Originally Posted by
texaspandj
My number one concern would be to see if that seatpost is stuck [MENTION=504409]TriBiker19[/MENTION] .
If not I'd remove all parts/components down to the bare frame. Then I'd start with the frame first. Cleaning and Treating (removing) all rust, either by rust removal naval gel or sanding. Then touch up paint.
Next components. Clean and disassemble them. Grease or lube and go from there. To be clear not all components need to be completely disassembled, sometimes scrubbing with wd40 will do wonders.
It's all a process but it can be very rewarding. The 105 group will serve you well as its durable, precise and very smooth.
To modernize, I'd lose the tri bars and put bull horn bars with aerobar attachments.
Need any help were all here and probably we could send you parts you may need along the way....enough to build a new Ironman!
It is. We'll be starting there. My husband is a very determined man with a variety of chemicals, lots of muscle, and different sized wrenches at his disposal.
I'm thinking that I might go non-traditional and get the whole thing painted the correct magenta and then do a vinyl wrap for the yellow, especially since the yellow is the downtube which will be getting wet (I'm actually going to use this in tris). I like the idea of a contiguous paint job. I'm not a fan of those tri bars, but I'll look into a more modern set--thanks for the suggestion.
I'd like to add a front brake, too. My first good bike was an 84' Fuji and I'm currently riding an '85 Shogun...I'm used to front brakes.
I have to ask, there's a small nub of metal behind the part of the tube between the fork and the top tube (I have no idea what it's called) that protrudes back. I've seen it on other ironman bikes--what is it? What's it for? Can I remove it?
My husband has rebuilt bikes as a kid/teen so this is nothing new to him, but I think he's loving having a project he can do with my boys (9 & 10) that's not a bike his brother destroyed riding over their homemade ramps.
Once he gets the seat post out, can I swap it with anything else or do we *need* to use this one?
I'm really relying on the experts on this forum to help me out. I don't need this to be original, I want a functional bike that I can ride for its intended use and enjoy. I want to be the person riding the vintage bike and proving that you don't have to pay $8k for a bike to have a good one.