Originally Posted by
WDE_aubs
Thanks I.C! any thoughts on frame rust? I found a 70s AMF roadmaster (10 speed) in the dumpster, so I'm using it as a good practice fix up. It has some rust patches on the frame. Should I just leave it alone, or is there a safe way to remove it?
It's a 70's AMF Roadmaster.
I'd just leave it alone.
Unless you've got Eddy's 1 hour track bike or LeMond's 89 TdF time trial bike, or a 50's contructeur bike by Rene Herse, do whatever you want with it. If you're worried about "ruining the value" of the bike, you've got the wrong hobby. Unless you're extremely lucky, whatever you pay for a vintage bike is probably more than you can get for it once you add in your labor and parts replacement.
Find something you like to ride. Clean it up, lube where it needs it, replace consumables as needed, and ride it. Find some like minded people near you, and ride with them. Become a strong enough rider to pass at least one guy on a carbon fiber bike, and ride past him. Get hit up by the touring bug, and ride one.
If it turns you on, learn how to restore them to like new, or even better than new condition.
There's a guy near Seattle that many of us know that has literally over 100 fully restored vintage bikes in his possession that he loves to show off - and he rides them.
Better yet, post your location. It's damn near impossible to learn everything you need to know to overhaul a vintage bike just by reading and looking at pictures. There's probably somebody on this forum that lives not to far from you. I've got visitors to my shop all the time, and I'm more than happy to pass along what I know, as are many others.