New wheels! Help give me some ideas...

[The_Eric]

I stopped by a fellow's place that had tons of old bikes for sale. Seemed a bit different but a real nice guy. We got to talking about various bikes he had and he told me to feel free to poke around. I mentioned that there was one I thought might be of interest. Went and measured it and it ended up being almost the same as my current Schwinn... He said that he had nothing in it, so that's what he wanted out of it.

It's definitely a fixer upper. I'd like to blast and paint the frame for sure. Beyond that, should I keep the rims or trade them out with the ones from my Schwinn and get something nicer for it?

The bike will be for winter, rain or unpaved trail use. I was thinking of a 28mm wide tire... Would that work okay?

Are there any reasonably inexpensive shifting options or should I stick with the index shifters?

Also, is there anything special about the Shimano SIS?

 

[stephen9666]

Generally, stem shifters were only used on lower-end bikes with lower-end shifters. I'm not knocking the bike, it looks like a good project, but I don't think the shifters/derailers are probably anything special.

 

[mpvue]

that could be a good getaround bike, though I wouldn't put a lot of money into it.
the wheels are 27" steel. a set of aluminum wheels would make it ride a whole lot better.
the drivetrain is real basic, and that isn't the original rear derailluer (it's from the early '90s, the bike is from the 70's), but it should shift just fine with those friction (non-indexed) shifters that it looks like it has.
DON'T try to make it into something it isn't, meaning, don't be tempted to 'modernize' it, since lots of new things just plain won't fit, such as modern 700c sized wheels (they are a smaller diameter and the brakes won't reach)
just repack the bearings, and new cables and rubber and you'll be good to go!

 

[tomcat27]

you'll probably be able to get the derailer working with some oil. same with the gears. now, about that seat....

 

[The_Eric]

mpvue, thanks for the info. I'll look around for a set of rims and maybe a different set of bars.

 

[The_Eric]

Does anybody know where I can find the original manufacturer? I've crawled the net with existing serial, as well as several common manufacturers and have come up empty handed.

The serial is 0685T2676

 

[The_Eric]

Well, I made some progress on the project bike this weekend. I started out by bringing it in for the pros to look at. They quickly pointed out the fork is bent (you can see it in the pic in the first post) and the frame has a very, very light tweak - just enough to crinkle the paint, but not enough to see otherwise. Ronn, the bike shop owner/god/guru that I've spoken highly of said not to worry about the frame. The fork I've straightened out in my press. I still may replace it though. The crank set is junk. The chain rings were just pressed on the crank arm. I can weld it on no problem or I can replace it too. I know where there is a donor bike that should cover the fork and crank for dirt cheap.

mpvue, Ronn agrees with your assertion that it was made in the 70's, but he thought that I'd be able to run a 700c rim. He said that there was enough adjustment in the brakes? He said that going to a 700c rim, the tire options opened up an awful lot.

So it seems that the big expenditure will be rims and tires. Ronn had some rims that varied from 30ish to around 60 dollars each. New cables and a front derailleur (they said the Falcon was junk and that they have a used one for cheap) A bar will be cheap enough too. All bearings, amazingly enough are serviceable.




Originally Posted By: tomcat27
you'll probably be able to get the derailer working with some oil. same with the gears. now, about that seat....


tomcat27, I've got the rear derailleur lubed up and ready to run and I think I've got the seat handled too....

A take off from my Schwinn.

Here, it's pretty much ready to go to the sandblaster. I'm going to paint it a dark blue with some grey in it, in base/clear. I already have the clear, so just need some base.

All in all, I think this will be a fun project! While I was at the bike shop, Ronn talked me into buying the "Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair" by Calvin Jones. He said this guy has been around the block a few times, including being a race mech for the 1984 Olympic team. Now I'll know more than enough to be dangerous!

 

[mpvue]

if there is enough adjustment in the brakes, then fine, try some 700c's. yes, tire selection opens up some, but what is available in 27" is enough. he can order some panaracers probably, and continentals too.
700c wheels will lower your crank closer to the ground too, so watch your pedals in the corners.

 

[The_Eric]

Okay... It's a sickness... So what?

I stopped by the guy's place who gave my the no name bike and ended up buying a Japanese made Schwinn. For $10.00, what the heck? Same dimensions but a better build quality. I think I'll build this one for myself and save the other one for later.

Can anyone comment on the shifting hardware? I don't think it's nothing special, but is it anything to stay away from?

 

[mpvue]

the blue schwinn does not have it's original rear derailluer, but doesn't matter. it's all functional.
I would say though, they are both cheap steel bikes, but the black one is a better choice because it has a proper threaded bottom bracket shell, whereas the schwinn has a large press-in 'american' BB shell w/ the heavy one-piece crank.
like I said, both are cheap low end bikes, both functional, but if you want to put a lighter aluminum crank on either, it will be a lot easier w/ the black frame.

 

[The_Eric]

The Schwinn is back from blast. I have to do some hole repairs (botched water bottle install), then hopefully I'll get it primed and painted this weekend.

 

[The_Eric]

Paint is done...

Here's some pics:

Back from blast, had to fill in some old water bottle mount holes. They weren't drilled straight, nor were they all even the same size and it was annoying me.

Hanging up, almost go time..

Here, primer is on. I used the Auto Body Master version of Du Pont's VariPrime, a self etching primer (2 coats).

Color is on now. I settled with a Lesonal color with some metallic in it and applied 3 coats.

Another shot of the color with flash, just to show some of the fumes floating around... And yes, I was wearing a mask.

3 coats of Nason Clear laster, I'm done.

Now for the parts chasing.

Also picked up a step through Schwinn for my wife today for 25 dollars, less rims and tires. I'll get some more pics up up hers and it's transformation as it progresses. A side note: Even though I bought it without rims/tires, I took the bike home with them on it so she could get some seat time on it. (I just have to bring them back to the seller) So far, she says it's far more comfortable than her Raleigh Revinio 2.0, at least on the gravel road we live on- but that's one of the reason I bought it for her.