ShallowJam

My mother has been wanting a bicycle to go riding on, especially now that Spring is here and the weather is getting nice. In the basement sits her old bicycle that she used to ride to school and back (I'm thinking its from the late 1960s). She really did like that bike. Well as you can imagine its rather rusty and needs some restoring, if its even worth trying. I am very mechanically skilled and there is no doubt in my mind that I can perform the repairs, although I don't have the tools. If its not a terrible experience, I could see myself picking up another bike in need of restoring and doing one for myself, so the tools would get more than one use certainly. I have a small album of the bike here Monshee Deluxe - Imgur so please check it out. I'm wondering what the general cost is going to be and if its even going to be possible (outdated parts etc). I don't need it to end up in the best condition, just looking nice enough to ride. She is hesitant to go to the bike store and spend $500 on a new bike for herself, but I think this would be a little different, also, I think trying to keep the budget under $400 for this would be great, although I'm not sure if thats possible.

Is it repairable? (strip the rust, sandblast and powdercoat the frame or spraypaint) Are any parts obviously beyond redemption? Is it economically feasible? Would you consider it 'worth it'?

Thanks for the help!

Monshee Deluxe - Imgur

FBinNY 

I don't know where you live, but $400 buys a nice new bike of much better quality than that could ever hope to be, and less than half that buys a better used bike in clean condition if you;re patient.

If the wheels are aligned, and all it needs is some new tires, brake shoes and cables, plus some TLC and sweat equity, you could make this workable for well under $100. If it needs more than that, work up a total estimate including all parts needed, and if it comes to much over $100 or so, buy something else, and save this as a donor for parts or give it to a local co-op where it can be used as a teaching project, refurbished, or used as a donor bike for needed parts.

BTW- while people here refer to "vintage" bicycles, most aren't vintage by any stretch of the imagination and are simply old.

bikeman715

From the look of your photos , the bike need some cleaning up , you might need new tires and tubes , check the old one see if they hold air ??? , you need new brake's pads and cables with housing ,same goes for the rear derailleur . you might need a new seat ??? ,use plastic ties to hold the cables housing to the frame . it might need a new chain . for parts it should be less $ 200 . Oil the chain and any moving parts like the derailleur and the brakes calipers .

HillRider

Yes it's repairable, or at least the parts are replaceable. I'm not sure what's worth salvaging without seeing the bike but I'm certain the tires, cables, cable housing and brake shoes are absolutely in need of replacement. Economically feasible depends on how much can be salvaged and can you do the work yourself. If you have to have the work done by a bike shop, the cost will skyrocket.

Would I consider it "worth it"? No, not in a hundred years but that's my opinion and it's not my bike and has no sentimental value to me. However, be sure you know what you are getting into and keep every original part you possibly can. Otherwise this can, and will, turn into a real money pit. BTW, that $400 budget you mention will buy a decent bike shop bike brand new or a good Craigs List used bike for half that amount.

FBinNY 

Consensus --- a rarity on BF

ShallowJam

Thanks for the replies.

You guys are definitely right: it needs new cables, tires, tubes, housing, brake shoes. I am definitely capable of doing the work myself.

I am aware that we could take the $400 and put it into a new bike, but we're definitely willing to put more into this bike for the sentimental value. How much that is worth, is of course up to us to determine. One fear I have is the spokes, they look pretty bad but still 'twang' when plucked, so they arent rusted through yet.

Sounds like I'm going to be in for about $100 for the stuff we know for sure needs replacing, and I've seen estimates of $100+ for a frame stripping and painting, and then whatever additional costs may arise from having to replace parts. Does anyone have any advice as to rust removal? especially regarding the spokes. I'm thinking about trying to disassemble it and at least investing the money in rust removal as an investigative strategy. If all it needs it rust removal, a fresh coat of paint, and the consumable parts replaced, I think its probably worth it for us. If it needs additional components replaced, maybe not so much...

rpenmanparker 

Don't over value the sentiment. If your mother just sees what a modern bike costing just a few 100 bucks looks like, I suspect she will jump on it. Please take no offense, but you are showing us a very rudimentary bike in horrible condition. I urge you to take her to a shop just to browse. It might be an eye opener, and you have nothing to lose.

FBinNY 

+1, It's a serious mistake to let nostalgia push you into an open ended, expensive mistake.

I'm not trying to talk you out of making this rideable again, just trying to make it more than it is. Clean it up, replace the rubber and worn parts, and let it be what it is for that $100 or less.

The rusty spokes will be OK, but odds are they'll snap when frozen nipples are turned. Likewise, stripping and painting simply isn't worth it. If you go for total restoration, you'll end up using very little of the original, and end up with an expensive, pretty crappy bike, that isn't even recognizable as the bike she rode in her youth.

I've said my piece, so feel free to do what you will, but I'm out unless you have a specific problem somewhere along the way.

AnkleWork

$100 for the stuff you know about
+$100 for the stuff you don't know about
+$100 to replace the steel rims
+$100 to avoid cottered cranks
+$100 to avoid the rust
$???? for the value of your time
Subtotal
Double it for contingencies
= not remotely worth it.

hueyhoolihan

most of my bikes are older and have been restored, for want of a better term, to better than original working condition. some have been stripped and powder coated. some have new 90-300 dollar frames, some have new parts some have older but little used parts. i use mostly ebay/craigslist for the used stuff and online sites for the new. all ended up costing me less 500-900 dollars and most have excellent quality components from campy and shimano. i do all the work and parts sourcing. it's fun. BTW, i cheat a little in that they are all singlespeeds.

but in the end, the others are right. a new bike can be had for less than the cost of fixing up that old one, but i doubt that it will be as satisfying, which i can't quantify, and educational for you or your, no doubt, loving mother. it really depends a lot on what kind of person you are.

ShallowJam

We have been browsing on a couple occasions and we've walked out with nothing. Absolutely she has not jumped on it, nor has it opened any eyes.


I guess we're left between a rock and a hard place then, the bike isn't worth restoring and she isn't showing much interest in a new bike: Quality bikes are too expensive and cheap bikes aren't quality.

I guess I'll just take the advice here and throw it in the trash.

FBinNY 

Quality is very subjective. $400 buys a lot of bike, More than what pros were riding back when your mom's bile was built. I have yet to meet an inexperienced who can tell the difference between a $400 bike and one costing 10 times that just by riding.

If your mom isn't jumping on something, she's really sending you a hint that she doesn't want a bike. Yes, she wouldn't mind owning a reminder of her youth, but it wouldn't be about riding.

Ask he straight out if she wants a bike, and if not, what she'd really like instead, so you can give her something she wants, instead of something you want her to have.

ShallowJam

I'm not the one who brings up wanting to go riding every week, I just go do it. The only reason I was trying to get her a bike is because I'm tired of hearing her complain about not having a bike to ride, and its good exercise.

You are awfully presumptuous here. No, its not about a reminder of her youth, at least not solely. Its about wanting to ride and being too cheap to buy a new bike. And I'm surprised that you, with so little information, assert that I'm the one that wants her to have a bike. After your previous post you said you were 'out' - you didn't need to stick around in order to make such inane comments.

Yes she wants a bike. No I don't want for her to have one for me. Yes it would be nice if we could fix up the bike she grew to love. No it doesn't sound like thats going to be time and cost feasible.

HillRider

Well, you could buy a complete brand new, good quality modern bike for $400, not just "put it into" one.

Second, I forgot to ask but does that bike have steel rims? If so, I highly recommend against resurrecting it unless your mother never plans to stop quickly or stop at all if she gets caught in the rain. At the very least, plan on replacing the wheels if it does.

garage sale GT

Try the C&V subforum too, or did you not want fixing up an old bike to be a foregone conclusion?

garage sale GT

I don't think old bikes automatically need new cables. However, that one looks pretty rusty. The rust has probably severely weakened the spokes.

FBinNY 

Hey, You came for advice, and that's what you got. I didn't mean to offend, but if neither you nor her can find something "decent" for $400 there must be something else going on in the background.

So I'm sorry if one possibility seems to offend you so much, but there's a large spectrum between what people think they want, what they say they want, what they actually want, and what they'll actually use.

If you're sure she wants a bicycle, that's great. Keep shopping and you'll find something nice and decent, and far better than what you were considering. And take my word and that of the others here, it'll be a much nicer ride.

dedhed

Here's a "sentimental" rehab I did on someone's teen years bike. Upgraded derailleur and alloy wheels w/new tires from a "donor" bike I bought for parts. brakes show the amount of "elbow grease" involved. I charged her $250 which included all parts, every bearing new and greased, and the cost of the donor. Labor was about $1/hr as it was a friend. Could she have bought a better bike from craigslist for the money - absolutely. But she wanted THIS bike. (she also owns a nice Kestrel)

HillRider

+1. In your OP you specifically asked; "Is it economically feasible? Would you consider it 'worth it'?" Apparently you already has an answer in mind and didn't like the replies that didn't match it. If you had asked; "I really want to restore my mother's old bike and cost isn't a big issue, what do I have to do?", the replies would have been much different.

cny-bikeman

I don't see how anyone can expect to have sentimental value when 80% of the parts are replaced and the frame is repainted. The frame was low-end department store when new, bike probably sold for about $100. It simply would not be your mom's bike when you've done a "restoration", as the odds are the wheels would need to be replaced, the cranks and pedals are badly rusted, and the crank/BB is the obsolete cottered crank type.

Hendo252 

i just went through this with my GF. She didn't want to "spend a lot of money" on a new bike.

my advice would be to try and borrow a bike for a couple rides... From a friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc. that way she can ride a decent bike for free and see if she likes it... If she does watch CL for bargains.

the old bike is a money pit... Don't ask me how I know!

if you DO rehab the old bike, go as cheap as possible... Cheap tires, cheap brake shoes, cheap cables. Shop at Wallmart or Target, not a bike shop...

Hendo252 

One more comment... Make a commitment to yourself to ride with mom at least once a week for a month.. Even if just to Starbucks for coffee or to a nearby park for a little while. She'll love it.

pumabicycle

I personally prefer restoring vintage bicycles, or anything vintage for that matter. I like seeing something made new again, somehow it makes me feel better. I wonder what sort of psychological effect the restoration would have on her? The reminder of being a little girl in the wind sounds like it's worth more than money.

The economics of bicycles is misleading, it seems like $500 is a lot because it's a bike but at the other end of the equation there's the decreased cost of operating a motor vehicle. 40 percent of all trips (for most Americans) are within two miles of home, across a year you'll recoup whatever you spent on your bike by not driving your car. Not to mention the health benefits whose values are immeasurable. Still another benefit is that you'll grow as a mechanic and as a son.

My concern would be rust on the inside of the frame, how does it look?

bikeman715

+1

JayGK927

Another concern would be the cost to buy the correct tools to overhaul the bike. New tires, rims, handlebar tape, etc has been mentioned but you also need to factor in the cost of bike specific tools. You said you are mechanically inclined but haven't worked on lots of bikes; therefore you will need to buy the correct tools. Obviously tools are an investment you can continue to use - it still adds to the up front cost.