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.
| I just thought I'd post this thread to announce that I have created files that can be used to recreate the early 70's BMA/6 headtube sticker. This sticker was found on Huffy, Murray, and Roadmaster bikes of this period. As well, I have created a headbadge decal recreation for the '71 Murray Alpine. I'd like to add that I made these recreations out of frustration in not being able to find sources for old Non-Schwinn stickers. These files are totally free and I ask that you do not try sell them or recreation stickers produced with these files. They are for owners of these sort of bikes to use in restoration projects, not for you to make money on. To find these files please visit my F-Series Murray Eliminator website. The url below leads to my site's Links page where you will find the downloads. Please take note that they are in Photoshop (.PSD) format. http://tinyurl.com/hosg Let's keep those Non-Schwinns rolling!! |
| Hi folks, I've searched around and can't find an appropriate way to strip the paint off of my bicycle rim. I have a Velocity Deep V rim on a 1982 Grandis road bike. Problem is, the rim is painted black and the rest of the bike is red and chrome. I want to chemically remove the paint so as to maintain some luster to the alloy, but I have heard that some chemicals will adversely affect the alloy. Any suggestions? Thanks, Andy |
| hi andy in regards to stripping paint from your rim id like to help but need to know some things first. first off is the rim chrome or did it have an original coating you would like to maintain? secondly and this is the most important piece of information, what kind of paint is on the rim? is it laquer, enamel, polyurethane or something else? if the rim is chrome and you want back that way there really isnt much going to hurt it. without knowing what kind of paint that is on the rim, i would advise you to start with laquer thinner or paint thinner and try that with just a cloth. if the paint on the rim is laquer or enamel based this should soften it up enough to be scrubbed off with just a cloth unless it has been on there for a long time. if thinner wont touch it, the paint is probably poly based and your only option here is to use a chemical stripper, i am a big fan of aircraft stripper brand, if you have to use this be careful this is nasty stuff read the directions on the can and make sure you have access to running water as this is the only thing that will neutralize this stuff. if you go this route it would probably be best to get the aerosol type over the gel, just make sure it is not windy and you are not near anything that has a painted surface like your car or garage door or anything. if you have any questions feel free to get in touch. best of luck |
| has anyone been succesfull at straighting a bent top tube on forks . The steer tubes , this is a common problem is there a way to fix this , or is there a jig you can make to straighten this. most people would say get a new fork but some forks are hard to come bye and replacement is not a option . Thanks DEAN |
| I do them all the time, usually on a press. www.bunchobikes.com |
| Had a good idea the other day and thought that I would give it a try. While fitting a set of Stronglight cottered cranks to a sixties Peugeot UO 8(the Frenchmade model) I was faced with the problem of filing cotters and keeping them the same. Let the flat face on the cotter be held by a magnet(the magnet must be wider than the cotter). Put the cotter in a vice and slip a small shim between each supporting side of the magnet and the vice. Clamp the vice firmly and remove the magnet. Visually inspect how the cotter is positioned and, if satisfied, begin filing slowly. Do not take a big bite(don't press hard). Push and lift the file at the end of a short stroke(helps prevent rocking) and continue, visually inspecting frequently, until the file rubs consistently on the vice jaws(care will go a long way to ensuring uniform results and prevent damaging the file.) Repeat for the other cotter. Try the result in the cranks, looking to see how far the pins fit into the cranks when positioned on the axle and looking to see if the cranks are at 180 degree intervals. This worked really well for me. |
| Hi! I just bought a '62 Schwinn Fiesta that's in pretty good shape, but needs some touching up. I'd like to try to do this myself, but I have no idea how to match the paint (or find old Schwinn paint that matches). Does anyone know: a) the actual name of the paint color (it's turquoise blue flek) for that model year-so I can check for it online; or b) what kind of company would be able to match the paint? Thanks so much! Lori |
| Hi Lori you can probably get the color custom matched at a auto paint supply store usually wholesale only,they might have computer matching,but heres the bad news they wont mix small amounts and you will nedd profesional equipment to spray it with all very expensive,if the paint just has a few scratches and is origional the best thing is to leave it alone.or totally re paint the bike.which can deter from the value,Schwinn touch up paint is no longer available and hasent been for a long time.if you want to totally re pain just let me know and I will help you with any ? is a difficult but rewarding job sometimes best of luck blue skies |
| Thanks so much for your advice! I think I'll just leave it alone for now. The scratches give it character. I'll definitely be back with tons of questions if I decide to restore it. Thanks again! |
| Convert your bike motorized! Check out CaliCruzer.com for some cool custom motorized bikes. 48cc gas two-stroke, chain drven with a manual clutch for a real motorcycle feel. Complete bikes and motor kits available at CaliCruzer.com |
| hello my name is jennifer and i recently received a female Columbia "Tourist" from my grandmother and she and i are both unsure of the year of it.i have examined the bicycle and could only find a few things about it. the serial # was located on the right rear fork and the #s were P424073. and the tires are 26 x 1 and 3/8 . it is robins egg blue color(unsure if that is the orginal) with white pinstripes and painted lettering lettering.it has a rear fender thingy that can hold a bag or something.i believe it is a 3 speed. and it rides well and is in very good condition,i was just looking to maybe restore it. if you have any answers to my ?'s please let me know.thank you for your time. |
| Hey i was wondering what the best way to fix a bent rim is, its bent pretty bad, and sience its a rod brake rim, getting my hands on another one isn't very fisable right now, i tried tightning the spokes, but i am thinking i need to use some violence and hammer this one back into shape, BTW the bike is a Phillips, does anyone know anything about it? I posted a message under 'english roadsters' and nobody has responded yet. |
| Where is the bent? 1. If it wobbles because it started to taco -- it could be trued by adjusting the spokes carefully and slowly -- depending on how bad it is. I have seen a bike shop guy hold the wheel above his head and come down as hard as he could on the bench. He would do this a couple of times and then true it. I have don similar things but never with such great force. 2. If the side of the rim is bent there is a tool that will straigten the side out. I don't have the tool so I use a big crescent wrench to gently bend the side to where it belongs. 3. If the dent is on the flat portion of the rim -- I think it is time to get a new rim. There are wheels available that will work with rod brakes. There is one rim that is on Raleigh's that will work with rod brakes. Try the Rod Brake guys again for more expertise! |
| In the pages of my 1956 Brown Brothers catalog there is two tools made for removing the bends and buckles out of a standard 26 or 27 inch steel rim Also for removing a buckle dent out of the old Westwood rims. Never seen that tool any place, they want you to buy a new rim today. We can't have people fixing these rims and not buying a new one now can we? No, everything has to be cheap and disposable and now, made outside the country. Cyclo tool's long defunct Rosa rim tool. Aw,the past! The glorious past. |
| It went into operation when you trued the rim. |
| What's the easiest way to remove the clear coating on my Campy parts, cranks, levers?? Yes, I want to polish my butt off from now on. Thanks for the help, Russ |
| NE ONE KNOW WHERE I COULD SEND MY WHEELS, FENDERS, ETC. TO GET THEM CHROMED? |
| Try your local motorcycle shop |
| PAINT FOR MY BLUE 72' STINGRAY? NE GOOD SITES? |
| Hyperformance in Arizona. I am on the wrong computer or I could give you a link. Try a goodle search for "Hyperformance Stingray" or check links here. |
| Go to: www.sting-rays.com |
| If anyone is looking for a cleaner that will remove paint and residue from a bike in a gentle and non-abrasive way you may want to try a product known as "Nevr-Dull - The Magic Wadding Polish". It comes in a blue can and it looks and feels similar to cotton. In Canada it's available at Canadian Tire and Home Hardware. I just picked up a can for $10. I've had to remove spray paint from the frame of my Raleigh Sports bike and I'd tried S.O.S. pads as suggested but even while being super-gentle with them, they still tend to leave small scratches in the paint. "Nevr-Dull" will not scratch your paint no matter how hard you rub with it. It doesn't even disturb the glossy finish that protects your paint job. When you are done, rub the clean surface with a soft, dry cloth and it will shine for you. |
| Get the cleaning kit they sell here. It works! |
| I've recently obtained an old coaster-brake Columbia bike. It was completely covered in rust and had seen several repainting attempts (I'm planning to make it a custom chopper). As I've looked over the web, I cannot find the model, so any help in identifying the bike would be welcome. A description of the bike: -has frame like Columbia "playbike" or "Dilly" -has sticker marking (I think, it's partly worn off)100th anniversary of columbia -has no sissybar behind seat -handlebars have a rise less than 12 inches, and brace across middle -there are some areas (near weld spots) that have gold paint underneath everything else -fork like a "Dilly" -head bagde has 3 red horizontal stripes above Columbia Bikes and 3 black stripes beneath writing |
| ok so two questions, im try to date my raleigh 3-speed, the yhubs date is 52, but based on serial number its a 56 ish any idea on this kinda thing, second question i need tires, and iom p[retty sure its osmething like raleihg had i tihnk called e.a.3 rims, which need a special bead diameter or soem story like that, adn 26 by 1/38, any clue where to look for tihs? |
| Don't know about your dating question, but tires in that size are not too hard to find. This site has a gumwall available, and you can try Harris Cyclery www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html They have lots of info about old Raleighs. Good luck |
| hello guys! i'm from singapore What is the best chrome-like finish paint around in the market now? would you recommend repainting the fenders with chrome paint? |
| There really aren't any spray can paints which look much like chrome. Krylon makes one which isn't too bad; and I've used SteelWheels chrome finish paint on props for films. On film they looked pretty good, but in real life, not very close to real chrome. There's no substitute for electroplating. A good color finish will always look better than a fake chrome finish. |
| The best use for Chrome spray paint is to redo the cad. plated parts.After you spray and it drys rub the part a little and it looks almost like new Cab. plated--I know that wasn't what you were after but reminded be of that tip. |