borobike

Understood, I'll be leaving it alone then...

I'll need to take it on an extended ride to know for sure but I'm pretty sure it is a little short. Thing is, the stock seatpost is only about 8" long altogether! Not much room for adjustment, but maybe people were shorter in the 80s or it was cool to ride low.

Mystery to me. Mine used to have an audible click before I disassembled it and greased everything. Didn't do anything with the freewheel other than soak it in degreaser though. It still clicks, but it's very, very faint.
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Doohickie

With 6 speeds in the back, definitely not 70s.

Nice job so far!

himespau 

Instead of a brooks, you could save a few bucks with a knock off like one of these. I've heard some good and bad about them and the fact that the bottom of the leather is covered with fabric might actually be a benefit if you're going to use this as your beater/winter bike. Speaking of, might want to check to see that the rims aren't steel and get some new kool stops on them if this really is going to be used in foul weather.

borobike

Thanks!

Thanks for the suggestion, I like the looks of those! I suppose I should clarify a little about our winters though, they're not exactly what can be called harsh since I live down in Alabama. Just cold, no snow or ice even. But the rims are indeed steel. If there is any foul weather it's unlikely I'll be riding in it. But, when these Tektro pads do wear out I definitely plan on getting some Kool-Stops, they're great on my other bike.

Also just went ahead and got the larger seat post, there's no mistaking the old one was much too short. It's much better now.
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borobike

Well, I didn't end up getting the bar tape yesterday but the shifters did arrive. That's good enough, as it allowed me to take the bike on a proper test ride!





Huret downtube shifters.



I didn't like the way the stock cable routers were sending the cable so I dug into my parts bin and put on this Suntour cable router for the frame.

Anyway, it shifts and rides great! Front and rear, I have absolutely nothing to complain about from their performance.

I could tell I need to work on my fit some more, but it took me at least a month or two to get it right on the other bike so I'm sure it will here as well.

As I predicted, this bike is a bit slower than my other one. That's okay as I probably won't want to go flying around much in the winter time anyway. The bike comes up to 31 pounds in weight as measured on my scale. But it rides so smooth over imperfections in the road! A benefit of it's steel frame I'm sure.

I suppose that's it for now. Bar tape tomorrow and then some real pics with a real camera to show just how well this old hunk of steel turned out.
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borobike

It's done!

Finally got my bar tape today. Went on a fairly brisk group ride yesterday and it actually did pretty well.

So, finished pics!







You'll have to excuse the component pics, it's been ridden a bit so they're not completely dirt-free...













I plan on keeping the turkey levers. They offer me more braking options and actually stop the bike just as well as the regular levers. On the whole, the braking system actually performs really well.

And lastly here's the cockpit with everything attached...



The bar tape is a little lighter than I expected, if I were to do it again I would go with the dark brown. But then it may have been too dark, so who knows. It works fine though and it will go well enough with a Brooks.

I guess that's it! I don't plan on keeping this thread up forever, so if anyone is interested in following up on how this bike is doing in the future, you can find out in my latest post in this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-report-thread

Thanks guys, boro out!
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bikemanbob

I am amazed at how well the bike turned out! When I first saw your initial post, I almost advised you to abandon the project. I'm glad I didn't respond. The transformation is fantastic! I'm glad that you followed it to completion. Thanks for sharing the results.

SteveSGP

Yup, exceptionally good job.

BTW-my son had that bar wrap and I can tll you that it will get a bit darker with use.

Langly

Brilliant restoration!

borobike

Thanks guys!

Glad to hear the bar tape will darken up a bit. It doesn't look bad but it does look a little out of place.
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Wino Ryder

You put a lot of sweat into that 'free spirit' and it looks good. Get you the Brooks saddle you want and dont compromise with any knock-off. You'll always have it and it will form to you, to go with you on whatever bike you got.

Back in 1980 I bought a new 'free spirit' from sears that was a straight 10-speed (5x2). Think I paid about $200 bucks for it then. It was all jet black with white graphics and it was beautiful. I rode it around for two months until someone
stole it off my front porch. I loved that bike. At the time it was the best bike I ever had and I'll never forget it. It left a soft spot in my heart that will never go away. Of course I went on to better bikes since, but that 'free spirit' really done it for me. I still think about it from time to time, wondering after thirty years what became of it. It was like a long lost love, never to be seen or heard from again.

jeepr

That really came out nice. Thanks for keeping us updated. You do good work.

Bikedued

Does it fit you? With the seat and stem that high, I'm left wondering.,,,,BD

DavidW56

That bike is better than new. Seriously. And you're making me regret selling the two Free Spirits I have rehabbed in the past. And, like Wino Ryder, I also had a Free Spirit in my teens that was stolen out of our family's garage one night. The bike was really my younger brother's, but he couldn't ride any more due to illness, and it went to me. White with red and blue trim, that bike was very pretty. Only had it a couple of months. And even though that was more than thirty-five years ago, I'd still love to catch the punk who stole it.

Reynolds 

Like some others, I was skeptical at first, but this turned out really good. Well done!

borobike

Thank you for the kind words everyone, I really appreciate it!

It is a little on the small side. But I have to emphasize just a little. The stem is original and is at the maximum mark, but the seatpost had to be replaced for a taller unit. If I had to replace both, it's probably too small to ride, at least by my scale. It's comfortable though, and it works. Maybe people were smaller in the 80s.

I ended up putting a rack on it. This bike is going to become my daily commuter! Pics and details on that in my other thread.
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BigPolishJimmy

fantastic job! really impressive work bringing that bike back into a desirable state. The great thing about bikes like that is that they're so cheap, yet can be so comfortable. There's nothing like putting a ton of work into a bike and then enjoying the benefit of knowing every bit of the bike. I think it creates a bond between machine and rider.

seedsbelize 

That bike looks very nice. Good work. I rode a white Free Spirit in the 70s, which also got stolen.
With good tires, a hi-ten frame provides a nice ride, IMO.

johnj2803

if you dont mind me asking, how much did you spend fixing this bike? :-)

looks awesome! Congrats!

borobike

Thanks guys!

How much did I spend, let's see...

Just to get it restored and rideable:

De-rusting supplies (got too much) $20
Pedals $20
Bar tape $10
Downtube shifters $20
Cables and housings $20
Seatpost $20

Total : $110

Other stuff:

Bottle holder $5
Cheap wired computer $10
Rear blinkie $8
Rear rack $15
Saddle bag $5

Total : $153

Other stuff I replaced but already had in my parts bin:

Brake pads
Saddle

So all in all, not too bad!

Since I've been riding it I've gotten more familiar with it. It's definitely no racer, I get a little out of breath keeping up with the faster riders during group rides.

Kind of reminds me of a big old Buick. It won't win any races, but it can go fast if you ask it to. Regardless of that, it is so comfy and sooooo smooth. With all my stuff on it, it weighs about as much as a big old Buick too!
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johnj2803

thanks for the reply boro.

im a fan of you since you started the denali thread. :-)

shipwreck

Thought I would add to the bravos. Pretty inspiring thread actualy. Would love to let you at the pile of mid low range 80s name brand bikes I have laying around.

One thing, you might have to keep up the polishing . Rust comes back.