9
votes
Vintage bicycle repair
I love bicycles. I really love the aesthetic of vintage bicycles and the easy-ish to repair nature of them. They are mostly standard off-the-shelf parts, nuts, bolts and washers etc.
Look for opportunities to give old things new life, a quote that inspired me from a YouTube channel titled Old Shovel. He repairs old tools and recently bicycles.
Since then, I have been restoring a 1974 Canadian Tire branded Japanese Bridgestone Youngway.
Any advice for a newbie hobby vintage bicycle restorer?
I haven't restored a bicycle, but I know with a lot of Japanese products (including motorcycles), many of the Phillips looking fasteners are actually something called JIS fasteners. The differences are not really visible to the naked eye, aside from a mark that is sometimes cast into the head:
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/images/fastener/screws_JIS_phillips_pozidriv.jpg
If you find yourself stripping star fasteners then maybe you could try a JIS screwdriver. (And some penetrating oil and heat of course).
Thanks for the tip. I haven't come across a JIS fastener yet. Oil and heat have worked and standard wrenches and pliers.
Welcome to the hobby! I’m working on a Bridgestone myself right now, a 400, although not quite as old (mid 1980s).
What tools are you working with? The right toolkit can make a big difference.
Do you have a bike coop in your area? If so, that could give you invaluable access to both tools and people willing to help you learn.
Sheldon Brown’s website is a great informational resource, although it has become infuriatingly packed with ads since Sheldon’s death. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/
And Reddit’s r/bikewrench is a really helpful community if you have questions. It is one of the few Reddit subs that I can still stomach.
WD-40 and or PB Blaster will be your friends!
Thanks! That’s great. Are you doing a complete tear-down and rebuild?
Unfortunately, there are no co-ops around me.
I’ll be sure to check out the website.
I have checked out r/bikewrench. A lot of good tips in there.
WD-40 for sure. Haven’t used PB Blaster yet.
So far, this one doesn't look like it's going to need a complete rebuild. I've had to unstick the brakes and derailleurs and otherwise give it a general tune up (lube, adjustments, new cables, etc). And the tread peeled off the rear tire so I have to replace that. The hubs seem to be spinning very smoothly. I don't plan to repaint as, despite a lot of chips and scrapes, this one has a neat light violet color that I think is really unique. I have a picture on another device and I'll post a link when I have access.
Edit: Here's a link to the photo
Sweet! That’d be great.
I have stripped mine down. In the process of sanding the frame for a repaint.
Then rebuild. Parts are cleaned. Only changing the cables and tires.