Do's and Don'ts when restoring a vintage bike.
11-06-19, 11:08 PM
#76
Friendship is Magic
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Hello to everyone!
I'm planning to start restoration of a vintage bike with my friend soon, so we need a proper equipment to do this work. Earlier I had only a small toolkit for carrying with me while riding. But now, I need a tool kit for home maintenance. I was looking for it everywhere in the internet and, I've found some sources with tool kit reviws, here is one of them,https://outdoorsly.org/best-bike-tool-kit/ (maybe, it'll be useful for someone). Here are pros and cons for every tool kit, and I've chosen 2 variants, but I need to choose only one and that's why I'm asking for some advice. I'm interested in the Bikehand Tool Kit Set (first one here) with 23 tools in it. And at the same time, I like the Demon Tool Kit too, even if it has only 19 tools instead of 23, because it still has all the necessary tools, as I understand. Which one would you recommend? I've asked that question on several forums and I'm waiting for all the experst opinions.
Thank you in advance. Wish you good riding.
I'm planning to start restoration of a vintage bike with my friend soon, so we need a proper equipment to do this work. Earlier I had only a small toolkit for carrying with me while riding. But now, I need a tool kit for home maintenance. I was looking for it everywhere in the internet and, I've found some sources with tool kit reviws, here is one of them,https://outdoorsly.org/best-bike-tool-kit/ (maybe, it'll be useful for someone). Here are pros and cons for every tool kit, and I've chosen 2 variants, but I need to choose only one and that's why I'm asking for some advice. I'm interested in the Bikehand Tool Kit Set (first one here) with 23 tools in it. And at the same time, I like the Demon Tool Kit too, even if it has only 19 tools instead of 23, because it still has all the necessary tools, as I understand. Which one would you recommend? I've asked that question on several forums and I'm waiting for all the experst opinions.
Thank you in advance. Wish you good riding.
...I have never seen a tool kit that I considered adequate for this purpose. An older bike will often have specific stuff for which a modern tool won't work well, or it's some kind of proprietary thing like an odd crank puller or freewheel tool. So in general I would advise acquiring the tools as the need arises on your particular projects. There are also some tools you can make yourself from cheap stuff like allthread and washers/nuts for a headset press. They work fine if you're careful with them and don't plan on doing many bike headset reinstalls.
Park used to be a good go to company for this stuff back in the old days, but the quality is about as good and the prices cheaper on a lot of good quality bicycle specific tools from makers like Cyclus. They usually show up on UK or European websites, but the shipping is often at bargain rates, and you save by not paying the VAT.
11-07-19, 12:56 AM
#77
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Location: Scarborough Ontario Canada, but not a Leafs fan
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Brrr indeed!
I built this website, MY "TEN SPEEDS" just for people like this thread's originator. The tools needed, first thing to do, how to do it, and many more things to help educate and entertain people who are new and old to the interest in vintage bicycles.
Hope it is a help and welcome to the Bike Forums.
Hope it is a help and welcome to the Bike Forums.
Thunder Bay! The people you run into on this forum! I grew up in Thunder Bay. Went to Hillcrest High School. TB is a great little city for cycling, and has lots of nice areas to go for safe rides (e.g. Boulevard Lake). Sadly, I live in Toronto now. Not so many "safe" places to ride. Lots of cars driven by people who perhaps are somewhat new to proper road safety rules. Oh well. Looking forward to checking out your Website. Cheers! /Tom
11-07-19, 01:09 AM
#78
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If you find something really rare and super cool to you and it is in good condition and not priced looney, buy it!, BUY IT NOW!!...... and ask questions later.....
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11-07-19, 02:34 AM
#79
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11-07-19, 01:38 PM
#80
Senior Member
The best rust dissolving penetrating oil is diesel fuel. Put some in a dropper bottle like this:
https://www.containerstore.com/s/tra...uctId=10000248
https://www.containerstore.com/s/tra...uctId=10000248
11-07-19, 02:01 PM
#81
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Great thread. I scanned it so if this has been said (and it probably has), I would say that a good starting point is to thoughtfully choose a candidate to restore. What I mean is to choose a bike for a specific reason, one that "speaks" to you. Sometimes you cannot find the bike you want, so find one as close as possible. At least the same "type".
The choice should be influenced by a number of factors. The most important to me is to determine whether it is realistic. In other words, don't choose a bike to restore only to find out midstream that you cannot find certain parts or they are cost-prohibitive. If you end up settling, you might end up disappointed. Sure, you can substitute "period correct" parts, but it isn't the same. To some people close doesn't cut it.
So do your research first. Otherwise disappointment might result.
I also think there are two primary types of restoration. Are you looking to rescue a bike and just make it rideable? Your motivation is simply to clean it up and while you will try to get original components, period correct is fine should the "right" parts be difficult to source or afford. I think this is still an honorable type of restoration. You helped keep a bike out of a landfill and gave it new life.
The second type is where you do everything you can to source correct components, maybe even down to the production year of that rear derailer. The restoration might even include a repaint, but you want to nail the color as best you can and source the correct replacement decals. Sometimes these restorations aren't ever ridden but end up museum pieces, displayed only, etc.
Again, lots of great information in this thread from those who know the trials and the triumphs of restoration.
The choice should be influenced by a number of factors. The most important to me is to determine whether it is realistic. In other words, don't choose a bike to restore only to find out midstream that you cannot find certain parts or they are cost-prohibitive. If you end up settling, you might end up disappointed. Sure, you can substitute "period correct" parts, but it isn't the same. To some people close doesn't cut it.
So do your research first. Otherwise disappointment might result.
I also think there are two primary types of restoration. Are you looking to rescue a bike and just make it rideable? Your motivation is simply to clean it up and while you will try to get original components, period correct is fine should the "right" parts be difficult to source or afford. I think this is still an honorable type of restoration. You helped keep a bike out of a landfill and gave it new life.
The second type is where you do everything you can to source correct components, maybe even down to the production year of that rear derailer. The restoration might even include a repaint, but you want to nail the color as best you can and source the correct replacement decals. Sometimes these restorations aren't ever ridden but end up museum pieces, displayed only, etc.
Again, lots of great information in this thread from those who know the trials and the triumphs of restoration.
11-10-19, 08:23 PM
#82
Member
FYI, "No Name Splined 2" is a Phil Wood remover - for Regina and Atom. I lost mine years ago. You're lucky to have one. They were thin enough to slip over the locknut on campy hubs, which was quite convenient. The downside is that the walls are paper thin, and phil tools had a tendency to destroy themselves. With regular thicker walled splined tools (atom/park), some disassembly of the axle set is required. "No Name Splined 1" might be an older Park FR4. Not sure.
11-10-19, 09:40 PM
#84
aka Tom Reingold
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Ouch. I used to work full time as a bike shop mechanic. There was a time when I had a scar on every single one of my knuckles. Hard lessons, I guess, but my tolerance for pain also went up.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
