Missioncirca

Hey all, I know I'm like brand new to this forum (first post, joined earlier today) but I just picked up an old road bike and have some questions. (I know a lot of forums don't take well to noobs who come out asking, but I did search and didn't find anyone with my bike or similar situation).

The other day I got an old Huffy Windsprint 12sp. It's very old, but rust free minus the front wheel (which is 27 1 1/4). I bought it as a summer project; a friend has an old hunk-a-junk as well that we're gonna try to restore through the summer. Repaint the frame and other parts, and replace all the things that really should be. I'm a car guy so I figured, hey a smaller, cheaper restoration could be very fun.

The bike shifts very well, except the brakes are pretty sketchy. There's no real obvious damage, they're just old and squeaky and the brakelines seem like crap.

I took it to a local bike shop and they said I'm wasting my time and money since it's so old, but I knew what I was getting myself into. They said they could re-do my whole brake setup for roughly $30-40.

So what I'm asking is is how difficult would rebuilding this thing be? Is this a reasonable price to re-do brakes. And what are some good websites for bike parts (wheels, seats, etc).

Any and all input is appreciated!

10 Wheels

Post a photo of the bike and ask questions here.

https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ic-amp-Vintage

longbeachgary

Save your money. Old bikes like this are money pits. Today it's the brakes, tomorrow it's a wheel.

10 Wheels

Here is one for $75
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/1669135124.html

10 Wheels

Nice one for $125

https://thegreenbicycleproject.org/in...mart&Itemid=60

datlas 

I think it's a reasonable project. You can probably do very well by keeping everything but getting new brake cables (and maybe housing)....if you are going to DIY that can be a fun activity. If you need parts you can likely get gently used ones from Ebay for a very low price.

While you are at it, get new brake shoes. And you probably should get new tires and maybe a new chain.

It depends on your goals. If you want a hot-shot "performance" bike you should probably look elsewhere.

Good luck!

Ultraslide

Good luck with the fixer upper !!! I've rescued several from Goodwill, refurbished them and given them to new homes. If you spend 50 bucks fixing up a 50 dollar bike you break even, keep some steel out of the landfill and under someone's butt where it belongs.

cheers!

banerjek

Whether it's worth it depends on how much you want to ride. For $30, they can replace your cables and shoes which will make the brakes work much better. But if chain, headset, BB, hubs, etc aren't in that great shape, it's easy to get into a situation where it will cost far more to fix (even if you do the work yourself) than the bike is worth.

Missioncirca

Thanks! Yeah I'm really not looking for any sort of performance bike, just something to get me around campus. I found a front 27 1 1/4 wheel on ebay for like $23 so I'll probably get that. The chain seems surprisingly in good shape (the previous owner said he had some stuff replaced when it came into his ownership). But how difficult is it to replace brake housing, cables and pads for someone with no bike building experience? (As I said I usually do cars so I'd like to think I have some mechanical skills hahah)

But here's a picture of the jalopy

Ultraslide

Replacing brake cables isn't hard. Just need a cable cutter and a couple of cable ends to crimp on - ask your LBS, they'll have the pads too.

For simple mechanical advise and instruction:
https://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

For info on older bikes and odd sized stuff
https://www.sheldonbrown.com

27" inch tires and tubes can be had at most Walmarts.

Missioncirca

Are brake shoes the brake pads?

Also, are all housings for road bikes pretty much universal? Or are there different sizes for different bikes?
Can all this be found on eBay for the best price?

Thanks!

halfspeed

Just don't confuse brake and derailleur housing. Housing is something to buy at the bike shop because you can get it by the foot and not pay for housing you don't need.

SoreFeet

It's a huffy...not a good bike to drop money in. I'd leave it alone. Find a better bike. You can get a very good entry level road bike in the 200-500$ range if you go used.

Good luck. Many times a modern bike shop is ignorant about vintage bikes or would rather sell a customer a new bike than build a fresh set of wheels. I often wonder how many bike shop mechanics today actually know wheel building.

Seagull01

In car terms, you are restoring a 1984 Yugo. Just keep that in mind. If you have to get into doing too many things, you are better off buying a new Huffy (check the nearest Target or other big box retailer) or hitting up garage sales.

Vintage does not always mean classic. Sometimes "vintage" is just another way of saying "old junk".

If all you need are new cables and brake pads, then fine. Go for it. As a former campus commuter I can tell you that you want a junker. Bike theft is very high on campuses. Dorms ban indoor bike parking. No point at all in paying a high price for something that will be exposed to the elements and walked past by thousands of potential thieves daily. You will still want to buy and use a decent lock, but a Huffy will not be a prime target.

wanlogan

Just FYI--look around for any bike-coops around the area. Generally, they'll have massive amounts of the kind of wheel you're looking for. Often at a super-cheap price.