This approach is also how I work on bikes. To each his own, of course, but I like an old fully functioning bicycle that I can enjoy. In fact, this is my approach for all the old stuff I work on, including cars and pinball machines. This approach is probably born out of not having spent the time to build restoration skills. Mechanical skills seem natural to me. I owe this to my Dad who never made a lot of money but provided for his family excellently with his ability to fix almost anything because he had to.


So, when I approach a bicycle project, I generally do the following:

- clean all parts of all rust. Metal parts, including chrome, are cleaned with 0000 steel wool, kept "wet" with polishing compound. A highly respected pinball guru that I know taught me that you can even use 0000 steel wool to clean up pinball playfields and parts if you keep the wool "wet", in the pinball case with some pinball friendly compounds.

- remove all old grease from all bearings and races. I soak the bearings in kerosene and clean them with an old tooth brush. I will blow them clean of kerosene with spray can brake cleaner, then wash them with Dawn detergent, then immediately blow them dry with my compressor.

- all bearings and surfaces are replaced with a name brand synthetic grease. I don't grease the old Sturmey archer hubs as they were meant to use only oil and I keep up with the oil maintenance. If the bearings are not in a cage I will most likely replace them with new bearings. Race surfaces are polished to try to remove any minor scratches.

- shiny metal parts will be treated with Quick Glo to protect them after they have been polished as much as they can be. Quick Glo is said to last about a year on autos, maybe not as long on bikes but it has worked well for months so far.

- mudguards or fenders will be cleaned of all rust. the underside is fair game to any protection method. I have used a Rust protection spray paint that is as close to the fender color as I can get. It need not be perfect as it will generally not be seen. If the underside is very rusty I will clean off the rust and use The Eastwood Auto Restoration company's rust encapsulator before spraying a color over it. The topsides will be cleaned of all dirt and rust. I may actually do a little paint touch up if the color is an easy to match black or white. the fender tops are lastly coated with a dead flat clear matte spray paint. This leaves them without shine, pretty much as they were when I got them but they are protected. The frame may get a clear coat or just a good waxing. The worse the paint is, the more likely that I will use a clear coat.

- all of the mechanical aspects are tended to. I am not great at all of these aspects but I am learning and getting better with practice. Everything is on the table, whatever is required.

I end up with an unrestored but very respectable looking bike that works as it should and provides the enjoyment that I want from it.