icemilkcoffee 

Or as I call it in my annual reviews at work- 'long term projects'

This Battaglin I bought mid 2020. I got clincher rims built for it but somehow other bikes always got ahead of it in the project pipelines. After the KHS is sorted I promise I'll get to this puppy!

Darth Lefty 

I'm always hoping one day I'll wake up tall enough to fit my Dad's Paramount because I'm definitely never selling it

mhespenheide 

I'm going to have to dissent and say that, while the Faggin is nice, that Miyata re-work is lovely.

t2p

longest running back burner ...

Cannondale 3.0 frame - sat since mid-90’s when I pulled the components

hoping to give it some love in the next few years

t2p

runner up long running back burner projects

two bmx frames - DB Turbolite and Schwinn Pro Modified ... they’ve sat untouched since mid 2000’s

Schwinn Tempo road bike acquired from a bike messenger mid 2000’s

the Giant ATX 760 sat in that spot after it was acquired in the late 1990’s and sat untouched until this November

at one point I thought it would remain in that state - but recently found a wheelset, crank, and derailleurs for it and it was rescued this month

t2p

rescued ATX 760

t2p

current back burner project in process

Schwinn Paramount PDG90

this frame sat untouched since late 90’s (until this month)

also had doubts I would get to this one

dweenk 

Miyata 1000. It's like fusion power - the bike of the future, and always will be.

Mr. 66

The '64 was finally cobbled together, still will get different brake levers before bartape
As much as I want to be done on the Performance it (I) needs a different stem. Right now it has a 80mm Frog.

These were both about 5 years, more on the Bianchi

Bianchigirll 

Getting in fighting shape again

bikemig 

I've had this 70s era Mercier 300 in kelly green now for around 4 years. The first pic is a shot of the bike in the wild; the second is after I stripped it down but before I cleaned up the paint a bit. I did find the headset part I need which was no easy thing since this is a low stack french threaded Stronglight headset. I actually started a build thread in 2021 to get myself motivated but I still haven't made any progress. But there's always 2023, right?

2 years to finish up a build thread?

Mercier 300 Build Thread


Bike as found in the wild

Frame

Murray Missile 

It may have been long enough since I posted this one that maybe most will have forgotten it but if not I'll bore you with it yet again. I picked up this NOS 1982 Fuji Monterey frameset off Ebay on Oct. 20, 2013, the seller was a retired bike shop owner and this was from his leftover inventory so I see myself as technically the "original owner". It's still in the box, I know the Monterey was pretty far down the ladder but having owned several lower level Fujis of the same period I know it will be a nice ride so I'm building it up to suit myself and I've been picking up NOS parts for it to build an upscaled version. I'm just about done collecting components, I just need the "right" saddle. I have NOS Fuji pantograh Suntour Vx derailluers, DiaCompe brakes and I believe my NOS stem probably came out of this bike or one like it. I hesitated on a NOS FUJI pantographed crankset and it got away so I had to settle for a near mint used one and forget finding NOS wheels so I went with a SunRingle M13 rims and stainless spokes on Origin 8 freewhel hubs wheelset as they at least look the part. I also have NOS Suntour barcons and GranCompe aero levers that "may" find their way on it, the jury is still out on those but it's leaning that way. The frameset came with the original headset and BB. He was selling several NOS Fujis, framesets and parts back then, then it all disappeared from Ebay. The framesets resurfaced a year or so later from a different seller halfway across the country less the headsets and bottom brackets for twice as much and the headsets and bottom brackets sold seperately. In retrospect paying "too much" for mine turned out to be a bargain if that's what you wanted. As it was I started out in the hole with this one so I just kept digging LOL. WTH, can't take it with you, might as well enjoy it. I'll finally start putting it together this Spring, maybe I can get it done before Oct. 20, 2023.

nlerner

When I first saw this thread, I was patting myself on the back for not letting any project languish for any length of time. But then I remembered this one:




This single-speed Columbia middleweight with coaster-brake was actually my go-to bike when I lived in the SF Bay Area in the 1980s. I bought it in a thrift store for something like $15, and just found that its geometry and "planing" really worked well for me. It was my grocery getter (hence the rear Blackburn rack), commuter, and weekend road rider (I commonly took it on the Portola Valley loop out of Palo Alto for those who know the area). When I returned to that area for six weeks in the summer of 1991, it's the bike I brought with me. The first year we moved to the Boston area in 1992, we were in a 3rd-floor apartment without room for bikes, so I stored it at a friend's house. When I retrieved it about a year later, I was sad to see that the headset and fork steerer both had a big crack in them. Yikes! Not sure how that happened. I sourced a fork from a local shop, but had a dickens of a time trying to fit it with a headset. What I realized a few years later was that it was a Raleigh replacement fork (note the fork crown dimples) with 26 tpi, which didn't take kindly to the 24 tpi headset nut I was trying to install. Essentially, I just shoved it in a corner of my basement and thought wistfully about it now and then. I pulled it out for the pics above probably 20 years ago, but that's been it. So, yeah, this project has been on hold for more than 30 years. Yikes!

bikemig 

We have a winner,

gugie 

eBay France is my weakness. Bought this one in 2015.

Found decals for it, and even found some proper racks and fenders.

Mad Honk 

I started the clean your shop for the 2019 covid challenge. Just finished the work bench today a mere 4 years later. The before and after:

The spare Campy drawer at the beginning of the challenge. It has been cleared and looks like a tool box drawer again.

The bench before today. That crank went on a bike that went to WGB and got held in captivity for almost a year during the lock-down at the border.

The work bench with way too many items on it. Does anyone see the 8mm wrench anywhere?

Today the bench is clear. It likely won't stay this way for long, but it is a start for the new year.

clubman 

I pitched this as a clunker challenge around 2006 but never followed through. The Dunelt frame was found on garbage day with little to no paint or decals...just the cool headbadge for provenance.
Sad thing is I built it as a two speed, loved it, but tore it apart to paint it. It remains untouched with primer. Badge on the left suggests pre-war.

Murray Missile 

Oooh...... "shiny things"!

merziac

The 8mm is right here, but where are the other 5 or 6 other ones?

RandolphCarter

How about a bike that's been on the back burner twice?



I found this Schwinn Hydraglide at a thrift shop 13 years ago. It took me a little over a year to get around to replacing a few spokes on the rear wheel and fixing the brakes. Ended up giving it to a neighbor kid who rode several sets of tires into tatters on it.

He gave it back to me a few years ago when he went off to college. I haven't done anything with it yet. It's behind several other bikes in the project pile.

styggno1

Bought in a shopping spree between 2009 and 2011. Still lingering in the back of the work shop for their turn.

60ies Specialissima. Gave it new chrome some years ago



Centenario - not going to be restored to original. A fun project with some twists awaiting




1973 Colnago Super




The red De Rosa Professional (the other one is already built)



Merckx cyclocross



MX Leader in colour code "TAL"



Pogliaghi Italcorse (circa 1977) - someone had hacksawed the shifter bosses...




I do have things to do - I am in no hurry but looking forward to it!

Deal4Fuji

I documented in much detail my longest running project from 2014 just recently, and as mentioned it's still not completely done

My worst Craigslist buy is finally on the road (War & Peace edition)

I want to transfer the current handlebars & brakes on the Fuji S10-S to this Shogun Primo Sport that's also several years old now. Another paint project with plenty of cure time

original after sanding


1st paint coat was red oxide primer I didn't get photos of
2nd coat is a green base coat...


....because I wasn't sure if I'd have enough of my color choice - metallic turquoise


After Red w Black outline Shogun decals there will be a clearcoat - 3 layers of paint + sealer ... I shouldn't have to worry about rust


================================================================================================

All those projects will line up behind the $25 Torpado find that was just too good of a deal to let pass. All I've done to date is remove the dork disk & freewheel. I am the reluctant mechanic

noglider 

I feel like none of my bikes is ever finished. But to answer, I should use start time until decently rideable time. I guess the bike that took the longest time is my Raleigh International. Folks here even teased me about it. A few years ago, I dismantled it to overhaul it. I managed to overhaul it but I didn't install the dynamo lights or rack back on because the rack is a huge pain. I've been riding it that way.

I've come to decide that the handlebars are no good for me. They look so cool but they're not comfortable and only offer two positions. I don't know what to try next.


With lights and rack


Without lights or rack

wschruba

Butterflies? They can be rolled forward or back. I have a pair from a bike that I had to swap them to drops to sell, and can't see myself ever being able to sell them.

noobinsf 

My Mercian spent the longest time dormant because I wanted to do something about the distressed paint before building it up. Between life, work, and other bikes/wheels/parts, it took a long time to get the frame where I wanted it before hanging components. I bought the frame in 2018 and didn’t have it roadworthy until earlier this year. So far, so good.