A few weeks ago I decided to revive an old mountain bike from my childhood. This bike had been collecting dust in my father-in-law’s garage for a few years and I didn’t think it was proper to dump it at a garage sale. If you know me, you know I’m a bike nerd. I ride a bike to work everyday, read articles about the gear, mechanical tech, etc, etc.
I’ve got some mediocre photos of the restoration process in the photo gallery.
For me, this was a chance to see if I’m as bike smart as I thought I might be. I made a series of goof ups, but few were expensive and most were easily overcome. This bike isn’t special enough to be vintage, retro or classic. It’s just old fashion tech that will be ridden.
Almost ready to hit the trail. I might have a more experienced set of eyes give this a look over before I attempt any high speed descents over varied terrain.
It’s shiny, but I may need to replace that rear derailer. The bolt that holds to cable in place is stripped and the pulley teeth are rounded.
New Old Stock front DX hub. In the shrink wrap since 1991. $15.00 on eBay.
The standard Shimano DX shifters were one of the earliest rapidfire models. Both push buttons were in front. I found these to be a bit flakey, and difficult to find replacement parts for. I opted for the old school Deore indexed 7 speed rear thumb shifter and friction front.
The rear wheel spokes are a bit too short. The mass produced wheels used 16mm long spoke nipples to compensate for discrepancies in spoke length. I went with 12mm, which is the modern standard – so some threads are visible. I’m also learning how to get cantilever brakes setup just right.
Notice there’s no middle or big chain ring on the crank. The original middle ring was thrashed and the replacement is in the mail.
