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which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your vintage bicycle.
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| I have a 68 Raleigh 3-speed roadster. Just installed a new trigger shifter, cable and spindle. Managed this OK, but I am now stuck on putting on new handgrips. They are too sticky to slide on all the way, and I don't want to use any type of lube, because, of course, I want them to stay in place and not slide once installed. Any tips on pushing on new handgrips, while ensuring that once they are on they don't move? Thanks, Rolf. |
| Use rubbing alcohol. |
| "To install grips, put a little plain water on the grip and handlebar, and slip the grip on all in one smooth movement. Do not ride the bicycle until the water has dried and the grip is tight. If the grip is stubborn, you can blow compressed air at the edge of the grip, and the air will flow between the grip and the handlebar, acting as a lubricant. If compressed air is not available, you can bang on the end of the grip with a soft hammer. Synonym: Grips." - http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeoh.htm I concur also with alcohol as stated and possibly a little soap is used sometimes too. Just listing options. As for the quote about using a soft hammer, if I did such, I might cover the grip with a towel or other cloth and gently go at it. |
| hi, i have always used hairspray, yes, hairspray. there is a use for that Aqua Net stuff afterall. here is how i went about it in the past. spray the inside of the grip to moisten the inside wals. use a finger to ensure the spray has coated all sides of the rubber grip. push on the handlebars while wet. let dry. when the hairspray dries, it dries tacky which will give your grips just enough grip so that they do not spin while riding. and you will be able to get them off later on too, so its not a super strong bond. with a wet rag you can clean an excess hairspray. have fun, j |
| I have a Columbia 3 Star DeLuxe that I am working on, and hoping to get it restored soon. I need some parts, such as the rear rack (carrier), and the fender headlight. I have the original chainguard, but it is in poor condition, so I would love to replace it as well. I am unsure of the year, but have been told it is a late 40's era bicycle. I need to get the serial number from the bike and reference the year to be positive. Any help with a source for the parts would be much appreciated! Reproductions are fine, if available. |
| I have my 1980's style Radioflyer roadster that I am wanting to restore for my children. The wheels are pretty rusted as well as the rest of the bike. It is also missing the pedals. Any ideas as to how I can get the rust off with out further damaging the tricycle? |
| There are several ways to remove rust. A wire brush can remove rust but will possibly leave scrathes. When I was a young man, I used a product called "Naval Jelly" to remove light surface rust from my chrome wheels and bumpers on my old hotrods. It worked ok for light rust but left a bit to be desired on heavier rust. There is also a process that can be used that's very efficient and not all that hard to do, but it's more involved than just brushing and rubbing. You will need a plastic tub, a battery charger, and some sacrificial steel. (re-bar will work for that and can be bought in short sections from lowes or home depot. You can do a google search on "electrolysis + rust removal" or rust removal by electrolysis" and that should bring up some pages revealing detailed instructions and examples. Read as much as you can about it and follow all safety guidelines. Be sure to perform the procedure in a well vented area (like outdoors) and be aware that the bubbles that will rise up from your workpiece will have tiny amounts of hydrogen in them. Electrolysis can be very effective and you will lose little to none of your original material provided you do it properly. You will need to remove the tires from the wheels. You should only be working with metal parts, and not leave any plastic or rubber parts attached to the metal part that you wish to clean. The process really isn't that complicated. You just have to be sure that you hook your wires up correctly (if not then your work piece will become the sacrificial metal) There are quite a few articles online that explain the process in detail. Some have pictures. Google it and read it carefully. Good luck. |
| I forgot to mention that you could always use sandpaper starting with a coarse grit and finishing with a finer grit (to remove scrathes. That process might become pretty tedious, but should work fairly well. Electrolysis would be much less tedious once you have everything set up properly. You should have a nice shiney part within and hour or so. (depending of course on how much rust and/or paint needs to be removed)What I like best about electrolysis is that your original material isn't removed like it could be when using abrasives. Best Regards |
| I forgot to mention that you could always use sandpaper starting with a coarse grit and finishing with a finer grit (to remove scrathes. That process might become pretty tedious, but should work fairly well. Electrolysis would be much less tedious once you have everything set up properly. You should have a nice shiney part within and hour or so. (depending of course on how much rust and/or paint needs to be removed) What I like best about electrolysis is that your original material isn't removed like it could be when using abrasives. Best Regards |
| I recently bought a schwinn suburban from a junk dealer. It looks like the bike has seen a bit of weather and the chain needs plenty of loving. I was going to break the chain and give a good cleaning and regreasing but my chain tool is made for contemporary chains and is too small. Any suggestions? Thanks. |
| Too small meaning the pin isn't long enough? Or too narrow? A cheap chain tool from Walmart should work. |
| The chain does not seat far enough in the chain tool so the pin hits below the rivet. In other words, the space from the edge of the chain to the rivet is farther than on contemporary chains. The chain tool is a park tool and works on all of my newer bikes. I am thinking of just trying to restore the chain while on the bike but it would be must easier to remove it and rejuvenate it. |