schuckr

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site and biking in general. I just bought my girlfriend and myself a bike that I'm wanting to fix up and overhaul. This is my first roadbike and craigslist purchase in general. I'm wondering A. What the estimated model/year of this bike is. B. How much time/effort would be needed to make this thing a joy to ride both in the city and on tours. C. Any additional information/suggestions/tips that you may have in restoring this as my first bicycle restoration project.

Thanks,

Ryan

Lascauxcaveman 

Probably 1990's Bianchi. Other than that you're going to need to give a few hints with better pix and names you find on the decals, components, etc. From what I can see, it's ready to ride.

schuckr

f Here are some more detailed pictures of my recent purchase.

jimmuller 

First, welcome to C&V!

You bought you and your GF a bike? First thing you're going to need is another bike!

Fit is important. Unless you two are pretty much the same size you'll need to move at least the seat post height every time you trade riding opportunities. More to the point, you can't ride together with just one bike!

Fortunately one thing we do here in C&V is encourage (some would say enable) you to buy another bike! Then another. Then another...

oddjob2

But Jim, there are always pics of you and your sweetie riding one bike!

hatrack71

I'd also say early 90's Bianchi. 7 speed rear cassette? Looks like Shimano Exage groupset with a Deore rear derailleur? With multiple black paint jobs. Including the brake calipers. She's definitely got some experience points. Any severe dents? Cracks around the lugs? Look the frame over good to make sure everything is safe and sound to ride, she's had a rougher commuting life. That's for sure. As far as time and effort.. does it have any problems when riding now? Shifting issues, wheels rubbing brakes.. other noises? I find 7 speed stuff continues to work for a very long time barring something catastrophic. And that's a lugged Bianchi frame so it's nothing to sneeze at either. I like them.

okane

How much time and effort requires time and effort to determine. I say that because I would first check out the frame. Looks to me that someone went a little crazy with black spray bomb. Check alignment and especially all weld spots as the paint may have been done to hide cracks or rust.

If frame ok, check wheels....run true....flat spots...spokes....cracks. If ok, tear down hubs and check bearing surfaces...check cones and bearing surfaces.....if ok clean and lube. I usually find cracks, etc., on tires so I put on new ones. You will need a special tool to remove freewheel or cassette to get at the rear wheel bearings, but most lbs will remove them for under $10 if you don't want to buy the tool. Clean cogs and oil bearings.

Next bottom bracket and head set......same deal here...check cones and bearing surfaces.....if ok clean and lube. You will need a special tool to remove cranks, but most lbs will remove them for under $10 if you don't want to buy the tool.

Next brakes...levers.....calipers....pads....cables....I always tear down calipers to clean and relube.....cables/housing/pads......cheap to replace so I always do.

Next drs/shifters.....clean and oil all moving points and check for damage....proper operation.

Check bar/stem for structural integrity....no cracks usually need to rewrap bars.

Cosmetics, i.e. paint, are owners choice except for rusted areas which at the very least should be treated to prevent further deterioration if structurally sound when you when you examine frame.....strip, repaint, leave as is ????

I think you can see why How much time and effort requires time and effort to determine. Can check bearings without tearing down, and might as well clean and repack when you do.

If you need to replace wheels could get expensive and bike may not be worth it to you. Frame damage a whole nother' story.

What I like about this method is that it costs nothing but time and effort and I don't replace parts until I've complete the process of examination as in no sense to buy a new wheel set if the frame is rusted out.

If everything meets your qualifications and you do the maintenance, you will most likely end up with a bike "good as new."


Buy the way, none of this is difficult and there is plenty of info here and on line to help but it is important to lube all bearing surfaces. Old grease and oil hardens and you could damage these surfaces and you will not enjoy the ride unless you relube. You should get some cone wrenches, but if you have general use tools like allen wrenches, etc, you can do most of the work by yourself. You may find out that like me, you actually enjoy working on your bike.

RobbieTunes

Since you are new to this, I can only approximate the time and effort and money, but a lot of us dig this stuff.

1. Complete disassembly, 8 hours, you'll need the right size wrenches, and a bottom bracket tool.
Your local bike shop has them, and rarely uses some of them any more.

2. Cleaning. 4 hours.

3. Lubrication of bottom bracket, headset, and some parts that pivot. 1 hour.

4. Re-assembly. 8 hours, to include new cables/housing, chain, tubes, if needed.

5. I leave wheels out of it. If they roll smooth and are true, no problem.
If not, you will need to look into those hubs. LBS can help with cone wrenches, perhaps.

6. YouTube is your friend, and a lot of advice can be found here, the best thing is an experienced friend willing to help you learn.

When you're done, it will be fun to ride, capable of about anything, and you'll be glad you did it.
One word of advice: do your girlfriend's bike first if she has a separate one, or fit her on this one and you just deal with the fit.

hatrack71

Just mark her position with a piece of tape around the seatpost so you can quickly slide it back to the right spot. That's if she is smaller. If the opposite is true and she is taller, use the tape to mark your position. The difference should be easy to approximate after a couple times. The tape really helps. I shared a bike with a buddy when we were working out of town and this worked slick.

schuckr

It's people like you all that make this world a great place to live. Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm stoked to get my hands dirty I'll post updates when I have the time!

schuckr

Also, another update. My current ride is a 2011 Giant Talon 29er that I use for commuting purposes and the occasional single track, off road adventure. This is my girlfriends first bike, we are essentially the same height so she can ride my bike and I could ride hers as well.

3speedslow

Might turn out to be one of those project Bianchi bikes, early 700 wheeled hybrids.

Nice thing to give the Girl Friend!