never worked on a bike and I am not mechanically inclined but I thought I'd learn how on this one since I can't make it any worse than it is. My husband says the bearings still look good, just need greasing. I have to admit that if I ever have a bike problem, and I have had very few, I take my bike to a bike shop. But I want to learn.

Oh and a book recommendation would be appreciated. Something with clear, color photos and easy to understand explanations. TIA

Sheldon Brown's website has a wealth of information about bikes; so does the Park Tool website. You can find both with Google.

To get the best advice, repost this in the Classic & Vintage forum with appropriate sacrificial gifts (i.e., pictures for us to drool over). What you want, it seems, is either trigger shifters on the handlebars or perhaps stem shifters (mounted on the handlebar stem).

Here is Sheldon Brown's site. It is rich in information. http://sheldonbrown.com/home.html

Here is the Park Tool Site. Look over on the right for Bike Repairs. http://www.parktool.com/

Good Luck

I have never worked on a bike and I am not mechanically inclined but I thought I'd learn how on this one since I can't make it any worse than it is. My husband says the bearings still look good, just need greasing. I have to admit that if I ever have a bike problem, and I have had very few, I take my bike to a bike shop. But I want to learn.
The fact that you have a main bike and that this is a project really helps. If you have a community bike shop or co-op nearby, that would be your best bet for having access to expertise and tools. You can get by with most basic tools (8mm-12mm box wrenches, #1,#2,#3 Phillips head screwdrivers, Flat blade screwdrivers, allen keys, etc) but you can only get so far without needing something more specific.

Pics would be very helpful. If your husband is mechanically inclined it could become a fun joint project.

Where to start? Here's what I'd do:
1- clean it up as well as you can as is. Warm water with a mild soap, sponges, cotton cloths/towels will do.
2- Learn about bicycles and how they work. Internet is good. A bike co-op is great. Bikes are actually quite simple things mechanically, so it is not like trying to learn about how a car works. It is empowering to begin to understand how things work and why they are there.
3 - disassemble it entirely. Be methodical and keep things organized. Initially, keep "assemblies" assembled when they are removed from the frame (brake calipers, shifters, etc).
4- assess the condition of the parts. Any cables and housing will likely be shot, the brake pads will likely be hard, etc. I wouldn't write the brakes off just yet. I've brought many a frozen caliper back to life, but it takes work and some mechanical effort/time.
5 - refurbish the parts that can be kept. I like to break the assemblies (like brake calipers) down to their basic parts, thoroughly clean them, lubricate them and re-assemble them.
6 - identify what needs to be replaced and obtain the replacement parts.
7 - build it back up and enjoy!

Not an insignificant list for someone who is not mechanically inclined, but it's what I would do. The benefit is a bike that is essentially as clean and mechanically perfect as possible - a clean, properly functioning bike is more fun to ride than one that is working "sort of okay"

Have fun with it. Don't get on a time crunch, and just let the project unfold.

Thank you and here are pictures. I also reposted on classic and vintage.
As I said there it is I am sure, just a cheap hardware store bike. I barned it because I lived on a bad gravel road but now I live where the streets are paved I thought I'd see what I could do with it. I do have a wonderful main bike so there is no hurry.

First stem must be: make sure seatpost, bottom bracket, and stem are not seized and can be removed. If any of theise is very difficult to remove then the bike is not worth the time.

First, and most important, this was not a high quality bike when it was new so be very careful about putting a lot of money into it. Unless iyou have a great emotional attachment to it, just clean up and reuse whatever you can and don't consider upgrading very much as it will quickly turn into a money pit.

A new chain, freewheel, tires, cables and brake shoes are about all that can be justified. Thumb shifters or stem shifters can replace the downtube shifters too.

Along with the web sites already mentioned, Bicycling Magazine publishes a good repair manual "Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair". Some bike shops or Borders or Barnes and Nobel or Amazon book stores should carry it.

If I were you, in terms of ease of work with noticeable improvement, I'd swap brake cables and cable housings first of all. Do it well and carefully, following Sheldon Brown's information on cable routing (he's far more explicit than Park Tools and others on the important points). Swapping brake pads will also be easy.
Next, I'd swap out the old tires. Anything new will make it nicer.

Then I'd move into drivetrain stuff, first swapping cables/levers and adjusting derailers, then moving to the more involved stuff-- bottom bracket overhaul, chain replacement, etc. Note that a bottom bracket overhaul and new chain might not feel much different if you're on old pedals with dry, worn bearings.

Hub overhauls aren't too difficult, but make sure you have the proper cone wrenches and either a vise or two good adjustable or box wrenches before you start--once your bearings are rolling around on your floor, you want to make sure you can put everything back together again properly. You could treat each wheel as a separate, small project--overhaul the hubs and then tension and true the wheel. Learning to true a wheel takes some amount of time, patience and practice, but once you've got it down, it's a relatively quick and easy thing to do on a bike.

Along w/ tools noted above, you're going to want to have some good grease and lube, as well as a lot of rags. With such an old bike, it's also nice to have some decent penetrating oil. I tried PBlaster and Liquid Wrench but recently got some Kroil. Kroil's far superior.

Oh, but the very first thing I'd do would be to just give the thing a serious cleaning. Much nicer to work on an old bike after the years of accumulated grime and scum have been washed away. Start by scrubbing the bike off upside down, then turn it over and do it again right-side up.

Have fun.

First, and most important, this was not a high quality bike when it was new so be very careful about putting a lot of money into it. Unless iyou have a great emotional attachment to it, just clean up and reuse whatever you can and don't consider upgrading very much as it will quickly turn into a money pit.

A new chain, freewheel, tires, cables and brake shoes are about all that can be justified. Thumb shifters or stem shifters can replace the downtube shifters too.

Along with the web sites already mentioned, Bicycling Magazine publishes a good repair manual "Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair". Some bike shops or Borders or Barnes and Nobel or Amazon book stores should carry it.

Fully agree, now that pics are posted. It is not worth a ton of time and effort, but could be brought up to "rideable" condition.
If you spend more than $50 on it then you've spent more than its value.

It could still be a fun project if you want to learn about bicycle mechanics, but I would avoid spending too much.

I'd go with these $13.00 thumbshifters - they mount inboard of the brake levers:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=24369&category=770
$12.00 chain:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=19311
I'd probably hit Walmart, Target, etc. for cables and housing. Probably $10.

You'll have to determine tires size. Likely 27". Should be able to dig up a pair for $20-$25.
Add $5-10 for tubes.

As for order, I'd go tires/tubes, chain. See if it still rides alright. Then maybe lube current cables and see how well the derailers work. If all seems good, go for the new shifters and cables.

Where to start? With a different project bike. That bike is not worth the time, $ or effort.

Wal-Mart had cablesets for $5 last time I checked.

That bike looks like it's something like Schwinn Varsity level of quality. I have an old Varsity, and while I don't expect the world of it, it is a neat bike to ride. Just mess with it a little at a time, don't soak too much money into it, and this bike will be a neat hobby for you.

To remove rust from chromed surfaces (fenders, etc.), try scrubbing with aluminum foil and lemon juice. Alternately, use brass wool. Avoid steel wool; it can wear into the chrome.

Where to start? With a different project bike. That bike is not worth the time, $ or effort.

Bah. You're no fun. That's a fine first project bike. The OP will learn a lot about bike mechanics doing a refurb of it.

One more thought on cables - I'd hate to do the job without these:
Shimano cable cutters $54 (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=1129)

Dremel with a cutting wheel works also.

Barring both of those, you'll have to gnaw on your cables with dikes.

That bike looks like it's something like Schwinn Varsity level of quality.

I'd put it a half notch lower than a varsity due to the crimped dropouts (versus brazed/welded). Maybe free spirit, Columbia or Western Flyer - level to me.

I agree it is a fine candidate to learn about bike mechanics. Have fun!

One more thought on cables - I'd hate to do the job without these:
Shimano cable cutters $54 (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=1129)

Dremel with a cutting wheel works also.

Barring both of those, you'll have to gnaw on your cables with dikes.

Great reason to see if there is a co-op nearby. Tools that you'll benefit from (or will need) that you are'nt likely to have handy:
- quality cable cutters (such as those shown) - typical dikes will work, but you'll need to touch up the cut end with a fine point (to open the flattened housing) and a file.
- Cone wrenches
- Bottom Bracket tools - in your case the one-piece crank will not require a crank puller.
- Headset wrenches
- Spoke wrench of correc size
- tire tool(s)
- pump (you may have one already)

To the OP, the biggest thing you need to watch out for are the hardcore flippers here who are going to constantly tell you "it's not worth it" Whether you spend $50 or $500 on it, if thats what it takes to get it looking good and make you excited about riding it and you are actually going to ride it than it is absolutely worth it. Was it a low end bike in its day? Of course. If you fix it up and pedal it, will it move. Absolutely. It looks to be in very good shape and a lot of the work that it needs is just dirty work involving a lot of scrubbing and potentialy some chemicals to get things shiny and looking good.

The reality is that if you were fiing it up with the hopes to sell it, than no, it's not worth it. But you stated you wanted to fix it up to cruise around on and it sounds like there is a little bit of sentimental value so go ahead and go to work on it and have fun.

I'm not a "flipper" but I agree it is not worth it. The rusty chain and likely need to replace the freewheel, the nasty dirt emerging from the BB and the almost 100% likelihood of needing to replace rear brake and front derailleur cables and housing is going to add up very fast to more than you would pay for a rideable project bike. Learning on a bike that will likely be full of frustrating and unexpected problems is not a good idea. Best to learn basic adjustment and maintenance first.

The concept of "worth it" is so subjective, it's not really worth discussing. The OP will take a look see at the potential cost, and make that call for herself. Me, i wouldn't do it, but that may have much to do with the fact that it's not my bike. I've dumped lots of ca$h on weird cycling projects that most would argue are "not worth it". The mixte i'm building for my wife, for instance...

OP: I can send you some stem-mounted friction shifters if you'd like. I may even have some downtube stops, but i'd have to check. I got a bunch of ish in a big box, bound for the bike co-op this weekend. I might be able to save you some hassle. No charge beyond actual shipping. Let me know.

Oh, a related thought: i agree with the person above who said to check that the stem and seatpost can move freely before i spent ever one red cent on the project. Not that i'd necessarily abandon the project; i just wouldn't carry on til i unstuck 'em. And, if i give up before they unstick, i look at that as an omen. (Frozen stems and seatposts are a terrible thing.)

hth,
-rob

The concept of "worth it" is so subjective, it's not really worth discussing. The OP will take a look see at the potential cost, and make that call for herself.
Not necessarily. She is an inexperienced bike mechanic and it is easy to get way over your head cost-wise on a project like this by doing things one-at-a-time and not realizing what you have invested until it's too late.

Those of us who have done projects like this can sit back and project what the next one will probably cost and decide if it's "worth it". The nooby (which we all were at one time) hasn't a clue until it's too late. Been there, done that and am trying to help prevent another one. Objectively, her frame is a poor one and the components no better.

The first thing I'd do is evaluate the wheels and decide if they are savable or if they need replaced. If replacement is needed, this project will never make economic sense. Wheels are the dealbreaker. bk

And, work on an old sheet, makes it easy to find stuff when you drop them, and keeps stuff from rolling away.

there are nothing but a bunch of F'ing cheap skates on this forum. You can't even get a half decent new comfort bike for under $300 not to mention they are so blah looking. she could spend $300 on fixing this up and have a bike that rides great and has unique style that you can't buy new ANYWHERE. I live in the most expensive city in the country yet even I can get shift cables and housing from my lbs for $10. The same for brake cables. If I go online I can get both for $10. online you can get cheap tires for $15 and 2 tubes for $6. I bought brand new alloy wheels from aebike.com for 65 bucks and a freewheel and a chain can be had for about $25

Tires $8 each
Tubes $3 each
New alloy wheels www.aebike.com (http://www.aebike.com) $65
shift and brake cables $15
New chain and freewheel $25
WD 40 and other cleaning agents rags etc $20

Thats under $150 to get this bike lookign pretty darn good and trust me, you could advertise on craigslist in Brooklyn some hipsters would befighting you to buy it

There is a lot to be done on this but mostly it can be just labour and a few dollars for new parts.

I assume that you will do the work yourself otherwise the bill from the bike shop to go over it from stem to stern will give you an instant heart attack.

So, first you need some tools. Today's bikes are all metric but this is so old and such a cheap bike that you may find that metric doesn't always fit. Certainly there will be some Phillips screws on it so be prepared with a good Phillips driver. They wear out fast and when that happens it's best to toss them or grind them down to become slot blade screwdrivers. You'll need a set of small metric wrenches and likely a 6 inch adjustable wrench for the oddball parts. A set or two of channellock pliers with a wide opening for doing the headset will also be needed. Usually I'd shudder at that thought and say get the right tools but for this bike if you're reasonably careful the channel lock pliers won't leave any bad markings. Likely you'll need a small set of metric allen wrenches as well. There will be some other tools you'll need but these will get you started.

You'll also need some instructions. www.sheldonbrown.com (http://www.sheldonbrown.com) is loaded with information. And www.parktool.com/repair (http://www.parktool.com/repair) has a lot of excellent do it yourself step by step instructions. Just hover your mouse over the bike and click on the different systems when the information tag shows up.

New tires is a must obviously. And since the brake pads are rubber and perish as well you'll need new pads. Also new cables and housings as they must be badly corroded inside by now. From there it'll be mostly just cleaning supplies, oils, greases and the like.

Some things, like breaking the freewheel loose from the rear wheel will be best taken to the local bike shop and just pay them the $5 they'll charge you. If they want more than that to break loose a freewheel then shop elsewhere. If you buy the replacement freewheel assembly from them they may even not charge you for snapping the old one loose.

The gear shifters are on a clamp saddle. This means you can skip buying anything and just relocate that clamp and the levers to the upper tube or even onto the vertical part of the stem that holds the handlebars. If you choose to put it onto the stem you'll need to wrap the stem with something as a shim to get the sizing correct. But having the shifters on the stem isn't a wholely bad idea since it means it won't cost you any money. If you put them on the stem the housings with the shift cables will need to be longer and aim out forward and curve back so that you have the give needed to steer the bike.

Some other jobs to do are;


Take apart and clean out both wheelhubs, inspect for rust pits in the bearing cups and cones. If they are badly rusted then the whole project stops right there unless you can find a set of free replacement wheels in good condition. The cost of new or even used wheels for this bike would instantly take it way over the economical threshold.
Take apart, clean and re-lube the steering headset bearings. This is the first place where you will need to use the channel lock pliers to undo the head set top locknut and cone to allow the fork to come out of the frame.
Take apart, clean and relube the crankset bearings. This is the other spot you will require the channellock pliers to loosen and tighten the lock rings.
remove and grease the seat post where it fits into the seat tube of the frame.
Remove and grease the stem where it fits down into the fork steerer tube.
Put a drop of oil on the brake arm pivot point and work it in by flexing the levers. Also put a drop of oil on the brake lever pivots.
Replace the housings and cables. Use the guides at Park Tools for a how to on this.
Replace the tires and likely the tubes.
Replace the brake pads with new ones.
Tune all the systems up so they work well.
Go ride.

Thank you. I am printing your advice. My husband is a farmer with a shop full of tools and an excellent mechanic so I know he will help me and we probably have the necessary tools. I am in no hurry so it may take me all winter. I know most 10 year old boys probably know more than I do about fixing bikes but I am wanting to learn. I plan to keep expenses to <$100 and I have no plan to resell the bike but just to learn on it and enjoy it. I appreciate all the advice you have given.

I'm not a "flipper" but I agree it is not worth it. The rusty chain and likely need to replace the freewheel, the nasty dirt emerging from the BB and the almost 100% likelihood of needing to replace rear brake and front derailleur cables and housing is going to add up very fast to more than you would pay for a rideable project bike. Learning on a bike that will likely be full of frustrating and unexpected problems is not a good idea. Best to learn basic adjustment and maintenance first.

My Varsity looked rougher than that when I got it; it rides fine now.


Thank you. I am printing your advice. My husband is a farmer with a shop full of tools and an excellent mechanic so I know he will help me and we probably have the necessary tools. I am in no hurry so it may take me all winter. I know most 10 year old boys probably know more than I do about fixing bikes but I am wanting to learn. I plan to keep expenses to <$100 and I have no plan to resell the bike but just to learn on it and enjoy it. I appreciate all the advice you have given.

You're heading in with the right attitude, and since you have a mechanically handy guy around, I'm sure you'll do great.

New brake pads will be an improvement, rubber that's hard and dry won't help..
relocating the shift levers to within reach of the handgrips is a good idea.
grease the new cables before you install them

remove and re grease the brake cables, the end may be frayed,
so putting new ones back in will be easier and save time.

clean and re grease the bearings, if it just sat, you may be able to squirt in more grease
with a needle grease gun.., the one piece crank has caged bearings
the left pedal has to come off to get the crank out
to regrease the right bearing, behind the sprocket.

some parts are LH threaded...
ie. the nut in the center of the crank arm, with the cone race,
it's the bearing adjustment there,

and the right pedal.

Sorry fietsbob but I have to say "NO!" to greasing the brake and shift cables. Modern stainless cables and lined housings just do not require nor benefit in any way from using grease or oil. New housing and cables, which should be fitted on any old bike project, all have the plastic inner lining and adding grease or even oil will just make the nice snappy feel into a squishy draggy mess.

The only exception to this is the brake noodles found on V brakes. But in this case the brakes are old calipers so the no grease or oil thing is still the best way to go.

I think that the best value that this bike will provide is to be the test subject to learn to repair. It's like using a cadaver in med school, not like she will make it any worse, then she can graduate to a patient that can be rescued.

1) would start with anything that has ball bearings (except pedals) will need to be regreased.
2) check derailleurs and shifters if they move roughly then get new cables
3) Same for brakes
4) new rim tape, tires and tubes.
5) use this bike to practice truing wheels and any other maintenance item.

Where to start? With a different project bike. That bike is not worth the time, $ or effort.

Knowledge is priceless and doing it yourself is the quickest way to learn about something.

there are nothing but a bunch of F'ing cheap skates on this forum. You can't even get a half decent new comfort bike for under $300 not to mention they are so blah looking. she could spend $300 on fixing this up and have a bike that rides great and has unique style that you can't buy new ANYWHERE. I live in the most expensive city in the country yet even I can get shift cables and housing from my lbs for $10. The same for brake cables. If I go online I can get both for $10. online you can get cheap tires for $15 and 2 tubes for $6. I bought brand new alloy wheels from aebike.com for 65 bucks and a freewheel and a chain can be had for about $25

Tires $8 each
Tubes $3 each
New alloy wheels www.aebike.com (http://www.aebike.com) $65
shift and brake cables $15
New chain and freewheel $25
WD 40 and other cleaning agents rags etc $20

Thats under $150 to get this bike lookign pretty darn good and trust me, you could advertise on craigslist in Brooklyn some hipsters would befighting you to buy it

I would LOVE to meet those hipsters - that bike sold for well under $100 new, has no collectible value, and you left out the bottom bracket bearings and possible frozen spoke nipples. Again, a very nice used bike of much better quality could be had for under $100.

Totally agree. If you will be the family bicycle doctor then the value of fixing this old beater up is far greater than the value of the bike itself. But I totaly agree that the idea is to make what is there now servicable or to replace any wheels or bottom brackets with freebies salvaged from other throw away bikes. The first time you need to buy anything that isn't a tool or small part or a consumnable then the price will be too high.

But in the case of old bicycles canabalism is not only socially acceptable but actually encouraged. Find another old beater that has the parts you need for THIS bike and swap away. Out of two or three you will get enough parts to create The One.... :D Or if it turns out that the other old beater has a better frame than this one you can decide to alter your focus on what will finally be used to create your Frankenbike.

It's suprising what you can find out there. At a second hand bike parts store I found an old Chrome Moly double butted frame that I paid the princely sum of $14 to bring home. I turned it into a single speed and rode it for nearly 10 years before replacing it with a new Redline single speed just because I could. I sold the $14 bike, which I'd sunk about $150 into all told, to a motorcycle buddy who is loving riding it around. It's gone from my stable now and I miss it sometimes but it's making another rider grin just like it did to me.

Here are some good sites in addition tyo the others mentioned.

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/Site%20Contents/How_To_Do_It/How_To_Do_It_Contents.htm

http://bicycletutor.com/

Knowledge is priceless and doing it yourself is the quickest way to learn about something.

Nobody said not do do it on your own, but learning on a bike of that low a quality, which has many parts no longer used, will gain the person much less knowldge than it will waste time. The quickest way to learn about something is with direct help from a person skilled in both doing the task and teaching.

My husband decided it would be a fun recycling project and without even looking at all the pages I carefully printed and was studying he got it up and running. Replaced the tires and the chain and then just cleaned and greased and mechaniced stuff and it works really well and rides really smooth. I don't even know what he did and he did it so fast in his spare time. I just have some more cleaning and polishing to do. He even used chrome polish on one wheel and fender and the really shine but left the other for me to polish. He'll probably tinker with it off and on now for a while just for fun. Since he did not grow up with a bike and lived all his life until this year on bad gravel roads he had not worked on bikes before but apparently for him they are a piece of cake compared with trucks and tractors and such.

I, however, still need to sit down and study and learn and I thank you all for your time and patience and advice. It meant a lot to me that you jumped in and shared your expertise.