I have two bikes that both could use a bit of work. If you had to pick just one to focus on, I'm curious which one you would pick for a refresh/fix-up/resto-mod project.
My riding encompasses commuting, errand-running to other towns, and lots of rambling on gravel field and forest paths. Both bike ride well on these surfaces and seem to fit somewhere on the all-road/gravel/dirt-randonneur spectrum.
Bike 1: Early 80s Mondia "Halbrenner," Reynolds 531 tubing? (no stickers, but was apparently Mondia's standard tubing), 6-speed freewheel with Tourney derailleur (RD TY10 SS?), 700 x 35c tires
- Light and quick but still comfy. Lugged! A fair bit of paint chipping. Potentially stuck quill stem bolt? Shifts great from large to small cogs but grumbles about going back (especially from third to second--likely due to wear, but there's no skipping once shifted); drive train otherwise in good shape. Weinmann brakes--let's just say I need to plan braking a bit further in advance than ideal (perhaps different pads would help).
Bike 2: 1989 Giant Sierra ATB, 4130 CrMo, 3x7 cassette hub with Mountain LX groupset, 26 x 1.95 tires
- Solid and comfy, but not lively. Lots of paint chipping. Shifts well: new cassette and chain, but the Biopace HP chain rings (esp. the middle) are somewhat worn and may need replacing, and I'd be happy with just a 1x7 or 2x7setup (with the existing cranks). The rear wheel has a bit of a hop that can't be fixed; noticeable at downhill road speeds. Chain stay-mounted U-brake is outdated but works fine. The fenders are a bit narrow for the 1.95" tires, but the best/most tire 26" options seem to be around 2.1".
So, they're both fun to ride but both have their quirks and potential for improvements. Which one would you focus on fixing up?