My Winter Project...
ansbaradigeidfran
Posts: 526
I'm planning to get hold of a bike to fix up over the winter. As I'm already the proud owner of a cheap, cheerful, Chinese folding bouncy MTB (which weighs a lot) I'm looking at getting something light, fast, and roadie. I've already selected my shop, namely Mochdre dump: they sell old bikes on for a very good price (~£10 for a mostly complete bike). I'll be visiting once or twice a week to see what they've got in, and will buy when I see something good. It will get taken apart completely, possibly painted, and rebuilt from scratch.
But what's good? That's where you guys come in. I'm sure you all have hot tips on what to seek/avoid.
But what's good? That's where you guys come in. I'm sure you all have hot tips on what to seek/avoid.
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Comments
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Hi,
Look for chunky "forged" dropouts, rather than thin pressed ones. That's often a sign of a quality frame. Reynolds, Columbus and Tange make good tubes. With Reynolds there's a range of qualities from 501 and 505 through different grades of 531 in plain gauge and butted to the exotics that you are unlikely to find scrapped.
Check for straightness, dents and rust. Damage to the drive-side rear dropout is common from derailleurs overshifting into spokes. Crash damage can often manifest in bent forks and kinked tubes- feel for a lateral ridge underneath the headset end of the down tube- a clear sign that a front impact has kinked it backwards.
A seized seat post, bottom bracket or headset can make a frame very difficult to resurrect.
Be wary of older continental frames (French, Italian) that may have less common threads- you might struggle to find compatible parts for sensible money.
If you can find a nice Carlton or Raleigh (eg Royale, not Equipe), or maybe a Holdsworth or Claud Butler or something you should be sorted.... Good luck!
Cheers,
W.0 -
Have a look on Ebay - you can sometimes pick up a half decent 501/531 frame for next to nothing - especially if you're prepared to take something that needs a little TLC.Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos0
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The purchase has been made:
It's a BSA Weekender (Raleigh built). It's a five speed, to be replaced with a double chainring at the front. I'm thinking of getting a seven-speed freewheel to slap on the back, possibly one of Shimano's silly megarange ones (there are mountains here in Wales). The drivetrain is clunky, but it will be cleaned/replaced soon enough. My old MTB in Cardiff can donate derailleurs and stuff, but I'll want to buy some bar-end shifters (don't like downtube, and I can't afford grifters).
The bottle dynamo and lights are an aftermarket fitting, as testified by the wire taped to the top tube. I may keep them. Handlebar's slightly bent, and the rear brake doesn't like disengaging. Tyres are naturally cracked to heck, but the tubes held enough air for me to ride it home from the station last night.
Oh, the brown colour scheme will not be staying. I'm already pricing up the hammerite (turquoise and silver)
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Hi,
Check the rear axle length. I'd be surprised if it's wide enough to take a seven-speed at the moment. You'll need to get it cold set to a suitable OLD.
I can't tell what the frame's made of (what do the decals say?). Are the parts (bars, stem, rims, seatpost etc.) alloy or steel?
Cheers,
W.0 -
The decals are few and nondescript, but the magnet test shows that everything's some sort of steel. I haven't measured the frame spacing yet (the rear wheel's only been off to realign the tube while on the train, bringing the trophy home from Crewe), but when the nuts are loosened the rear triangle springs out 2-3mm, and the thick washers on the inside of the frame could possibly be exchanged for thinner ones. Sheldon's pages suggest I need to find 6mm total, so even if I do have to cold set the frame, it shouldn't be too much work.
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i picked up a old (possibly a dawes Imperial) steel bike for £30 last year it went fine from 126mm to 130mm, with out a problem.0
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Dating this bicycle is going slowly. It was sold as a '1970s Touring Bike', and I haven't spotted any revealing numbers on the frame yet. The fact that it has a Raleigh shifter, derailleur, and stem means it's after the 1956 buyout. A small Union Jack and TI decal pushes that to 1960.
I took the lighting system off for cleaning today, and found a datestamp on the dynamo clamp: 07 84. The lights aren't original, though: the seatstay paint was scraped away in order to make electrical contact with the frame, and the wire to the front light tacked on with ancient tape. Dynamo and Lights are stamped Miller, dynamo's also stamped 'made in India'.
The bottle dynamo's cleared up okay, but the light housings' chrome is pitted and rusted at the tops. Don't know if I'll keep these lights yet, but the dynamo's staying: I have ideas for a battery-backed light/power system...0 -
Bottle dynamos arn't much cop. Lights have moved on since 1984. I really wouldn't bother.
I mean it... really.
Cheers,
W.0 -
Okay Buns, we'll see. I'd like to use some modern LED stuff on it, but in a manner that 'looks good', such as retrofitting them inside the old housings. The fact that the fork has a braze-on and mount means it might look a bit silly without something there. I'd also be tickled to use the dynamo (with suitable electronics, and possibly a battery-backed system) to power my GPS phone as well as lights. But we'll see how things go.
I cleaned the brake levers today, and have done the front mudguard too.
The brakes are Weinmann, 500 at the front and 730 at the rear. Picture shows the front cleaned with WD-40 and a rag. They both got the toothbrush treatment in the end. I found '81 date stamps on them, so we'll say it's a 28 year-old bike.
The chrome on the mudguards has cleaned up acceptably. Some spots, but no pitting. I'll live with that.
I'll have to work out where/how I'm going to paint the fork and frame sometime soon. The garage is the likely candidate, but it's cold and unlit, with a dusty pile of rubble in the corner that will only be moved to make room for a delivery of second-hand furniture just before Christmas. I wonder if the washing line is hefty enough to hang it from...0 -
I haven't done the rear mudguard yet. I ripped the rest of the bike apart instead!
It's the first time I've stripped a bike down to the frame, and I had to wage war on the drive-side cotter in order to get there. Sheldon's advice saw me through, thankfully. The bottom bracket and headset have come off and been cleaned, and I even managed to find all the ball bearings.
They've been degunked in a WD-40 bath, and put in sealed plastic boxes until needed again. The frame's been hosed down too. No more pictures yet, sorry.
There won't be any more done over the weekend, due to work and other inconvenient things.
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I'm glad you're enjoying it. I like typing some of this out, as I'm enjoying the whole thing so much myself!
Oh, I forgot to mention that I measured the rear dropouts once the wheel was off: 124mm. Not too far off the ~126mm needed for the 7-speed upgrade.0 -
Not a lot of work done recently, but Ol' Bouncy got a clean and checkup on Monday.
Just won this new (to me) crankset off eBay:
It's a 40/49T one, which along with a megarange freewheel should do me okay for some nice touring with the occasional Welsh hill. I just need to decide whether to buy a 14-34T (~£5), 13-34T (~£10), or pay the extra money for an 11-34T (only found one supplier for that one: £19). I guess it depends on how much I like the downhills...
Oh, i looked at the wheels today as well, and the chrome on the front one is rather rusted in places. I gave it a dose of WD40 and will scrub it in the morning. The current budget won't stretch to a wheel rim before this bike is built and used a few times.
Total spend on parts so far (excluding shipping):
Bike: £12.01
Chainset: £0.99
Silver Hammerite (for forks): £7
Total: £20
Still needed:
Derailleurs, shifters and cables
Freewheel
Brake pads and cables
Handlebars (unless current ones can be straightened) and tape
Green Hammerite (for frame)
Tyres/tubes
Anything else I've forgotten0 -
Chrome rims are dangerous in the wet, as braking is very poor.
I'd strongly advise seeking out an alloy rimmed wheel.
(It'll be lighter, too.)
Cheers,
W.0 -
Hm... :?
The chrome rims do have some odd dimpling of the brake surfaces that looked to be to be water-combating devices, and as a 'good weather bike' I would have soldiered on regardless, but having looked again at the heavy rust on the front rim you've persuaded me to follow the new wheel solution. Which means spending money.
It's a good thing that this came up this early, as I've changed the gearing plans quite considerably. If I'm buying new wheels, then there's no need to buy a freewheel to match the old wheels. Added to that the fact that 7-speed bar end shifters seem to be quite rare these days, and just as pricey as 10 speed ones, means that by going freehub I'll have an easier job to buy matching sprockets and shifters!
Having consulted the original pictures I took when the bike was in one piece (and the one of the half-cleaned brakes above) I reassured myself that the brake pads were near the top of the callipers, and would have more than enough drop to go from 630mm 27" rims to 662mm 700c rims, I've ordered a basic wheelset, with tyres, tubes, and an 8/9/10 freehub, for £55. There's a cheque in the post to pay for it, which means payment will cunningly clear after my paycheque does :twisted:0
