Originally Posted by
Cattywompus
Almost everything I know about bikes I learned either here or from Sheldon Brown (RIP). Some of the most useful stuff I've learned from you guys:
-High quality, affordable replacement parts that work well with a vintage bike, i.e. Sun CR18 rims, Panaracer Paselas, Kool Stop Continentals, grade 25 bearings, Jagwire cable in bulk.
-How to recognize older quality components, i.e. tubing stickers on frames, forged dropouts, pantographing, lug work.
-How to repair or restore older parts, i.e oxalic acid baths for frames, proper polishing technique and tools for aluminum, how to properly run new cable housings.
What has saved saved me the most time, money, and frustration though has been what you guys have told me to avoid i.e Dura Ace might be top of the line, but it's not necessarily compatible with other Shimano stuff, Cinelli stems are very nice but make sure you have handlebars that fit, etc.
And pictures. Pictures are what make this sub-forum. I think C&V posts more pictures as a group than any of the other sub-forums, therefore it's the most helpful.
Hope this helps.
You know, this post made me think: why not find some of those old threads that deal with things like this and link them here?
One of the things I've always found fascinating about this sub-forum are the sheer numbers of people here that hang modern components on vintage frames. I'd almost forgotten about that (and I have one myself, sort of...). I'm sure there are newbies that would wonder if this could even be done, and whether or not there are even modern replacement parts for their older bikes.
I think I'll spend some time looking up some helpful thread links and post them here.
Agree 100% on the pictures part - in fact, for some of the newbies that have checked into this thread, you may want to add a photo of you and your bike to the sticky "Who Exactly Are Bike Forums Members?"
DD