Finished my project bike! - Page 2

02-24-2005, 12:38 PM

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 10:05:35 -0600, <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> concluded:
\snip
>
>Don't get me wrong---I am not an accomplished "wrench" after doing this. I
>spent about $100 on tools and supplies, and it took about 2 weeks to do,
>working in spare time. Still, I have a good, workable, front-suspension
>mountain bike without rust and grime on it. Everything works!

Congratulations on a good job well done!

After that bike is long gone you'll still have the knowledge.
Rebuilding salvaged bikes is rewarding on so many levels watch out you
don't become obsessed with it. That's when storage becomes a problem.

Now that you have the tools it's amazing how quickly the odd-bits
multiply for the next project bike.
--
zk

02-24-2005, 03:38 PM

:
: After that bike is long gone you'll still have the knowledge.
: Rebuilding salvaged bikes is rewarding on so many levels watch out you
: don't become obsessed with it. That's when storage becomes a problem.
:
: Now that you have the tools it's amazing how quickly the odd-bits
: multiply for the next project bike.
: --
: zk

Thanks for the good words. I have in the past worked with the group that
refurbishes old bikes and recycles them. Until now, I have been a kids'
bike specialist. I can work on those old friction brakes pretty well! Now,
though, I feel like I can step up to work on the adult bikes, too. This
way, I can learn by doing without worrying about accumulating more bikes!

Just doing something from start to finish and seeing the results is
rewarding. Now, I know why so many people like working in construction....

Pat

02-24-2005, 03:38 PM

:
: After that bike is long gone you'll still have the knowledge.
: Rebuilding salvaged bikes is rewarding on so many levels watch out you
: don't become obsessed with it. That's when storage becomes a problem.
:
: Now that you have the tools it's amazing how quickly the odd-bits
: multiply for the next project bike.
: --
: zk

Thanks for the good words. I have in the past worked with the group that
refurbishes old bikes and recycles them. Until now, I have been a kids'
bike specialist. I can work on those old friction brakes pretty well! Now,
though, I feel like I can step up to work on the adult bikes, too. This
way, I can learn by doing without worrying about accumulating more bikes!

Just doing something from start to finish and seeing the results is
rewarding. Now, I know why so many people like working in construction....

Pat

02-24-2005, 03:41 PM

"Ken Marcet" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
: Yeah I agree with you Pat! I went one step further and cut up two old
bikes
: and built myself a short wheel based recumbent!
: And yeah you definately will learn alot, I know I did.
:
: Ken

Yeah--like welding, for one. And, what did you use to cut up the old bikes?
How did you figure out the angles to weld them together? I read your post,
and my first thought was: Gulp!

Pat

02-24-2005, 03:41 PM

"Ken Marcet" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
: Yeah I agree with you Pat! I went one step further and cut up two old
bikes
: and built myself a short wheel based recumbent!
: And yeah you definately will learn alot, I know I did.
:
: Ken

Yeah--like welding, for one. And, what did you use to cut up the old bikes?
How did you figure out the angles to weld them together? I read your post,
and my first thought was: Gulp!

Pat

02-24-2005, 05:04 PM

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:41:01 -0600, <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Yeah--like welding, for one. And, what did you use to cut up the old bikes?
>How did you figure out the angles to weld them together? I read your post,
>and my first thought was: Gulp!

Get "Tubemiter.exe" a sweet little program that plots the shape of the
cuts.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Scroll down, It's near the bottom of the page.

Basically it's the same avenue you just took. Start with salvaged
frames and hack away at 'em until you gain enough experience to trust
your welds. MIG is simple compared to a torch.
--
zk

02-24-2005, 05:04 PM

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:41:01 -0600, <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Yeah--like welding, for one. And, what did you use to cut up the old bikes?
>How did you figure out the angles to weld them together? I read your post,
>and my first thought was: Gulp!

Get "Tubemiter.exe" a sweet little program that plots the shape of the
cuts.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Scroll down, It's near the bottom of the page.

Basically it's the same avenue you just took. Start with salvaged
frames and hack away at 'em until you gain enough experience to trust
your welds. MIG is simple compared to a torch.
--
zk

02-24-2005, 05:10 PM

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:38:41 -0600, <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Just doing something from start to finish and seeing the results is
>rewarding. Now, I know why so many people like working in construction....

It has its moments but you usually end up having worked yourself out
of a job. The daily progress in the early stages is satisfying but
when you get down to the details it can start to drag.
--
zk

02-24-2005, 05:10 PM

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:38:41 -0600, <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"Pat" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Just doing something from start to finish and seeing the results is
>rewarding. Now, I know why so many people like working in construction....

It has its moments but you usually end up having worked yourself out
of a job. The daily progress in the early stages is satisfying but
when you get down to the details it can start to drag.
--
zk

02-24-2005, 07:16 PM

Pat wrote:
> I was given a mountain bike in pretty sorry condition as a project
bike. I
> stripped it down to the empty frame and rebuilt it one piece at a
time (with
> the help of some bicycle repair books). Along the way I learned a
ton about
> how bikes are put together and some of the little "tricks" to getting
them
> to work right. Yesterday, I finished putting the new cables on the
> derailleurs and I actually got them to work correctly!
>
> I highly recommend this approach to learning how to work on a bike.

Reminds me of how I got my first "good" bike.

I was riding a ten (count 'em, 10) speed I bought in a drug store,
believe it and drool, but I was newly married and scrimping. I
figured the Raleigh Super Course would _someday_ be within my budget...

Then I found out my guitar teacher had one lying in his basement.
Seems he'd bought it, fell off, and never rode it again. Soon we had a
deal: He got the Staiger, perfectly tuned and trued. I got the Super
Course - with the tweaked plastic derailleur, the wheels out of true,
the freewheel that freewheeled both directions, the cables that were
rusted solid, etc.

It took a week of vacation to get it right, working in our tiny living
room. I learned a lot, indeed! But the bike was such an improvement
over what I'd had! I wanted to ride it forever.

And I may. That was 1976. It was the bike I took on my first overseas
tour, my first cross-state tour, my first century, my first road race,
etc etc. And it's still the bike I ride to work, 29 years later!

Except, that is, for the few upgrades I made along the way. New tires,
hubs, rims, spokes, saddle, seatpost, cogs, cranks, shifters,
handlebars, stem, seatpost, brakes, paint...