How can I tell if my Vintage Road Bikes are road worthy at speed?
08-05-23, 08:40 AM
#26
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Plus 1: A small % of us are geriatric riders who intend to keep rolling along for a few more years. Don
Last edited by ollo_ollo; 08-05-23 at 08:43 AM.
08-05-23, 08:41 AM
#27
Palmer
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Santa Fe. Jelly.
If your goal is to cruise around town, yeah, new tubs & brake blocks.
But you're talking "at speed", like storming Bobcat Pass. Hmm.
Unless you've regularly been doing yoga since the days you 'rode a lot', you'll find those bars further away and much lower than they were 40 years ago.
Ya know, from 30 meters, bikes still look much the same as they did 90 years ago. The reality is these simple machines have changed a lot. 'Cycling' has changed some, too.
You're not me (for which you can be grateful). Here's what I would do: I'd set up a shrine to my youth in the cave, featuring these two luscious old bikes. Then I'd go buy a new Time ADHX Ekar and make an effort to ride the wheels off it in the mountains around Santa Fe.
If your goal is to cruise around town, yeah, new tubs & brake blocks.
But you're talking "at speed", like storming Bobcat Pass. Hmm.
Unless you've regularly been doing yoga since the days you 'rode a lot', you'll find those bars further away and much lower than they were 40 years ago.
Ya know, from 30 meters, bikes still look much the same as they did 90 years ago. The reality is these simple machines have changed a lot. 'Cycling' has changed some, too.
You're not me (for which you can be grateful). Here's what I would do: I'd set up a shrine to my youth in the cave, featuring these two luscious old bikes. Then I'd go buy a new Time ADHX Ekar and make an effort to ride the wheels off it in the mountains around Santa Fe.
Last edited by tcs; 08-05-23 at 11:10 AM.
08-05-23, 09:44 AM
#28
Klaatu..Verata..Necktie?
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I skimmed through the thread (sorry, all you guys giving good, if voluminous advice!). The bikes look fantastic in the pictures!
When I get an old bike, I strip it completely down, wash the frame, polish it with something like Meguiar's Scratch-X, do all the touchup painting, and then wax it with high quality car wax. That gives me a chance to inspect every inch of the frame, get rid of any surface rust and see if there's any structural rust, plus it makes the frame gleam! Meanwhile, I clean everything with a good degrease, and clean the bearings from the headset, BB, and hubs in solvent. For hubs, I use new bearings, because I bought a bunch of them. but as long as the bearings and races are clean and free of pitting, they're probably reusable. Get new pads, cables, and housing, and of course new bar tape. Then just build the bike up, slowly and carefully. Once you're done, it should work just as well as it did 40 years ago.
On fit, as someone mentioned, you may not be as flexible as you were when you put the bikes away. Old bars have a lot of reach and drop, so you might consider something more modern, which might make them more usable, even without swapping for a shorter stem. I like the Soma Highway One bars.
Regarding tubulars, keep an eye out for sales. One of my bikes has a tubular wheelset, and I snagged some Vittoria Corsas for $33 each. Vendors seem to be getting rid of old stock, though it's possible that wave has passed.
When I get an old bike, I strip it completely down, wash the frame, polish it with something like Meguiar's Scratch-X, do all the touchup painting, and then wax it with high quality car wax. That gives me a chance to inspect every inch of the frame, get rid of any surface rust and see if there's any structural rust, plus it makes the frame gleam! Meanwhile, I clean everything with a good degrease, and clean the bearings from the headset, BB, and hubs in solvent. For hubs, I use new bearings, because I bought a bunch of them. but as long as the bearings and races are clean and free of pitting, they're probably reusable. Get new pads, cables, and housing, and of course new bar tape. Then just build the bike up, slowly and carefully. Once you're done, it should work just as well as it did 40 years ago.
On fit, as someone mentioned, you may not be as flexible as you were when you put the bikes away. Old bars have a lot of reach and drop, so you might consider something more modern, which might make them more usable, even without swapping for a shorter stem. I like the Soma Highway One bars.
Regarding tubulars, keep an eye out for sales. One of my bikes has a tubular wheelset, and I snagged some Vittoria Corsas for $33 each. Vendors seem to be getting rid of old stock, though it's possible that wave has passed.
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"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
08-05-23, 10:31 AM
#29
Fuji Fan
I have far worse looking bikes that ride regularly, or at least as regularly as I can get. I'd inspect it closely to ensure nothing looks like it is likely to fail, but I'd imagine riding those with no hesitation, once cables, chains, and brake pads were replaced.
Some here are riding bikes from the 1920's to 1950's, often looking far worse than what yours would look like if you cleaned them up and did something about the rust. If you have not found info, maybe read up on oxalic acid (wood bleach) baths or other rust treatments.
Some here are riding bikes from the 1920's to 1950's, often looking far worse than what yours would look like if you cleaned them up and did something about the rust. If you have not found info, maybe read up on oxalic acid (wood bleach) baths or other rust treatments.
08-05-23, 02:14 PM
#30
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Changing stems means disturbing the bar tape! Don’t do that before you put some new miles on those babies.
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I don't do: disks, tubeless, e-shifting, or bead head nymphs.
I don't do: disks, tubeless, e-shifting, or bead head nymphs.
