About a year ago, I was headed to work through Brooklyn. It was garbage day, so everything was out. Someone was tossing a 80's model Schwinn 10-speed. That, of course went on the bike rack. Plenty of rust and nothing left with shine. Nice bulge in the back tire. I thought it was great. I used it for a while to make the .75 mile hike from parking to work. For some reason, the tires still held air. It stayed parked outside the hospital and nobody thought about stealing it. If it rained, the seat stayed wet for a week, and it wasn't nearly as pretty as the other bikes there.
For some reason, I thought it should come home. Mike declared it the "Retard Rocket", and placed two bottle rockets under the seat. He thought it was hilarious that I rode that to and from work. Bike snob.
Shit, it was a nicer bike than I ever owned when I was a kid. I saved for my first bike, it was a Huffy 10-speed from Shopko that went everywhere. It was freedom before a driver's license. It went inside and I always used the kick stand. Loved that bike. That someone owned a Schwinn road bike the same vintage and trashed it? Unthinkable, really. It should not ever been left outside.
Now it has become a project. Everything about it is a project. Even getting the seat post out to replace the seat was a project. If it hadn't been aluminum, it would have been hopelessly fused to the frame. It was worth it, the Itale' Selle actually looks pretty good on this ride.
The most current issue is the rear end. When the bike was ridden with a bulging tire, you figure the resistance is from that. When the tire is off and you realize the rim is bent, it becomes something else. Just for the hell of it, I put the new tire on anyways and took it out for a spin. Now, with the tire on is when I bothered to realize that the tire never could spin freely.
Tire off, axel out and looking at the cassette. The cassette isn't even worn save for the rust. Good clean up, should be fine. The bearings should slide right out in this type of set up, but the lube has cogealed up into something more of a glue. They had to be picked out. Now to get the damn cassette off. What I need is a "special tool". Lockring tool and chain whip.
Thing is, I don't really know if I need that. Thinking possible conversion to a single-speed or fixed gear. The drop out has some room for adjustment if you wanted to change up the gears. This is a decision point, as it will change what is done with the rest of the bike. Either would rid the need for shifter cables. A friend of mine recently converted a Nishiki, but it was a bit simpler as it was a newer bike. Either way, got to come up with a rim. Then I can figure out what happens next. I think if I found another bike, same vintage for parts it would make this easier. Then it would just remain as a 10 speed, and I could simply put it back together.
For some reason, I thought it should come home. Mike declared it the "Retard Rocket", and placed two bottle rockets under the seat. He thought it was hilarious that I rode that to and from work. Bike snob.
Shit, it was a nicer bike than I ever owned when I was a kid. I saved for my first bike, it was a Huffy 10-speed from Shopko that went everywhere. It was freedom before a driver's license. It went inside and I always used the kick stand. Loved that bike. That someone owned a Schwinn road bike the same vintage and trashed it? Unthinkable, really. It should not ever been left outside.
Now it has become a project. Everything about it is a project. Even getting the seat post out to replace the seat was a project. If it hadn't been aluminum, it would have been hopelessly fused to the frame. It was worth it, the Itale' Selle actually looks pretty good on this ride.
The most current issue is the rear end. When the bike was ridden with a bulging tire, you figure the resistance is from that. When the tire is off and you realize the rim is bent, it becomes something else. Just for the hell of it, I put the new tire on anyways and took it out for a spin. Now, with the tire on is when I bothered to realize that the tire never could spin freely.
Tire off, axel out and looking at the cassette. The cassette isn't even worn save for the rust. Good clean up, should be fine. The bearings should slide right out in this type of set up, but the lube has cogealed up into something more of a glue. They had to be picked out. Now to get the damn cassette off. What I need is a "special tool". Lockring tool and chain whip.
Thing is, I don't really know if I need that. Thinking possible conversion to a single-speed or fixed gear. The drop out has some room for adjustment if you wanted to change up the gears. This is a decision point, as it will change what is done with the rest of the bike. Either would rid the need for shifter cables. A friend of mine recently converted a Nishiki, but it was a bit simpler as it was a newer bike. Either way, got to come up with a rim. Then I can figure out what happens next. I think if I found another bike, same vintage for parts it would make this easier. Then it would just remain as a 10 speed, and I could simply put it back together.
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