Restoration Project

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OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
I'll see what condition it's in. Not really wanting to spend much money on it anyway as it would probably not get used that much.

Maybe time to wave bye bye.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Randochap said:
Life of the party, me.

When I was growing up in the West Mids (or Staffs, as we called it), there were two commonly admired characteristics: calling a spade a spade and thrift. It was not considered smart to "throw good money after bad."

These, which I've retained, can be applied in this case.

Here's what I'd do (though please yourself, I only offer my opinion):

Take that thing to the scrap yard and see what you can get for it. It's molecules will be far happier rearranged into a more dignified lump of dross.

Add those pennies to a small sum and see if you can't pick up an old Peugeot or Gitane, road bike, circa 1970-75, in good nick. There are thousands here in Canada ... I helped sell hundreds of them.

Now there's a cheap production bike worth restoring and many people do so. I often see nicely-restored specimens around town.

Hell, why not find an old Raleigh or other more classy British bike. I envy you being able to scour the papers for classic English marques. Are there many around at a reasonable price?
Click to expand...

Last time I heard the Spade comment was at the Foundry I worked out. Generally those with that opinion were the ones unwilling to change.
 
C

chris667

Guru
It's a fine bike, that. It's not a lightweight, but plenty good enough for a runabout.
My first and still one of my favourite bikes, Lazarus, is slightly older than yours and still in regular use. I use it when I don't want to leave my expensive bikes somewhere
Here's a picture of him taken earlier on today, when I went to B&Q.
IMG_0336.jpg
 
C

chris667

Guru
1987, I think. He's lived a hard life, but we did everything together.
Top tube is bent, and covered in dents and rust, but I still enjoy using it.
 
PpPete

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
chris667 said:
It's a fine bike, that. It's not a lightweight, but plenty good enough for a runabout.
My first and still one of my favourite bikes, Lazarus, is slightly older than yours and still in regular use. I use it when I don't want to leave my expensive bikes somewhere
Here's a picture of him taken earlier on today, when I went to B&Q.
IMG_0336.jpg
Click to expand...

Until I read the bit about B&Q I thought the piece of wood might be a modification that enables carriage of the canoe in the background...;)
 
J

jack the lad

Well-Known Member
Looking at the pictures of the pink pug, it doesn't look in too bad condition. If it's not been used for the best part of 15 years, bits like the chain and cassette may not even be worn. It is more likely a labour of love just to strip it all down, clean, regrease, oil, put it all back together and adjust. If parts like the BB have gone, it's two 50p sets of caged balls and a squeeze of grease to repair, not £20. A couple of rainy evenings in the shed and you've got a hack for when the main bike is too good or out of action and you might not even have spent a penny. If nothing else, you'll have developed your skills as a bike mechanic!
 
A

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
+1. I think everyone cyclist should build at least one bike from scratch.
jack the lad said:
Looking at the pictures of the pink pug, it doesn't look in too bad condition. If it's not been used for the best part of 15 years, bits like the chain and cassette may not even be worn. It is more likely a labour of love just to strip it all down, clean, regrease, oil, put it all back together and adjust. If parts like the BB have gone, it's two 50p sets of caged balls and a squeeze of grease to repair, not £20. A couple of rainy evenings in the shed and you've got a hack for when the main bike is too good or out of action and you might not even have spent a penny. If nothing else, you'll have developed your skills as a bike mechanic!
Click to expand...
 
Randochap

Randochap

Senior hunter
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Angelfishsolo said:
+1. I think everyone cyclist should build at least one bike from scratch.
Click to expand...

Yes. In fact, I think everyone who dares call themselves a cyclist should build all their bikes from scratch.

But to use the motor car references earlier in the thread -- bear with me here now, I know nothing about cars, so I'll probably screw it up -- when we're talking restoration, it's deemed sensible and admirable to want to fix up an old MG or Jaguar sports car, despite their terrible electrical systems. But what advice do you give someone who insists on restoring a 1964 Reliant?

I know there's probably a "classic Reliant club" somewhere!
 
J

jack the lad

Well-Known Member
I know where you are coming from Randochap.

I had a motorbike for years that I was going to restore, but never got round to it because it was too complicated, too expensive, needed too many special tools and too much special knowledge.

But bikes are easy. At least old hacks are.

No doubt a suspension mechanic for a professional downhill mountain bike team is in the same skills area as a formula one car mechanic.

But an old MTB is a no risk learning tool. It doesn't matter if you get it wrong, but you wont because it is simple technology that virtually anyone can get their head round.

The motorbike got sold and the money spent on 'upgrades' for my bikes!
 
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