Fixing up a bike that has been outside for a while

[Chutzpah]

Hi all,

I know this is going to be a tough one to answer.

Two and a half years ago my brother-in-law passed away. He was quite a keen cyclist and had a couple of bikes, which he kept in meticulous condition.

Unfortunately since the day he died they've sat outside slowly rusting up.

My mum, having witnessed me cycling more and more has decided that I should have them. Almost like a "it's what he would have wanted".

Now, I'm not the best at the mechanics of bikes, but part of me also thinks that it might be useful to have a side project to both learn as I go, but also that it doesn't matter if it sits around slowly being fixed for a couple of years (as time and money permits).

For anyone that has done renovation projects, what normally needs to be sorted on bikes that haven't been ridden for a couple of years, but has been out in all seasons?

And yes, I am expecting you all to come out with a huge list, and also say that I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

 

[asterix]

It's a tough one to answer!

Can you provide any pictures?

A well oiled bicycle won't come to great harm left outside mechanically speaking. Rain might get in the frame via the seatpost, deflated tyres may perish, might need a new chain and a leather saddle will go to rack and ruin, but really it should all be fixable.

 

[Chutzpah]

I'm a bit far from home at the mo (using the forum for the first time on my mobile, excellent mobile skin admin!) But will give it a go when I get back.

I only glanced at one of them a few weeks ago, and the chain was very orange! Have been putting off picking them up as I wasn't sure if it would be too great an undertaking. Sounds weird but wasn't sure if me taking them and then never achieving anything with them would be worse for my mum than watching them rust... if that makes sense.

 

[PpPete]

I'm a bit far from home at the mo (using the forum for the first time on my mobile, excellent mobile skin admin!) But will give it a go when I get back.

I only glanced at one of them a few weeks ago, and the chain was very orange! Have been putting off picking them up as I wasn't sure if it would be too great an undertaking. Sounds weird but wasn't sure if me taking them and then never achieving anything with them would be worse for my mum than watching them rust... if that makes sense.

I've brought back a bike to useable condition that had been neglected in various garages & sheds for 20 years, and then stored outside with ivy growing through it for another 10 years.

2.5 years on what was previously a well maintained bike is not going to be too much of a challenge, for a first project. Likely to be easier than a cheapo bike out of skip that was crap to start with and "unloved" in between.

 

[fossyant]

Get the bikes back home.................. then post pics etc.............. most stuff is salvageable with a bit of TLC.....chains etc are consumables...........

 

[tyred]

I'd need to see them but you would probably be looking at a chain, a set of tyres (sunlight degrades rubber) and probably cables. Just about anything else should be re-usable with a little TLC. Brake pads seem to harden with age but should still be okay. I would expect a modern plastic saddle to weather quite well, if you've got a Brooks or similar, it may look bad but the leather can usually be brought back to life with a good clean with saddle soap and apply some sort of hide food. If it's an older bike with chrome parts, there are many tricks you can do to get it shiny again, what you would do would depend on the level of corrosion. If it's only light corrosion, Brasso will do nicely.

When bringing old bikes back into service, I will always repack the hubs and cup and cone BB with fresh grease as a matter of course and will work fresh oil into a Sturmey hub, if fitted.

 

[biggs682]

as above a good quality bike will suffer less than a cheapo , and will provide hours and years of use when you start riding it

 

[xpc316e]

I go with cables, tyres, chain, etc needing to be replaced, but I would suggest cleaning out all the bearings (headset, bottom bracket, wheels, pedals, freehub, and then regreasing them. Basically, you'll then have what amounts to a new bike. If the bike was of good quality in the first place, it's worth doing it up.

 

[Headgardener]

I have a Raliegh Elite of about 1970-80's vintage that has sat in my brother's back garden for about six months which I plan to use as a winter project and then sell as it is to big for me to ride. As well as all of the above I also plan to replace the bar tape and possibly the saddle, both of which are starting to break up.

 

[Chutzpah]

OK.... this might be more of an interesting project than I realised.

When my mum said "bike", one didn't realise the type of bike she meant.

I swung by today to pick it up, and it's a full suspension mountain bike job, with tyres so wide they could have come off a monster truck. Hope disc brakes, and just to add to the complication, hydraulic on the front.

He used to work in a quarry, so I can only guess he rode it around there when he was bored............

Just to add to my sudden "oh crikey, what have I gotten myself into" feeling, I can't work how to get the front wheel off. It's not quick release nor a simple bolt. I'll try and upload a picture in a mo.

Looks like I'm in for a fun winter.....

 

[Chutzpah]

OK, I'm an idiot and sorted out the front wheel..... Front fork is a Marzocchi with a through bolt thingy (yes, that's my technical name for it).

 

[fossyant]

Me thinks you might just have a rather good bike there.

 

[Chutzpah]

Goggling the prices of the parts......... yes

By the way, if you're wondering why all this is a surprise when I said earlier in the thread that I had 'glanced' at it, well I saw a bike from afar and it turns out that one was my dad's (so I was looking at the wrong bike.... d'oh)

Stupid question for those in the know, anyone know if a kit like this Lifeline kit from Wiggle is any better quality than this sort of kit from Halfrauds?

 

[eddiemee]

Goggling the prices of the parts......... yes

By the way, if you're wondering why all this is a surprise when I said earlier in the thread that I had 'glanced' at it, well I saw a bike from afar and it turns out that one was my dad's (so I was looking at the wrong bike.... d'oh)

Stupid question for those in the know, anyone know if a kit like this Lifeline kit from Wiggle is any better quality than this sort of kit from Halfrauds?

I have that Lifeline kit and it's served me well, with the exception of the chain tool which was of rubbish quality and broke on first use. The rest of the tools are perfectly adequate for routine maintenance and should be fine for your restoration job.

 

[Chutzpah]

Just as an update so far - serviced rear hub and got a new chain ready. Considering that until this weekend I had never split a chain or taken a cassette off and taken a wheel hub apart I'd like to think that's not bad