A 1968 Sears Austria

Today has been a roller coaster ride of biking emotions. I was hoping to get the Sears bike fixed up enough to let me go out on it this weekend. I was supposed to take it to the shop last night but life got in the way. So today I fretted about whether it would still be a possibility to ride it tomorrow. I had spoken with someone last week at the bike shop and he told me to bring the bike in when James was working and he would fix things and assess damages so to speak. As of this afternoon though, I had no idea how long those damages would take to correct. I called the shop after lunch today and asked if James was working tonight. After speaking briefly with James I was told to walk the bike in after work and he'd look it over. So I was elated that maybe tonight I could get it fixed. And then I was worried about what might be wrong with it. And then I was daydreaming about riding it tomorrow. And then I was anxious about how much it was going to cost. And so on and so forth, etc, etc. Anyway, as soon as my cohabitant got home from work I loaded the bike up in the back of her truck and off we went.

James is my new hero. It took him about 35 seconds to pop the bike into the workstand, run a finger over a few parts and come back over to deliver the news. My bike is a 1968 Sears Austria that is in excellent condition and has probably been ridden less than 100 miles in it's lifetime. James gave me 2 options: do some basic repairs and I can ride it tomorrow, or give him a fews days and it will be as good as new. I pondered only a moment, knowing tomorrow the weather is to be gloriously warm. James set about the basic repairs: new tube in the rear wheel, correcting the pedals which were on backwards, something about the crank (it was a little hard to get specifics from James--like pulling teeth), removing 2 broken spokes and putting on a new rear brake cable.

Meanwhile James is telling me a bit about my bike--Sears got the parts from Nottingham and specified a wide crown, which makes the bike super stable and strong. He remarked several times on the quality and excellent condition the bike is in. He stated he would like to replace the brakes with Shimano cables, which I've read a lot about but don't know much about. He also thinks the rear wheel needs respoked, and one pedal is slightly bent. Everything else seems to be in fine working condition. He oils various parts while he's talking and I ask him about cleaning the rusty front spokes. He immediately sorta snaps "Don't! Do not remove the rust." Further explanation reveals that, in James' opinion, the removal of rust will only allow future rust to get deeper into the metal causing more damage. He states that in Europe no one would give a second thought about cleaning up the bike and we Americans only care because of the aesthetics. At this point I feel thoroughly stupid about my time spent painstakingly removing rust from the handlebars and assessing how to get at the hard to reach places. I ask "Doesn't the rust make the spokes weaker?" Apparently no. At least not in James' eyes. Upon further consideration I've decided three things: I will not remove the rust from the spokes, because it doesn't seem to do them any harm. Also, it was really irritating and frustrating when I tried. Secondly I'm damn glad I clean up the handlebars because it makes me happy and feel good to look down at those shiny little curves of metal. Lastly, I will probably also still remove what rust I can from the remaining 3 fender stays because it makes me feel good to be working on the bike and I like the clean look of it. Front spokes be damned.

All of this makes me very excited about my Sears bike. Apparently I got a steal. James told me when he worked in NYC this bike easily would have sold for $500. For a 40 year old bike. Also he keeps making small remarks about what a nice little bike this is, how it's just the right size for me, that it would be great for commuting, that it's all the bike I could need for getting around. Now all this isn't worth a fig, but it makes me feel really great about my bike. I don't know James from Adam, but I do know he spends a lot of time at a local bike recycling shop, that he showed me the old Hercules bike he is refurbishing, that he seems like a damn good bike mechanic, knowledgeable enough to assess and recognize a 40 year old bike in 35 seconds. Oh, and that he didn't say one damn thing about how great his bike was to the guy with the super sleek and expensive looking tricked out racing bike he finished right before mine. Also I was reassured that he offered the quick, cheap fix up so I could ride it within an hour of taking it in as well as the more extensive (in terms of money, time and labor) fix up for either tonight or some time down the road. He recommended I ride it a while and figure out if I wanted to invest any more money in it. Basically the no-pressure approach. That gets me every time.

So tonight was basically a glowing, positive experience for me. I feel like I learned a bit from James. I also got my bike fixed relatively cheaply and very quickly. I feel proud of my bike. It's old, in great shape, easily fixed and a damn workhorse. My inexperience didn't keep me from stumbling on a great bike that I got for a pittance. Actually I'll attribute it to that inner "geek" my sister always references. If the damn thing didn't look like an old bike I wouldn't have given it a second look. I also felt my curiosity and passion rising a bit about this wonderful new little subculture I've stumbled upon. I want to learn how to fix bikes. I want to have bike projects. I want someday to be able to assess a bike in 35 seconds.

But most of all I want to throw a leg over and ride...

"Manic-Obsession"

As so often happens during my manically-obsessed phases, I find myself diving into the various cultures surrounding bicycling. As always, I've check out every single book the library has on the subject. I've read dozens of magazines, scoured the internet for blogs and websites, and clicked through hundreds of pages on pictures. I never cease to be amazed at the depth of a given segment of culture and truthfully this is one of my favorite parts of learning about something new. One day I have no idea that there are several types of cyclists, myriad cities with biking cultures. The next day I have to carefully monitor myself so I don't spend the entire workday browsing blogs, Flickr and cycling and manufacturers sites. I discover groups, forums, magazines, specialized clothing shops all dedicated to various aspects of biking. I learn about touring, competitive cycling, velodomes, mountain biking, radonneuring. I discover the biking cultures of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Portland. My head spins at the opportunities out there for one interested in bikes.

I find myself drooling over catalog pages of bicycles, signing up for free info from various cycling clubs and associations. In my head I start charting out a possible route for commuting to work and outfitting my bike with upgrades. Inevitably my love of history leads me to look up books telling the story of how we got from the first bike to the sleek machines of today. I find pages and pages of vintage bike posters and advertisements.

More than anything all of this information overload makes me want to hope on my old bike and go tottering off. Scoff if you will, but it's too damn cold outside for me to actually follow through. I know it's not as cold as such and such place or this that and the other. I don't care. It's like 15F out and my fat ass is not going out there for more than a few minutes. I will sit inside and read about other people riding bikes, thank you very much. I will think about this weekend when the temperature stops tormenting me and I can go for a nice long ride with the sun on my face.

In the meantime, here's some eye candy:

Cultures I wish I lived in:

Lastly, I have not been entirely wasting my time held prisoner by the cursed weather. The handlebars of the Sears, the pedals and a good bit of the front wheel are now cleaned up and looking shiny and wonderful. I tried tackling the spokes, but alas they shred the tin foil. Looks like I'll be getting some brass wool after all. Also I am feeling a bit thwarted as I can't really get at a lot of the parts that need cleaned up most. I think I will end up taking the bike apart a bit to clean things, but don't want to tear it apart before the weekend and before I can get it to the shop. My hope is that with some minimal repairs it will be road ready for this weekend...

Before and During

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I wanted to post a few of the bikes before basic cleaning and also some that highlight the damage that I'll be trying to reverse.

The Sturmey-Archer hub caked in rust and dust.

Close up you can see how dirty everything is and the extensive rust.

The hub is clean but still rust I can't get to until I take the thing apart.

Here it's easy to see how clean the hub was after a simple wash down.


Before shot of the dirt and corrosion on the pedals and bottom bracket.


It's a little harder to see the rust here--it's also not as extensive.


The rust speckles the handlebars and the gear cable is quite worn.


Not sure if the tin foil will work on the brakes yet.


This shows the completely rusted spokes. Hopefully there is still strong metal under all that. Notice the contrast with the far side fender brace which I have given a once over with the tin foil.


More damage to the gear cable: 2 cracks/splits and it's stripped below the cable guide.


The Huffy's awful looking front fender. The entire thing was rust speckled, but is now shiny except for this spot where it's actually flaking off.


The shine shows up a bit better in this photo. I'll have to figure out whether I'll touch this up with paint or just coat it with sealant so it doesn't get any worse.

Rust, Rust, Go Away

As both of my bikes are not in great shape, I have begun the slow process of trying to improve them. Basic cleaning, removing rust, tightening blots, adjusting fenders, and assessing more critical damage is as far as I have gotten. BB is the less ambitious project obviously. Light rust covers all the chrome as well as the faux-chrome parts. I was going to have at it with brass wool after watching a youtube video of restoring old bikes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C9R7XjhUuo). Then I talked with the guy at the bike shop and he said WD-40 would work great. Doing a little more research I came across a great blog called How To Fix Bikes (see sidebar)--he suggests steel wool and metal polish with great step by step directions. But it was reading the comments section on his blog that I came across the suggestion to just use some wet aluminum foil like sandpaper. So I figured--why not give that a try. It was worth a shot and maybe I could save a trip to the store and spending more money on supplies. I was very doubtful about this approach and unsure if it would cause more harm than good--so I decided to give it a shot on BB (the Beater Bike) instead of screwing up the old Sears. And I'll be damned but it worked. It worked really well. I started on a small part of the beat up front fender, continually wetting it with a damp rag. Before long it was gleaming except for a small area where the "chrome" was peeling away. Then I did a small section of the handlebar and that looked great as well. I noticed there were still little pockmarks but not more rust. I don't know if brass wool would smooth the chrome out of if it would basically just get rid of the rust as well, but for BB the Huffy, I am not too concerned with detail right now.

Of course I got curious and excited to try this little technique on an inconspicious part of the Sears bike, so I started on one of the fender braces. Now, the Sears is pretty encrusted in rust. There is basically no chrome showing except on the handlebars, head tube and pedals. The wheels and spokes are completely covered. Ditto other smaller metal components. So even though I knew the tin foil trick worked on the Huffy I did not really expect quite the same results on the Sears. Well, slap me hard and call me stupid for doubting. That little crusty, rusty fender brace came clean in 5 seconds. I didn't even really put any elbow grease into it. Wipe with wet rag, rub with tin foil, wipe with wet rag again and wipe with dry rag. Bam! it was like a new part! So now a little more believing, I went at one of the spokes. I didn't even expect to find real metal under all that crap on there, but sure enough in a matter of seconds the rust was gone and the 40 year old metal finally saw the light of day again.

I haven't really gotten much further on either bike yet. I think it will be a lot easier of a task if I can remove the part I want to work on, clean it and then put it back together. I don't have a workstand, so right now it's a lot of bending and arm twisting and I'm starting to feel like a cross between John Candy and Houdini.

I also need to take the Sears into the bike shop. The owner took quite a while to chat and help me get started when I dropped in last week and he said on of his mechanics loves refurbishing old bikes and would love the chance to go over my Sears with me. He would explain what needs fixing and give me some suggestions on how to tackle the more simple tasks. Then if I wanted he could take care of the more involved aspects. I like this compromise--I want the Sears to be my project, but I don't want to butcher it and I don't want to take 40 years to get it road ready. So hopefully this week I'll be able to get the bike down there and get started on returning it (at least partially) to it's former glory. I have given it an abbreviated cleaning from top to bottom already and am really glad to see that the decals and the paint so very little damage. I am guessing (wildly) that the chain will need replaced and maybe the bearings as well. I'm hoping against hope the Sturmey-Archer gear hub is in working condition. I know for certain the rear tire, the brakes and brake cables, and the shifting cable all need replaced. The wheels are also in possible need of replacement, but I'm hoping I can hold off on that awhile. I also know I'll need some reflectors for the Sears and a water bottle for the Huffy.

This week is supposed to be pretty cold (for NC) and with all the repairs and maintenance to do, I don't imagine I'll get much riding in until the weekend.

Not related, but ELATED!

The Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XLIII!!! I had the best time watching this game and think I've got a new slogan-- Pittsburgh Steelers: Good to the last drop-back! Two historic records in a game that had me wishing I had an inhaler. STILLERS!!!

And not that it matters who he cheers for--but it's fun to see!

Our President, by his own admission, doesn't get too high for things. But from what I can tell, the man has Steelers fever.

Original Post can be found here: http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2009/01/12070_obama_weighs_in_on_super_bowl.html