Hello everyone! So i recently inhereted a Kent Gran Concor from my father. I've been looking online and so far everyone has been saying it's " scrap metal ", or " don't waste your time ". I'm going to be one of those people that is going to go against the world on this one and actually give it a shot. Anyway onto the point.

1. The shift levers are in the middle of the bike however they are very stiff what would be a good way to loosen them?

2. The brakes are also stiff but i can get them to move, in your opinion what kind of brake pads can i use to replace them?

3. what is a good grease for the wheel bearings as well as a good grease for the chain?

Thank you everyone for your time. ( Yes i'm new )

realkit92, Pictures of the bike or age, brand and model of the components would help. There are many low level bikes that are cherished by their owners, many of whom also own high level examples.

Brad

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxC...it?usp=sharing

This is pretty much all the stuff i could get fomr the bike, minor surface rust. The wheels are going to be replaced within the next week. 26' x 1 3/8'.

Also it's a mid 1970's early 1980's bike.

1. Remove shift cables. Dissemble levers, clean, inspect, lube and reassemble. Lube rear derailleur pivots and ensure it moves freely. Install new cables and adjust (obtain from LBS).
2. Remove brake cables. Clean and lube levers and check for free movement. Lube caliper pivot and ensure it moves freely. Install new brake cables (obtain from LBS). Remove brake shoes and take them to LBS to find appropriate replacements.
3. Any general purpose grease is appropriate for bearings. Clean out old grease with solvent first. For the chain, get chain lube (not grease) at the LBS.

(LBS = Local Bike Shop)

(I wast writing this as you were posting your pix so hadn't seen them)

Looking at your pictures, it is pretty rough shape and it never was an expensive bike. It does have a brazed frame rather than the heavier welded frames you would find on the cheap Schwinns and similar entry level bikes of the late 1960s to early 1970s. It is from that era. I don't recognize the brand name but there were many different ones that are no longer in business today. The cranks are old three-piece, cotter type cranks and not the really garbage one-piece Ashtabula cranks. Many bikes of that era had shift levers mounted where yours are. They are less user-friendly than the newer indexed bar end shifters or twist grip shifters. The first thing I would do is to determine the weight. Stand on a scale and weigh yourself. Then do it holding the bike. The difference will be the weight of the bike within a half pound or so. If it weighs more than 30 pounds you are wasting your time on it as you can find better, newer bikes at garage sales and second hand stores to fix up. Ditto for the wheels being in true. If the rims are steel, that's another sign of a bike not worth fixing. They would be rusty by now and are heavier than alloy wheels. If the rims are bent, the spokes are rusty, you should probably forget fixing it. A lot of times if you try to true a wheel on something this old, the spokes will break. You will definitely need new brake pads and cables all around. You should disassemble EVERY place where there are bearings. It is rusty so the cables and housing are probably rusty too. It may not be all that easy to disassemble. Most bike shops no longer have the tool to remove cotters so you can get at the bearings in the bottom bracket. You can beat the out with a hammer but it may destroy the cotters. It would not pay to have any work done by a bike shop. Labor is too costly. Even doing all the work and buying parts online, you may find the cost far exceeds what the bike would be worth if it were in better shape and working correctly.

I agree that it probably wont be worth refurbishing it if i were to ever want to sell it. however i'm not fixing it to sell it. i'm fixing it as a bike for myself as well as a piece of memoribilia(sp?) towards my dad. I honestly went into this project thinking that i will probably be spending 2x the amount the bike even cost back then, but that's ok on my book. To me it's a priceless possesion .

Yea take it apart clean and lube and put it back together again.. for the learning exercise ..

cottered cranks went out in the 70's but cheap bikes kept selling them
as the tooling to make the parts was Paid for.

Cotter pins can often be removed with either a plastic mallet (may destroy the mallet's head but they aren't that expensive) or a C-clamp using a convenient socket as a standoff around the pin. Liberal use of penetrating oil and lots of soak time will probably be needed.
I'm also a romantic so I say go for it.

I'd find the nearest landfill and make a deposit. Pick up something for $100 off craigslist that's in much better shape.

My first inclination would be to pitch it. If you intend on restoring it, the first rule is, don't replace anything you don't have to. Clean up the paint and chrome with a fine steel wool, then wax it. Lube and grease everything that spins. Dribble oil into the freewheel. I think you'll find that with the application of enough oil, you will be able to get the derailleurs and brakes working properly. Don't even screw with the chain, cables, housing, brake pads, or tires/tubes. Just replace them all. DO NOT replace the wheels; that'll be just begging for more problems than you can imagine. Clean the wheels up and, if they're severely out of true or have irretrievably-rusty spokes, rebuild them yourself.

If you are going to buy parts for this bike a good online mail order source is Niagara Cycle. They have most everything you will need with components priced at level that makes sense for it. I use them for parts for older bikes that I refurbish for kids. The LBSs in my area are mostly into high end stuff so they don't carry much in the way of decent quality but reasonably priced parts.

It was your Dad's bike. Clean it up, taking care not to spend too much money on any upgrades. Ride it and enjoy it for what it is. Then, if you find yourself addicted to riding, get a newer-nicer bike. I'd love to have a few things that were my father's. In fact, I'd even love to have his old pipes. Think they were tossed long ago.

And, this place has at least a few bike snobs. Pay them little mind until you become one of them.

realkit92, If the rims are steel, I'd consider replacing them with aluminum rims in the future simply for better braking when wet. For the time being I'd use some ScotchBrite and dishwashing soap to clean the originals.

Other than a blanket replacement of tires, tubes, rim strips, chain and brake pads, take it one section at a time. If you have questions post 'em in the Mechanics forum. Help is also available on the Park Tools' web site and on youtube for overhaul items. A friend knowledgeable in bicycle repair or a bicycle co-op are great to guide you also.

Brad

This thread is apparently a reading comprehension test.

Good luck with your restoration!

Sheldon Brown's site is a great resource for you as far as maintenance is concerned

Do you plan on riding this bike or just preserving it and hanging it on the garage wall?

First thing I would do is remove the cables and housing and see if the cables slide smoothly in the housing. Probably replacing the cables and housing will work wonders. Next would be brake pads if the rubber is hard.

Have fun restoring the bike it will provide a good learner for the mechanics.

Why not run it as single speed? Then you just need to worry about brakes. For parts that will fit the look of that bike, see https://store.velo-orange.com/

Thank you everyone for your opinions I do plan on riding it. I has been sitting in a garage for the past 30+ years. I plan on riding it for now i've cleaned up the rims nicely, i've so far left everything alone i've lubed up the chain and the brake and shifting cables. i'm just waiting for the tires and tubes to come in. Then i'm going to go on a mission to find the brakes. After that she should be good as new with a few spot of surface rust that'll be taken care of here and there.

Out of curiosity, where did you find tires for a 590 rim?

I found them online at ebay. (The tires are an exact match color and size)

Realkit, do you plan to ride this a lot or just keep it for sentimental value in general? I conserved my grandfathers 67 schwinn racer deluxe. Similar story: Heavy, cheap, ancient, not worth the restore.. but it was my grandfathers. With a lot of reading on sheldon browns site and a lot more reading in the classic and vintage subforum I was able to make it shine again with minimal investment and effort.

Here's a before.


And here's an after.

I do plan on riding it quite a bit. After i've saved up a little bit i'm going to buy another bike that i can restore as well and use that one more so that way i keep my dads in
" good " condition.

Then yeah consider what the guys said, alum rims will stop much better in the rain, a new brakeset will help a lot too, possibly a bottom bracket conversion as well. You know just some things that will make the bike a lot more functional for heavy use.

The images don't seem to show up. I get the page, but no image.

I can understand your desire to get this bike rolling again. I did the same thing with a 1970's era bike that I had bought new when I was in high school (although admittedly it was not in as bad a shape when I started). I keep it at work for short jaunts at lunch time when I feel like the day is going badly. It does garner some stares and occasional questions. Good luck with your project!