kuso

This thing has been ridden very hard, and seems to have handled the abuse well. I think its still alive, but very unsure how to approach a bike in this condition. I know the older 610s without cantilever brakes arent as valuable but I wouldnt mind trying to strip the paint and put on a new coat and decals. i'm really not sure if its worth the money/effort. The other option of course would be to do a basic overhaul and ride it as is in its most embarrassing state.What would you do?

auchencrow

Generally it's not a good idea to repaint a bike. There are exceptions - but the result is always total loss of originality, and with it, most of the bike's resale value.

The non-cantilevers 610 is a very very nice bike BTW.

rothenfield1

The 610 has a very nice geometry for a lot of purposes. If the only thing that is wrong with the frame is the finish is trashed, I'd have it powder coated and build myself a nice bike on that platform. Unless you have some personal attachment to this bike, I don't think it would be worth the expense of a proper refinishing. However, it may not be as far gone as you think. See if you can post some pics of the worst areas and see what the Forum comes up with. I've seen some resurrections here that I would not have thought possible. Good Luck!

wrk101

Repaint of a bike as rough as you describe? Pass.

auchencrow

Based in the pics you posted - I would concede this is a candidate for a repaint, but media blasting +PC is a much cheaper option if you know a good, reputable powdercoater. (An amateurish PC'er is not a cheaper option).

illwafer

i'll give my dissenting opinion.

the 610 is a fine frame. a sandblast and powdercoat would INCREASE the resale value and ADD originality. it is not worth much as it stands, but it is sure worthy of fixing up.

with that said, check for dents, bends, etc. if it has any of those, all bets are off.

if you want to go the extra step, why not get canti bosses added (and any other braze-ons)? these are fairly inexpensive to do, and maybe you can even get a discount if you get all the work done at the same place. by the time you are done, you'll have a nice custom frame at a fraction of the cost of new.

cycle_maven

+1 Illwafer! It looks like all the important bits are there, and canti brakes would bring it up to full-on touring bike status. If you're going to refinish it anyway, then now is a good time to add any additional braze-ons, starting with canti studs. I'd put the studs in a location so that they can use 700c wheels, tho.

kuso

Great advice!! I'm not sure if there is a frame builder in my city but i'll take a look around. Do you know off hand the approximate cost of adding canti bosses?

cycleheimer

Wheels in good shape? What would I do? Survey response: I would dismantle everything and clean and polish it throroughly. Sand, prime and shoot the bad spots with close matching auto touch-up paint. I would buy new tires, tubes, cables, brake pads and bar wrap from Niagara Cycle Works, Nashbar, or similar online discount merchant. If any components needed replacing I would dig around my parts cabinet. I'd put another rear rack on it, and add a saddle bag and handlebar bag. I would reassamble it, adjust the brakes and derailleurs, true the wheels. I would also not forget to repack the bottom bracket, hubs and headset with fresh grease. Then I'd oil everything else that pivoted, moved, budged. I would then ride it on weekend day trips in a carefree manner, locking it up outside diners, coffee shops and the like without worrying too much about it getting stolen. Well, that's what I'd do. Kind of the "basic overhaul" plus idea.

illwafer

canti studs can go from $40-$100. if it is on the higher end, ask them if they will throw in your 2nd water bottle mount for free.

call around. a LBS is a good place to start. they generally know someone who does this sort of thing.

clasher

There's a community bike shop in Winnepeg called bike dump that could likely help you get the bike rideable for little money before you decide to jump on into powdercoating and braze-ons... you might not like the handling or something else about the bike and it's nice to find that out before pouring money into it... unless of course you're looking for the pleasure of doing it all then I agree it's a good base for a project.