best way to learn how to repair/overhaul my vintage bicycle.
 

Greetings all,

Summary:

I would like to know of the best way to learn how to repair/overhaul my bicycle.

Details:

I am older now, early 50s. I have not biked much over the last 30 years, but intend to retire soon and renew my wanderings. About 30 some years ago I biked Chicago to CA and back on 6 occasions. I biked all over Wisconsin, Minnesota etc. I still have that wander lust and am looking forward to renewing my vagabond ways. That being said, I still have my old bike, a vintage Puch Odyssey circa 1980-1982. It is a 10 speed, touring bike with rather tight gearing. I would like to recondition the bike, but frankly I lack the knowledge. But given I optimistically have 30-40 years of cycling yet ahead I would like to do my own work. There is some innate satisfaction I gain from doing tasks myself.

Also it would be nice to know how to repair things if the darn thing should break down when I am going cross country. When I was young, I just chanced it, older now, I would like to arm myself with knowledge.

I have had the bike tuned a couple of times over the past few years, but not overhauled (bearing repacked and all that good stuff I know nothing about). Interestingly the two bike shops I used (one is the shop I bought it from when new) for tune-ups seemed to have little interest in overhauling the bike saying it functions fine when I mentioned it.. Well that old bike of mine sat for about 25 years, and while it was tuned since then and I logged about 750-1000 miles on it over the past 3 years, that bike already had an easy 40K on it put on from 1982-1990.

So I wondering what is the best way to go about gaining the skills I need. A mentor would be nice, but unlikely. So I am thinking of videos and the like. I looked at youtube and there are many out there, but I am not sure who knows what and the best ones out there, sequencing etc. so I was hoping someone who has walked this path before would have some substantive suggestions.

I need to know what tools I’ll need as well as the technical know how. My limited understanding is old bikes were designed to be rebuilt and the newer bikes are more replace the components rather than overhaul them, but here too I may be ignorant.
I know a lot of folks sneer at the older bikes and think buy a new modern model, but that old bike of mine and I have seen a piece of country together, I would not think of swapping that bike out any more than I would think of trading my lovely bride of 20 plus years in for a younger shiner model. There is something comforting in the frames you know, you know it, you know the strengths and weakness and it still is a good ride.

I thank you for any consideration you give this matter.

Buy yourself an old copy of Eugene Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling on Amazon or wherever. IIRC there was a version that came out around 1980. It will cover the basics of maintenance and overhauling. There were a couple other manuals. Anything from the 70's through mid 80s will be appropriate for your bike.

Sealed bearings have been around long enough now I'd imagine a lot of kids working in bike shops today don't even know how to overhaul loose bearings.

A bigger issue is spare parts. 25 years ago you could have gotten spare Normandy cones (hub bearings) in any decent bike shop. Today that is going to be impossible. So if any of the bearing surfaces of the hubs, bottom bracket or headset are pitted, you will need to replace the entire unit.

I'd recommend heading to your local bike coop. They usually have classes or an "old guy" who knows everything about bikes. (In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say most bike coops are run by "old guys.")

Most cities have bike coops in them. Even my relatively small city of Bozeman has one. There you can learn at your own pace, tackling one problem at a time, all while being helped by someone knowledgeable. Books and youtube videos are great, but you don't really LEARN it until you put your hands on it.

There are some good youtube videos out there on how to fix your bike up.

A guy that I like looking at when I first started out was RJ the bike guy. Old guy with a lot of elbow grease to spare that's for sure.
He would be just want you need to get started with your old vintage bike. He does a lot of videos on the classics. Might be a good place to start off.

When I first started, I took notes of what I was taking apart and labeling pieces with tape/markers. Lots of pictures too to remember how it looked.

Good luck!

Ask questions here and in the Classic & Vintage forum. The net is full of videos and advice.

MY "TEN SPEEDS - Home Page

Repair Help Articles - Park Tool

Sheldon Brown-Bicycle Technical Information

+1 This forum is a wealth of knowledge.
If you have the right tools anything is possible.
I'd start with a single small achievable task ie: servicing the front wheel hub.
Move onto another single small achievable task until you know your bike inside out.
If you get stuck this forum / videos / books / Coop can help fill in the gaps.
Fine tuning is essentially a lot of patience, turning screws 1/8 of a turn, which is what your LBS does to get your bike in good running order.
Once you know how though you'll do a MUCH better job and you'll have less breakdowns.

I have used everything from Parktools.com & their "Big Blue Book" (personally I think a book circa the time of your bike would be better), youtube, Classic & Vintage subforum here, bicycle co-ops, etc. It's not difficult to learn. Focus on one thing at a time and don't get overwhelmed.

Everything already mentioned is great info. I just wanted to add this since its a rare day to hear about an entry level 80s Puch.

Your Odyssey is a cousin to this Pathfinder I refurbished last year. Fun entry level sport tourer.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/378/2...c1cbaec1_k.jpg

2nd on sheldon brown's website - that and just take it apart.

old bikes, and even new bikes for that matter, aren't all that complicated, especially if you are handy or have experience with a more complicated vehicle like a car. you can do pretty much everything with some allen keys, wrench set, vice grips, and grease. with the exception of some specialty tools (cone wrenches, spoke wrenches, chain whip, bottom bracket tool) you should already have most everything in your toolbox. even without those specialty tools you can make significant improvement on an old bike by stripping, re-lubricating, and adjusting everything.

also, nashbar is selling a nifty bike repair kit with pretty much all the specialty tools you'll ever need for like $50, if you want to just have what you need on hand

Nashbar Essential Tool Kit

Check out some bike repair books from the Public Library..

I have that Nashbar Essential toolkit and can recommend it as a good place to start; however expect to replace the pedal wrench, I found the jaws to be soft, and they mushed after a lot of hard use. Cone wrenches are also flimsy, so use them as long as they're good and replace them.

I really like the set of allen wrenches that came with this (with ball ends for quick insertion), also the reversible flat/philips screwdriver.

If you're a tool nerd, you won't be satisfied with this, and would rather pay 5-10x as much to get all the equivalent tools in highest quality so they will last forever. I am not a tool nerd, and prefer to buy cheap stuff especially if it will see very little use, and only pay big $$ only for specific tools that I use a lot and the cheap alternative won't cut it.

Tools not in that kit that you might find useful:

* cable/housing cutters. Bicycle-specific is necessary, regular electrician wire-cutters are not sufficient. Pedro's, Jagwire, Park, etc. Or look on eBay for used Felco C7 cable cutters.

* 4th hand tool. Holds/adjusts cable pull so you can tighten pinch bolts. Way better than making do with vise grips and gravity.

* Pedro's tire levers. The Best, and pretty cheap.

* Work stand. Can be very pricey, but if you want to spend under $50 (again eBay) make sure you get the kind that has a big meaty clamp that can hold the whole bike either by the seatpost or a tube. Not the kind where the bottom bracket rests in a rubber cradle and an arm reaches up to clamp the downtube. Or if you have a suitable workbench, maybe get the kind that is just a clamp that you bolt to the edge of your workbench.

The best way to learn is to do, and search youtube for videos. If you are leery of taking apart your Puch, look on your local craigslist for the cheapest possible vintage road bike, then just take it apart, take pictures as you go so you can check how it used to be, and put it all back together.

Also like said above if you have a coop locally, that's a great place to learn and borrow tools.

Gang,

I am the O.P. for this thread.

First of all I want to thank everyone for the thoughtful responses it is greatly appreciated. I participate in several forums where I actually have subject matter expertise (unlike in regard to bicycle repair) and it is frustrating when you create a substantive reply and never know if the information you provided was useful or even read by the OP. So, with that stated, I truly appreciate the effort all of you have extended.

I checked into Coops, it appear there are none in my area the nearest ones are about 3 hours away. That did seem like the optimal way to go so I am going to continue to check. Maybe it can be done slowly over several weekends and I can leave the bike there.

I also called a couple of bike shops and asked if I could pay extra for them to show me how as they service my bike, they declined. I am a bit surprised as I have some specialized skills in other areas and am always swilling to train an eager novice pro-bono, much less getting paid to do so.

I am looking at bike stands. The cost seems nominal on a lifetime annualized basis, same with the tools.
I am going to ask for Eugene Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling for my birthday : )

I spent 3 hours looking at bicycle repair videos on youtube last night. So far, it is not as daunting as I first supposed. Then again overconfidence and vanity is the bane of many a man.

Lastly, I am looking at Craigslist for vintage bike to play around with to make a rainy day commuter out of and gain some practice.

Once again, I think you for your encouragement and advice.

Excelsior,

Check a local cycling club. There's usually a pro mechanic or a quality home mechanic who's a member or at least rides with them often, maybe someone would be interested in doing a winter project with you

Well then you just might be a tool nerd! I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm a cheapskate!

If you are generally handy, I think you'll find that if you look carefully at a bike part, and watch how its moving parts operate, you will come to an understanding of what's going on, and be able to deal with it. That plus watching another guy go through a procedure on utub, it's really not all that hard.

I guess if you got no coop nearby, then we are your coop! Welcome to the gang!

1. Try visiting shops in person, rather than by phone. If you don't get a good response, try a different shop. In my area, the smaller the shop, the better the response.

2. IMHO, picking up another bike for practice is the best way to learn. Then repeat the process a few times.

3. I am not a fan of tool kits like the Nashbar unit. First, they tend to favor modern bikes. Vintage bikes require different tools for crank, BB, freewheel, etc. Secondly, a lot of tool kits come with tools you should already own, like allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and more.

I agree with many of the other comments. Just take something apart, clean it, lube it and put it back together. The front hub is a perfect place to start. I started taking apart and putting my Schwinn Varsity back together again in 1971 when I was 13 years old. The bike is long gone but I still have my grease-stained copy of The Complete Book of Bicycling. If you're at all mechanically inclined you can figure out most stuff on a bike, especially an older one. Just pay attention as it comes apart. Take digital pictures if you want to document the sequence of pieces.

I would get the following tools. You may already have then.

Metric wrench set
Metric ratchet/socket set
Screwdriver with a number of different bits
Metric Allen key set. Ideally ones with long handles. Some like the balls at the end.
Cone wrenches. You can get a set of 13-18mm online. I've found some bikes need both sides of the wrenches so I purchased two sets.
Cable/housing cutter. I've been using a sharp wire cutter for years but I can imagine the specialized tool is nicer.
You will need 50 5/32" ball bearings (headset), 20 3/16" bearings (front hub) and 40 1/4" bearings (22 for bottom bracket and 18 for rear hub). Grade 25 is good.
Grease
Chain lube
Chain breaker
The freewheel remover for your bike
Work stand
Truing stand (nice to have) - I have the minoura stand and I like it a lot more than the pyramid stand it replaced
Spoke wrenches
Adjustable wrenches
Pin tool (I have the red and green ones from park tools)
Lock ring tool
Crank remover
You probably have a freewheel so you don't need a chain whip
Fourth hand tool is nice but I've been doing without until recently.
Hammer
Tire levers
15mm wrench for pedals. If they are really stuck on I'd get a big specialized tool.
Degreaser and cleaning products/brushes

I didn't buy all of this at the same time. I purchased it as I went and tackled one repair at a time. I would often come to a point where I would need a tool, order it, then move onto something else. I didn't have anyone to learn from. I googled my problems and came here to ask specific questions every now and then.

Yeah, just do it. Dive in, but have a reference. Bikes are pretty simple devices. I basically taught myself when I was 14, though I later got fully trained in an LBS. Hubs are a good first step. I personally don't find youtube videos useful for most of this sort of thing, as I am not patient enough to listen to someone drone on about something for 15 minutes when it can be grasped instantly with a couple good photographs.

BTW, I was a pro mechanic for many years. I've trained many mechanics, but there's no way would I train someone that just walked in. It takes a lot of time. I'm sure most shops are going to have the same attitude.

I would generally agree with this, however, if you hang around a shop for a while, that story might change. There is a cool vintage shop near me that has a basement bonanza of parts galore spanning the last 5 decades. After I spent several lunch hours browsing around they started to talk to me more. Now that they know I'm genuinely interested, and I buy a lot of misc parts from them, they are more than happy to bring me in the back and show me the tools or give me a quick run down of what/how a procedure needs to be done. You will have to establish a relationship first, but if you find the right people, they are usually happy to have someone to talk to seriously about working on bikes, because they do it all day long and get sick of explaining how to change a tube to people off the street.

That's probably the biggest part. On. A busy day it's not hard to change >20 tubes and explain to an equal number of people how to do it. Routine stuff becomes an autopilot speech, and I'm not horribly interested in going through it to people who aren't my friends or at least really interested, not just interested in saving $10 by not having me do whatever.

Do some research on vintage bikes before you buy. Learn about threading, hubs and spacing, among other things before you buy. There are some things a novice wants to stay away from (like French or Raleigh threading) mostly not due to the work, but the time and expense finding parts if needed.

Hi,

Pluses on having a manual, using a coop and, if you are reasonably mechanical, going for it. I consider myself a decent mechanic and have been building and rebuilding bikes for years. Everything except frame repairs. I started with a manual and a few basic tools, then bought specialty tools as needed. A few years ago I discovered bike co-ops. Great places to get training as well as access to tools you don't have.

Good luck!

Youtube is your pal; tons of info available there. Also the CV sections in this forum are great source of info and encouragement.

If you have a timeline you're trying to meet for your overhaul (like you want it done in a couple of weekends) --I would recommend finding a good bike shop, telling them exactly what you want, and have them do it.

By the time you've built the expertise and accumulated the necessary tools to do a really good job of it, ...you'll have spent way more money anyway and it may be years later. I'd have a pro do the overhaul, and then begin your journey of learning bicycle mechanics. It is a great good journey