Cruiser Restoration Begins...

So what do I do when I get burned out jumping from one never-ending home renovation project to the next? I restore a bicycle of course.

I know, it doesn't make sense to me either ;P


My Robin Hood bike, my poor neglected British roadster. She was in sorry shape when I first saw her at the Salvation Army, when I was a kid. She was covered in flat black spray paint and rusty chrome. But I bought her, I walked a five miles on foot down the long gone MoPac RR track so that I could ride her back home from the store. I was going to fix her back up.

And that's when I ran into a bit of a problem. A vital part of the speed changer had come loose and gone missing. It was an import, out-of-date, and I couldn't find any replacement part anywhere. The restoration was sunk before it really got going. Being unridable she was sadly stored away, to rust and rot even more.




And here we are today. I've taken her completely apart, steel wooled and wire bristled each piece clean of corrosion, primed and painted the body and fork, and started reassembly. With new resources that weren't available before, I should be able to locate some of the many parts she needs too.

Lots accomplished. Lots left to do. I'll post an update as more progress can be made.

= = =

British Roadsters consist of bikes from the 50's, 60's and 70's that were made in Great Britain. These bikes are well known for their great ride, dependability, and sleek styling. The tire size is 26 x 1/38.

But, of course you already knew that ;)

Some Resources:
John's Vintage Bikes