Do you have an old steel frame that you want to use with more modern or different components than originally equipped? Old steel frames are repaired, updated, and repainted to fit new, modern parts, also including disc brakes and electronic shifting. A renovation attempts to reinstate the new, on-the-showroom-floor condition of the bicycle, but using new parts the same as, or other than, those of the original, often from a much newer or current generation. Commonly called a “resto-mod” or “neo-retro”.
“The power of doing any thing with quickness is always much prized by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Wherein I take my time to remedy those things previously done hurriedly and imperfectly. Cleaning Up My Mess The particular silver I used …
“…gang aft agley, an’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis’d joy!” ― Robert Burns, To a Mouse Wherein the first phase of the plan leads to both disappointment and delight. The frame was readied for travel to have it stripped of paint and rust, and to make the desired alterations. Preparation Before …
“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men…” ― Robert Burns, To a Mouse Wherein I complicate a project just for the fun of it. What is the source of fun? Obviously, any well-considered answer to the question, “What if…?” The Vision: 1984 Koga-Miyata Luxe The 1984 Koga-Miyata Luxe is a bicycle never produced, nor …
“Do not be in a hurry, the right [bicycle] will come at last.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Some of the best things in life arrive in boxes: bicycles, bicycle frames, bicycle parts, bicycle tubing, bicycle tools, bicycle accessories. Sometimes you can tell what is in the box by the size or the shape. …
“I am excessively diverted.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice A short diversion comparing and contrasting three Koga-Miyata production bicycles: the 1979 Koga-Miyata Pro Luxe, the 1979 Koga-Miyata Pro Racer, and the 1984 Koga-Miyata Pro Racer-S. These, plus more, are related to the anticipated arrival of my 1979 Koga-Miyata MXA frameset. “How?” you ask… 1979 Koga-Miyata …
“I do suspect that [this bicycle] is not really necessary to my happiness.” ― Jane Austen, Emma Alteration and renovation of a 1992 Bridgestone MB-1 mountain bicycle, adapted to fully embrace comfortable, long-distance riding on varied road surfaces, but still retaining its off-road capability. The frame was manufactured October of 1991 by Bridgestone, Japan, for …
“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice The seeds of a vision had been planted more than forty years ago …
Renovation of a relatively unknown brand of top-of-the-line, high-quality steel frame from the 1980s: SR Maxima. Modified and refitted with relatively modern components. A “resto-mod” in the contemporary idiom, but I prefer the label “neo-retro” (to wit: revived nostalgia). This is a long-winded, in-depth account of my first effort at renovating an old, second-hand, production …
Alteration and renovation of a one-owner 1976 Schwinn Super LeTour (model SL-3) mid-range leisure bicycle, adapted to fully embrace leisurely riding on varied road surfaces. The frame was manufactured (1975) by Panasonic, Japan, for Schwinn. Description The Schwinn Super LeTour (12.2) was a mid-level recreational bicycle imported by Schwinn under their “Schwinn-Approved” label. The frame …
