Spare Time, But Effectively
Ever since the COVID 19 virus pandemic began, there has been less work and more free time.
As a cycling enthusiast, I decided to restore my bicycle, which I have owned for 20 years. The condition of the bike was solid for the years it wears, although as the bike was ridden a lot, it had to be "refreshed" a bit and replaced with some parts.
The main reason for the restoration of the bicycle is the surface corrosion (rust) that appeared in several places on the bicycle and which had to be removed. Of course, I had to completely clean all the parts and inspect them in what condition they are and whether they are for further use.
This is my bike before
The restoration process consisted of several stages:
- The first phase of the restoration included the complete dismantling of the bicycle.
- The second phase is the inspection and cleaning of the complete equipment.
- The third stage is removing the old paint, preparing the frame for painting and painting.
- The fourth phase of completing the equipment, assembling the bike and test riding.
The first phase was done very quickly and it took a couple of hours to disassemble. There was a small problem with the drive insert and the steering wheel cups, but that was solved quickly. This was definitely the easiest of all the restoration phases.
When the dismantling was completed, the second phase of inspecting the equipment and cleaning it began. This part is a dirty part of the job and it takes a little more time, since it hasn't been done for over 10 years, I had to work a little harder and clean everything well. During the cleaning, I noticed that the chain was in a bad condition and that it was quite damaged, as were the bearings of the middle drive insert. The rest of the equipment is in pretty good condition except for a few strokes which diminishes the aesthetic impression, but by no means functional. When everything is cleaned, all the equipment is lubricated and removed for the end when it is time to assemble the bike.
The third phase took the most time of all phases, and a lot of effort. The reason for this is the removal of paint from the frame and the repair of the place affected by rust. As I did not want to wear the frame for sandblasting, there was a period of removing the paint, repairing the place with corrosion and sanding the frame by hand. It lasted 5 days.
When that was done, it was finally time for the most beautiful part of the job - painting. I applied a base coat of paint, painted in both hands and applied varnish. As I have never done this in my life it did not turn out badly for the first time.
On the bike, I changed the seat, transmission cables and brakes and put new levers.
And this is after
I am very happy to still have my old bike, but in a new edition. I hope it will take at least half as long as it has so far.
Recent Comments
3
Well done!