If you are trying to determine the genealogy of your bicycle by it's features, go to our Vintage Bicycle Price Guide
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, brake types, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your old bicycle.
If you are trying to determine the make and model of your bicycle, go to our Vintage Bicycle Picture Database
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your vintage bicycle.
| If you have a bike that needs a repaint but the lettering and decals are still pretty good in the past ive carefully sanded the bike down avoiding the decals and lettering and carefully masked them off with pinstripe tape and masking tape using an exacto knife to trim to perfection then re painted and the results were very good to excelent time consuming and also sometimes maddening (I must be nuts ) but finding the decals can also be difficult my personality is type A so if I can do it anyone probably can good luck everyone Doug |
| I have this bike...it says 'herculese Bermingham England' on the metal emblem and has decals reading AMF. I would really like to restore it to it's original state on my own but haven't the faintest idea how to go about it. Any advise would be much appreciated! |
| First, study the bike, preferably with a picture of the same bike, or similar at hand. This site's picture database may be useful. This will show you how it's supposed to look. Make a list of what needs to be done to it and what needs to be replaced. Most people will tell you to give it a good cleaning and polishing first. Parts which look horrible will suddenly look much better. Test the functioning of everything. Make a list of things which don't work, for repair or replacement. Once you have an idea of what needs to be done, the job is well on the way. The English Roadster list on this site is your best resource for parts and advice. What that bunch doesn't know about these bikes probably doesn't exist. And everyone there will try to be very helpful to you. Who says chivalry's dead? |
| I agree!Also take pictures of your bike as is.this will help you remember just where every thing goes.and just for fun take more pictures as you go along,you'll be suprised how for you will go. |
| I BOUGHT AN OLD BIKE TODAY AND WOULD LIKE SOME INFORMATION. THE NAME ON THE BIKE IS MONARK (SPARTON), IT IS A GIRLS 20" BIKE WITH A DOUBLE HEADLIGHT.LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A METALLIC BLUE.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YEAR OF BIKE AND WHERE I CAN OBTAIN RESTORATION INFORMATION, AND RESTORE THE DECALS. THANK YOU. ROGER |
| I don't know of any way to date a monark except find one like it in the database or books. Memory lane has some monark decals. |
| When I was 14, I spent all of my paper route money on a beautiful Bottechia Gyro racer. It cost $250 US then. It has mostly Campy components, although I had to replace the original Nervar crank with a comparable Sugino model about 1974. In 1979, I stupidly had the Columbus frame painted, losing all of the original decals, etc. I am 42 now and interested in restoring my old bike. Any ideas how I can get the frame re-painted with some sort of Bottechia logo, etc? Also, the Universal gum hand brake hoods are shot and need replacing. How can I get them? The 18 year old at my bike shop seemed bored with this problem(he told me I should just buy a new hybrid something or other). Thanks, Dean |
| If you can get a decent tracing of your decals there are shops that can clean the tracing up and make you some oustanding decals. |
| I am restoring an old Schwinn Collegiate 5-spd circa 1970 and I can't get a new tire on the rim, I've changed alot of tires in my day and this one isn't even close to fitting, am I missing something? I assume it is 26x1 3/8 size like most others but the rim seems too big for the tire, should I use a small mt. bike tire? need advice, thanks... |
| I know that many Schwinns use non-standard tires, but I thought the racing bikes had standard tires. What does it say on the old tire (what size, brand, etc)? |
| The size is 26x1 3/8, that's what baffles me, i'll have to look again for the brand... |
| Schwinn had it's proprietary 26 x 1 3/8 tire size, which is different from any other brand in the same size (maddening) Specify the Schwinn size to your bike shop |
| you learn something new about schwinn every day, thanks for the info... |
| Wait 'til you try to swap a seatpost or a stem. |
| I think the Collegiate use a 27 inch tire. |
| 26x1 1/4 on mine |
| I recently purchased a Sears Roebuck 24'5 speed muscle bike. It is almost complete. I need some tips on how to inexpensively get some of the rust off. I dont want to replate any of it just bring back some of the luster. Mostly because of the expense, and the availablity of a good plater nearby. |
| Just last week i bought a couple of the copper scouring pads at a grocery . The ones that look like spun copper. You will find probably find them around the SOS pads. They work great! The copper does not seem to scrathch the chrome. Removed really bad rust on an old murray wheel. |
| Ray,I use to use steelwool but after reading Mark Smiths bike site Called Bunch of Bikes I'm changing to brass.You can find his web site under links to other vintage bicycle web sites here on oldroads--sam |
| Menotomy uses bronze wool in their cleaning kits. Check out the ad above. |
| I can't find any brass or bronze wool in my hardware stores. Does anyone have a source to order? |
| A good source of non-steel wool is a boat supply shop (chandlery). Steel wool is even worse to use on boat finishes than on bikes, so bronze wool in various grades is usually all they carry. |
| I need some suggestions on rechroming plastic!!! |
| MR G's of Dallas tx |
| i have a schwinn "hollywood" that i picked up at a garage sale and i'm planning on restoring it but i can't seem to get the crank off of it... it doesn't want to come off like all the other's that we've restored and i was wondering if it was possibly a two piece? any comments or suggestions would help! please email me because i doubt i will be able to get back here anytine soon. thank you! |
| I don't think there's anything unusual about any Hollywood's cranks. Here's the procedure I use: 1. Remove both pedals. 2. Remove the locknut and cone on the left side of the crank. 3. Remove the left crank bearing. 4. (This is the tricky part.) Jiggle the crank in the hanger so that you can use a heavy screwdriver to knock out the press-fitted cones. These tend to just drop out in lesser quality bikes. 5. The left bearing cup should be enough, but you may have to knock out the right one as well. 6. When it comes time to reinsert the cups, try to find a vise big enough to allow you to press the cups back in so you won't have to hammer them. I hope this helps a bit. Be patient! |
| Any suggestions on removing the 38 years of rust and gunk on an original '62 Raleigh chain off an English Roadster? I almost pitched it,but looking over it closely I was sur- prised with the quality of the thing.Neat removeable link too.It's got "Raleigh" etched in the links.Thank You,Brian |
| take it off and soak in solvent(varsal)(napta)for several days then clean with a small wire brush and clean solvent,let it dry and use a lite oil. also if any links are not free bind back and forth and add oil.you might also try using cold gun bluing on the links if you want them to look new |
| I have an old 1957 Columbia middledweight that I am trying to restore. The front fork (not sprung) is bent back. Is there any way I can straighten it out? I'd appreciate it if someone would get back to me. Thanks, Matt. |
| Matthew,is it really bent.I've seen some forks that were made kinda in a bent position.I thank they were made for truss rods.Maybe someone here can shead more light on this, as I too would like to know . |
| Hi Sam. I think that since this was a middleweight to start with, it might have had truss rods at one point. Thanks a lot, Matthew. |
| This post goes along with what Brad is asking.Does anyone have an opinion on powder coating? The eastwood catolog list a home power coat set up.Does anyone have any experence with it?---sam |
| Hello to everyone again... Thanks to everyone who responded to my last posting. I have since learned alot about the different types of paint...ranging from PPG enamel to Basecoat/Clearcoat. I have been in contact with a couple guys who are willing to help me finish and restore my Western Flyer. Dave and Jason have been helpful and shared their knowledge and opinions with me. Are there any other enthusiasts out there who would share their opinions of paint types? Which is better and more durable...and is there a huge benefit to "baked on" paint? Is it MUCH more durable or marginally better? I have alot of confidence in the 2 guys who have been communicating with me about the paint issue...but i was just wondering about other opinions on the subject. I realize that each probably have their own distinct advantages...but which has more? My bike is 2 tone metallic green with red pinstripe detailing. Also, I have another bike which is essentially the same bike as my "Super", but was distributed at Montgomery Wards instead of Western Auto. It is pretty much identical to my Super but is Black and red...and has white pinstriping on it. And fenders are ribbed at the bottom and chromed. Anyone have a reference pic of this bike? I might restore this as well but have not been able to locate original ads for this bike, like I have for my Western Flyer. Thanks for any and all input!! Brad (bdt91@excite.com) |
| I don't know alot about restoration, but paint cars for a living & bicycles & motorcycles on the side. If you are looking for a true restoration, I would assume that enamel or lacquer would be most accurate, but not as durable as base/clear. As far as refinishing bikes & cycles, base/clear is the most versital and durable. There are many colors available, and it allows the painter to apply custom work & multiple colors, all under a smooth shiny finish. That is what I use on the jobs I do. |
| Is there an easy "home brew" way of removing chrome? I have some rusty ,peeling smaller parts that i would like to paint, but typically paint does not stick to well to chrome for me. Thanks |
| I am going to restore a 1977 Raleigh Professional road bike, light blue, gold pin stripes accenting the lugs, gray panel on head tube. Have learned about Cycl Art and looking for advice/comments on their work, as well as references to other shops that can restore the paint, fix some minor rust, and apply new decals to match the old ones. Thanks. |
| CycleArt will do a teriffic job. Be ready to withdraw your saving account, because they expensive. |
| You can forget about getting just decals from them. They want the whole job (paint, decals, the works) or nothing at all. They may tell you that your decals have to be made and this is where it gets ugly (expensive). If it doesn't come out look artifically new, then it will look awesome. They have many happy customers and are very good at what they do. Brace yourself, you will need a withdrawal slip from the bank. |
| Just found my little brother's Schwinn Pea Picker in our playhouse, not used for years. Looks kind of dirty but still in good shape with all original parts. Original paint and chrome but small pitted surface rust spots on chrome. Small rust spots on frame where paint was scratched. Small hole in front foam part of front seat (1/4" dia.) Serial number is CF 37572. I have no idea what this bike is worth or if and how I should go about restoring. Is it worth fixing and cleaning up or should I sell as is. Any ideas? Thanks Richard |
| richard,I'd check out schwinn on ebay to find what it sells for(might suprise you)also see some photos to judge from |
| And I thought that all these peas were already picked! Fear not, fellow vintage bicycle hunters! There are STILL many treasures left to find! Scwhinn, Raleigh, Elgin, Columbia anything is possible,Hidden away, forgotten, asleep in playhouses, cellers, attics, barns, behind the chicken coop, up in the old tree fort sitting there waiting for someone to rescue it, restore it fit new tires and ride it again. |