So tonight I spent a few hours stripping, cleaning and polishing bits of an old steel framed bicycle and it was one of the most satisfying things I've done in years.
Here's the story:
Next year I want to rode in l'Eroica - a 100 mile race for pre-1987 bicycles, in Derbyshire. https://eroicabritannia.co.uk/the-ride
I bought on fleabay a complete shitter.. I mean.. a nice vintage bike, which I am now restoring.
It's important to note that on the GSer spectrum that runs from oilhead to watercooled TT full blinger, I'm completely airhead so words like 'proper', 'worthwhile' and 'decent cup of tea' feature probably too frequently in my vocabulary.
Anyway....
The point is, spending an all too rare hour or two in the garage, accompanied by the radio and a glass of something, using wire wool and solvol autosol to bring some old manky bits of ally back to sparkling, bright, beautiful and highly functional bits of French and Italian engineering is, in bang-for-buck terms, just off the scale.
When the old girl is back in her prime and ready to once again do combat on the hills and lanes of Derbyshire I'll take a few pics. Until then, I'm sorry but this exquisite pleasure is mine alone.
What's the point of this rambling? Not sure, but maybe it's to suggest that for mere pennies you can indulge yourself in a simple restoration that not only yields a very pretty outcome, but also provides you with a steed upon which you can attempt classic rides, or sell it for a modest profit, or just hang on the wall and feast your eyes upon while you wait for the cold weather to abate.
Paul G (l'autre)
Here's the story:
Next year I want to rode in l'Eroica - a 100 mile race for pre-1987 bicycles, in Derbyshire. https://eroicabritannia.co.uk/the-ride
I bought on fleabay a complete shitter.. I mean.. a nice vintage bike, which I am now restoring.
It's important to note that on the GSer spectrum that runs from oilhead to watercooled TT full blinger, I'm completely airhead so words like 'proper', 'worthwhile' and 'decent cup of tea' feature probably too frequently in my vocabulary.
Anyway....
The point is, spending an all too rare hour or two in the garage, accompanied by the radio and a glass of something, using wire wool and solvol autosol to bring some old manky bits of ally back to sparkling, bright, beautiful and highly functional bits of French and Italian engineering is, in bang-for-buck terms, just off the scale.
When the old girl is back in her prime and ready to once again do combat on the hills and lanes of Derbyshire I'll take a few pics. Until then, I'm sorry but this exquisite pleasure is mine alone.
What's the point of this rambling? Not sure, but maybe it's to suggest that for mere pennies you can indulge yourself in a simple restoration that not only yields a very pretty outcome, but also provides you with a steed upon which you can attempt classic rides, or sell it for a modest profit, or just hang on the wall and feast your eyes upon while you wait for the cold weather to abate.
Paul G (l'autre)