Cheap thrills - solvol satisfaction

The Other PaulG

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So tonight I spent a few hours stripping, cleaning and polishing bits of an old steel framed bicycle and it was one of the most satisfying things I've done in years.

Here's the story:

Next year I want to rode in l'Eroica - a 100 mile race for pre-1987 bicycles, in Derbyshire. https://eroicabritannia.co.uk/the-ride

I bought on fleabay a complete shitter.. I mean.. a nice vintage bike, which I am now restoring.

It's important to note that on the GSer spectrum that runs from oilhead to watercooled TT full blinger, I'm completely airhead so words like 'proper', 'worthwhile' and 'decent cup of tea' feature probably too frequently in my vocabulary.

Anyway....

The point is, spending an all too rare hour or two in the garage, accompanied by the radio and a glass of something, using wire wool and solvol autosol to bring some old manky bits of ally back to sparkling, bright, beautiful and highly functional bits of French and Italian engineering is, in bang-for-buck terms, just off the scale.

When the old girl is back in her prime and ready to once again do combat on the hills and lanes of Derbyshire I'll take a few pics. Until then, I'm sorry but this exquisite pleasure is mine alone.

What's the point of this rambling? Not sure, but maybe it's to suggest that for mere pennies you can indulge yourself in a simple restoration that not only yields a very pretty outcome, but also provides you with a steed upon which you can attempt classic rides, or sell it for a modest profit, or just hang on the wall and feast your eyes upon while you wait for the cold weather to abate.

Paul G (l'autre)
 
So tonight I spent a few hours stripping, cleaning and polishing bits of an old steel framed bicycle and it was one of the most satisfying things I've done in years.

Here's the story:

Next year I want to rode in l'Eroica - a 100 mile race for pre-1987 bicycles, in Derbyshire. https://eroicabritannia.co.uk/the-ride

I bought on fleabay a complete shitter.. I mean.. a nice vintage bike, which I am now restoring.

It's important to note that on the GSer spectrum that runs from oilhead to watercooled TT full blinger, I'm completely airhead so words like 'proper', 'worthwhile' and 'decent cup of tea' feature probably too frequently in my vocabulary.

Anyway....

The point is, spending an all too rare hour or two in the garage, accompanied by the radio and a glass of something, using wire wool and solvol autosol to bring some old manky bits of ally back to sparkling, bright, beautiful and highly functional bits of French and Italian engineering is, in bang-for-buck terms, just off the scale.

When the old girl is back in her prime and ready to once again do combat on the hills and lanes of Derbyshire I'll take a few pics. Until then, I'm sorry but this exquisite pleasure is mine alone.

What's the point of this rambling? Not sure, but maybe it's to suggest that for mere pennies you can indulge yourself in a simple restoration that not only yields a very pretty outcome, but also provides you with a steed upon which you can attempt classic rides, or sell it for a modest profit, or just hang on the wall and feast your eyes upon while you wait for the cold weather to abate.

Paul G (l'autre)

I've still got my austro Daimler bicycle which I purchased in 1979, I will post a picture later.
 
Hope your bikes are running with those lovely old Campagnolo group sets. Like lots of old 'machinery' they are so so nice to look at/work with.....

L'eroica.....I definitely get it.....Crack on and pictures please.....:thumb2
 
Anyway....

The point is, spending an all too rare hour or two in the garage, accompanied by the radio and a glass of something, using wire wool and solvol autosol to bring some old manky bits of ally back to sparkling, bright, beautiful and highly functional bits of French and Italian engineering is, in bang-for-buck terms, just off the scale.

Until then, I'm sorry but this exquisite pleasure is mine alone.

Welcome to my world of evening delights. :thumb

There's no social occasion in the world to rival the solo sensual pleasures of "Garage Man". :beerjug:
 
Not sure I’d agree with the “just a few pennies” whenever I look for old frameset or bikes on fleabay the prices for anything worth spending time on are heading nicely into 4 figures. Can’t beat an evening in the garage fettling a well engineered old bicycle though. Good luck with the eroica
 
Welcome to my world of evening delights. :thumb

There's no social occasion in the world to rival the solo sensual pleasures of "Garage Man". :beerjug:

I cannot agree more , radio on , can o beer , Solvol, door closed to keep the heat in. Does it get any better
 
I've booked up for l'eroica this year.

Last did this event in 2015. I built a 1971 Claud Butler Competitor for this event.



Previously I built a 1952 Claud Butler Jubilee for riding in the early Tweed Runs in London (Before they went all corporate like).


Spent many happy hours in the workshop with a tea or a beer building wheels, polishing old manky alloy parts, painting the frame, affixing transfers, cutting and fixing cables to the right lengths making new bushes for the jockey wheels etc, etc.

I find this very satisfying.

My wife, and the family says its all about my C D O.
 

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Welcome to my world of evening delights. :thumb

There's no social occasion in the world to rival the solo sensual pleasures of "Garage Man". :beerjug:

Totally agree.
In principle.
In practice, not so much any more :blush:
(Tarka's seen my Guzzi :eek )
But in my youf my Bikes were thus cared for.
If it were fit to polish - it was. If it were laquered or painted and possible to polish if the finish was removed - it was.
If it would look better with a stainless bolt here, an ali fitting there, or an adjustment like so - it was done.
Bits were removed, after market bits added, 'stuff and things' were tweaked.
I hope when i retire to restore the Guzzi to its former glory - but all i can do for now is The Serious Things :rolleyes: i.e; service it properly and dont let it rot.
Cosmetics; hah! nope.
Aw well.

The O.P asks
... What's the point of this rambling? ...
....For my part i've no idea. :p But it took me back to simpler times and the pondering and tinkering that gave me the simple joy of making something be the best it can be.

~~~
 
Dr Nosh- they look great. Superb. :thumb
 
A bloke I work with has started saving bikes from his local council skips... he is spending his evenings fettling and repairing them ... then selling them for less than they cost to repair .... I asked him why ... it’s the satisfaction of getting them back to as new and letting people who can’t really afford a bike for there kids... he has even given a few away..
 
Not sure I’d agree with the “just a few pennies” whenever I look for old frameset or bikes on fleabay the prices for anything worth spending time on are heading nicely into 4 figures.

I agree - I'd dearly like something like an old Colnago but the prices are crazy. So I ended up with a Partington for very much less. They were built by a small specialist bike shop in Bolton, apparently. It's a decent Reynolds 531 frame with a mish mash of bits - Campy cranks and BB, Shimano 600 shifters and front mech, Weinmann brakes, Suntour derailleur.... I can't think of any manufacturer that's not represented:D

I'm used to rear cassettes on freehubs - not the old style freewheel but it's good to learn.

Anyway it all hangs together.

So I've spent some time true-ing the wheels, stripping out the gears and brakes, replacing all the consumables. Even so I think I'm only up to £20 for parts so far so it's not going to break the bank!

If it rides really well and I start to love it, maybe next winter I'll bring the frame to Maidstone for a bit of TLC!

Dr Nosh I like that silver bike - lovely.
 

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So onwards...

The cables and outers are all now replaced, the frame hanger (actually part of the frame on these old bikes rather than the modern sacrificial component) has been straightened so the derailleur now sits in line with the chain run.

The jockey wheels in the derailleur were stiff, so they too have been replaced with some universal Tracx parts.

The steering felt notchy, so it was stripped out. The bearings run in cages, so I took them to the local bike shop to find replacements.

And this is where projects like this start to give something back to you...

I was looking at the rack of bubble packed bearings, when the owner saw what I was looking for. "Ooh no those won't do" says he, and disappears into the back, re-emerging with a very old dusty cardboard box full of bearings of all shapes and sizes. This is more like it. We rummage through the box for a while, finding bearings that were very close but not quite right.

"Not to worry" says the owner and disappears again to return with old bottles of loose bearings. Once we identified the right size, we duly counted out 40 and bagged them up. Back at home I popped the old bearings from the races and one by one inserted the replacemets.

After a good clean up of all the bearing surfaces and the use of lots of moly grease, it all went back together perfectly, the steering now gliding from side to side with no notchiness or play at all.

So continuing the theme that whilst I thought I was fixing a bike I'm actually receiving occupational therapy, it was great to rediscover the simple joy of old boxes of parts that have been untouched for years, of paper bags full of loose bearings and (in today's chuck-away society) of fixing something where even a bearing race can be stripped and properly rebuilt. Super satisfying.
 

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ooh. Tange headset as well.

In your first post, you say 'ride l'eroica' next year?

Don't you mean this year? Its in June. You will have the bike built by then.

Have you got 27 1/4 or 700C wheels.

I have found the best tyres (for either size) to be Panracer Pasela. Nice period looking tyre.

Have a look at the prices of the bikes on here. They will rent a bike to you for l'eroica rides. https://www.steel-vintage.com

Another vintage ride: http://www.sport.be/retroronde/2018/en
 
ooh. Tange headset as well.

In your first post, you say 'ride l'eroica' next year?

Don't you mean this year? Its in June. You will have the bike built by then.
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No I do mean next year. This June I am off to Lake Como to cycle the route of the Giro di Lombardia so l'eroica will be next year.

Thanks for the tyre advice.
 
Hope your bikes are running with those lovely old Campagnolo group sets. Like lots of old 'machinery' they are so so nice to look at/work with.....

L'eroica.....I definitely get it.....Crack on and pictures please.....:thumb2

Campagnolo made the wheels for the BMW M1 back in 1978. Thought you would like to know that, pub quiz?..

OK, I'll get my coat.....
 


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