Most of the stuff found in thrifts and such are in disrepair, and since we spend so much time bringing them back to life I thought it might be a neat idea to have a "Before and After" thread to show off our transformations of the "Catch Of The Day" bikes we come across.

Most all the bikes I get my hands on are low or mid-level wrecks (or at least severely neglected), but almost all of them clean up to be nicely functioning riders.

Take this low-end Gitane Gran Sport for example. Dirty and rusty, is was dropped at the local thrift a few weekends a go. I glommed onto it, and spent a few hours cleaning the frame and getting the rust off of the steel parts. New tires, tubes, and bar tape followed, as well as all the usual adjustments and some wheel truing. Now, it's ready to serve a useful life again. Take a look:

BEFORE:


AFTER: