5 Tips For Restoring Your Vintage Bikes

[@onebikestory9079]

No more fighting with my brakes. Thank You!

[@rainerunsinn4808]

Great Video. Some more (mildly usefull) tips: 1. Before installing the brake cables on V-Brakes, make sure to unwind the preload screws on both sides, to the point where the preload is barely existing when you push the brakearms inwards. 2. When trying to loosen very stuck pedals (or threaded headset screws / cassette on the rear wheel/ bottom bracket / etc.), use a little bit of wd40 and then shove a pipe over your wrench. This will enhance your levarge a lot. I use a pipe from a former bar underconstruction from the trash. Heads up: Keep you eyes open when doing that, to actually loosen the threads, not bending anything. With very very stuck parts, you can twist and snap the whole part with your new found hulk-strenth. 3. When trying to remove an old, stuck threaded one-piece stem, undo the top screw for a few revolutions and hit it with a hammer to undo the lower wedge. 4. If your bike has quick releases on the wheels, remove them, clean them (maybe sand of rust from the middle part) and put a bit of oil on the pivot and grease on the rest. This will make them work much better. 5. You can restore your paint greatly yourself with products from the auto shop. Clean your bike first, then use a paint cleaner and afterwards apply a hard-wax coating. Don't use these 3-in-1 products! Hope this helps and is understanable, my english is not too good.

[@sidmarx7276]

Here's an accidental discovery on par with that of penicillin: My drive-side crankset ring was jammed beyond all help. But it was steel, not plastic, so i asked a welder to sacrifice it by welding on a piece of rebar for a lever. Then shoving some pipe over the lever ("cheating" in english) and some hammer taps loosened it. Then i thought, this bearing cup with a welded handle is useless, but no, wait. I cut a vertical groove in the screw thread, making it a tool to clean out the dirty bottom bracket thread. Now it is permanently in my tool box. (Menschenskinna, geist'sche Onanie isch dess.)

[@davidflaningan2214]

Good tips! I noticed the brake adjuster trick in the video from that build and thought "That's a good idea!" Tried it later the same day setting up my road bike calipers. Much easier than grabbing all the tools. It's nice to re-learn sometimes. Thanks for the content!

[@divineinpurple9058]

I really have missed your narrated videos, I learn so much from you! Please keep making these!

[@NathanielKraft]

I haven;t checked in on this channel in about two years, so imagine my joy when this was the first result when searching "how to disasseble an old bike" -- your videos brought me a lot of joy during the height of the pandemic. Great to see you still going strong :)

[@garysprojects]

nice tips!! to add to the brake tip, i find that winding out the barrel adjuster out so there is about 6-7 threads showing works best - this allows for the barrel adjuster to be wound in more, and sit closer to the brake lever body after its done. this is probably a tip probably nobody needs haha, 😅but for those OCD ppl out there here it is!! cheers!!

[@MrPhotodoc]

The best tip I've gotten from watching this channel is to wear a leather apron like Old Shovel does when working on bikes! I don't know how many shirts and pants I've ruined until I did. I got a cheapo $13 one at Harbor Freight but it's been my #1 tool ever since.

[@edwardojr2838]

Great video, I loved the tip about the rear derailleur. And the v brake setup 👌

[@The4Crawler]

Good tips. One point on the RD setup is for us Rapid Rise fans, everything is reversed, e.g. slack is big cog. On the leather preservative (I use that same brand), I like to set the bike out in the sun after applying. The added heat will let the leather soak up more of the preservative.

[@matthewsponseller]

Thanks!

[@oldshovel]

Thank you my friend 🙌🙏

[@thinkpadBentnoseTheBlind]

Great video. I use Easton baseball glove oil on my old leather saddles

[@MtbandCoffee]

Thank you for inspiring us to do repairs on our bikes by ourselves.

[@jp93309]

I watch a lot of bike diy videos but the pedal tips blew my mind. I was always consulting Park Tool’s while working on pedals and could never remember which way to turn the wrench. Forward = Install, Backward = Remove is way easier.

[@sagehiker]

Simple and direct tips on everyday tasks. Those are the best kind of tips. Lace it in with with good video presentation it is easy to remember. I have used Obenaffs leather treatment for industrial leather footwear top for years.

[@jrdill1631]

Great tips! I am restoring my first bike, starting today. Found an old Supercycle and it needs a lot of work. Very appreciative of your channel for giving me tips and motivation!

[@paulwheeless1080]

Follow RJ the Bike Guy. He shows restoration and repairs you should never have to do, but end up needing to on older bikes. Finding vintage components is tricky and expensive. Modern components are generally incompatible with older frames. Good Luck and Enjoy!!

[@honyop]

Before setting limits and installing the rear derailleur, aligning the hanger makes a big difference.

[@oldshovel]

Agreed

[@jbstillman]

The v-brake setup tip is great! I will definitely be using that one my next restore for faster setup and adjustment! Thanks!

[@garymoen930]

Thank you for this great video. I’ve been following your channel for sometime and it’s inspired me to want to restore my 80s Ritchie Enduro. This video will be perfect for getting started. Thanks again.

[@dezolmz]

Great tips especially the rim brake tip - thanks

[@davidsullivan7552]

Awesome video. Another thing you can do to get a leather saddle to take up more conditioner is heat the conditioner a bit.

[@DIY-DaddyO]

Nice tips, help us keep old bikes rolling 👍

[@jurigagarin3396]

Super tips! I spotted an old KONA :-) I own three of these awesome bikes ('93 Explosif and '92 + '93 Cinder Cones).

[@matthewsponseller]

Thank you for an informative video, much appreciated! Your experience and knowledge really shows. I would enjoy seeing (and hearing 😉) this kind of hints and tricks videos from time to time.

[@hansentt]

What's your philosophy on when to put parts in the scrap bin and when to try and restore them?

[@gerarddriscoll5599]

Could you show how to size a chain. Another great video, keep up the good work 🚴🚴🚴

[@heritageoutdoorsproduction2460]

Chains are sold by gear size like speeds on your shifter, if you have a seven speed, then you need a size 7 if you have an eight speed then you need a size 8 chain, etc

[@gerarddriscoll5599]

@@heritageoutdoorsproduction2460 sorry I mean length of chain

[@JimmySanchez-z6r]

Have you ever done a video on restoring aluminum bike parts using rubbing compounds. I have seen some of your videos where your cranks and hubs come out so shinny. Could really use some tips on your techniques.

[@jonathanparker8828]

This is great, I would love to know how to find out which parts will fit when restoring bikes, for example drivetrains and headsets.

[@derkleinekerl8652]

Ich freue mich immer wenn Du ein neues Video hochgeladen hast.Ich habe schon sehr viel bei Dir gelernt. Liebe Grüße sendet Dir Ingo aus Deutschland.🚴‍♀😊

[@willemlombard721]

Nice explination on the rear derailer. Maybe add the front one as well?

[@Yskyes]

If your derailleur hanger is bent you can screw in a wheel with M10 axle and use that to align the hanger with your rear wheel

[@oldshovel]

Interesting tip. I like it🙌

[@milododd]

Great video! I'd personally love one about aligning rim brake pads for max braking power and no squeaking. Especially for canti and caliper brakes, they're tricky I find.

[@timfreeman2603]

My time in a shop was when cantilevers were king before V brakes. So I kinda skipped V brakes before I started tinkering again on disc brakes. Using barrel adjuster to get pad/rim spacing right is a good simple tip.

[@BURP39R]

Thanks chief. I've never commented before but would like to say I could do a few of these. I feel less of an idiot. Thank you

[@theephemeralglade1935]

1 - Cold Chisel and hand sledge. 2 - An oxy-acetylene cutting torch. 3 - A Sawzall. 4 - A big anvil. 5 - Torque values for a large Caterpillar engine.

[@AaronHendu]

I will show this to my nephew. He recently got a late 90's aluminum CCM that needs some love.

[@davidsnow1481]

That’s a sweet Ritchey bike. Thank you for the tips. They will help me out on restoring a Proflex 957. Keep up the great work and stay safe out there.

[@gregmurphy8745]

Thank you! I always struggle with the rear derailleur

[@1969Rake]

I appreciated this video as im just really getting into resto-moding some old bikes ive picked up.

[@Felix24148]

I have a question. Can I make a Klunker from a MTB frame by putting a single speed coaster brake wheel in back?

[@viviennepatterson5950]

Perfect timing for me to see this video. Setting up my new derailleur today.

[@Reciovex20]

Lovely video, I'm hoping to see more in the future!

[@JoshuaYoungsma]

Great tips! I'd love to see more in the future!

[@olliesear1151]

Many thanks! You solved a couple of mysteries for me there.

[@jeremylister3207]

Just found your channel. Loved all the videos I've watched so far. Would love some tips and tricks when working with canti brakes.

[@CrazedCorgi]

I had 2intertubes blew at the stem base. Luckily, it happened 10 minutes after I got home from a 30+ mile ride. That would have been a long walk home since it was on a bike trail.

[@jaimegomezgarcia7599]

When I mount tires with inner tubes (not tubeless), I always put a little talcum powder inside the tire. This way, I prevent the inner tube from sticking to the tire. Greetings from Spain.

[@CarlosGomez-uc9jf]

Awesome tips! Can you do the same thing to disc brakes?

[@oldshovel]

It should work similarly with cable disc brakes as the pull should be about the same. This would work for getting the spacing between pads but not necessarily the alignment.

[@attilaelekes5534]

Thanks a lot! One of the best videos yet.

[@JamesSocialCycling]

Thanks for the tip on the rear mech, it’s always my nemesis when it comes to my maintenance🙈😊👍

[@shaynecronin3664]

Cheers for the tips, learned a lot, need more, thanks

[@Vaillant44]

Thank you for all your great videos!

[@v0lkai]

This is really good. We’ll done, you’re only getting better.

[@xoloitsquintli]

Great tips! I clocked the pedal trick a few days ago when I was fitting the pedals to my new commuter. Something I'd love to see is how to change the cable for an old Shimano SIS 6 speed shifter. I've looked everywhere and haven't found a thing!

[@simonm1447]

If it's SIS the changing of the cable shouldn't be different from a 7, 8 or 9 speed shifting. 6 speed is still sold by Shimano, on cheap bikes for children

[@jaquesdaniels2964]

Great tips , I understand gear set up much more now .

[@cyrilvillarosa2421]

Thank you old-shovel.

[@mjjohn7715]

Thanks for vbrake tip installed new ones on my old mtb.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

Put the chain on for setting the limit screws. Then you're not eyeballing it, you pedal and manually push the derailleur and see where it actually shifts to. But yeah, do it with no cable.

[@maximus5052]

I swear by this method,so much more effective.

[@kipphawley4514]

It would be great to have you do a segment on the different years of bikes that are capable of having upgraded parts on them. For example, if you have a 1970s bike, which year of the parts are you able to use on a 1970s bike. Same thing as well for the 80s and the 90s. Because I truly would like to have a better understanding of that. Due to that I don't know if a 90s parts would work on a 1970s bike or 80s bike work on a 2000s bike parts.

[@simonm1447]

On a 1970s bike 90s or 2000s parts don't simply work at the drive train. Back then they had no hyperglide cassettes (uni glide are mounted different from a hyperglide with a locking) , 5 speed speed drive trains are no longer built and indexing came in the 1980s. The Shimano 5 speed shifting from the 70s had not a cable but a single wire which could push and pull, incompatible with modern systems and you are lucky if you still get new parts for that. Also you can't simply mix components from different manufacturers, at least not if the shifting has indexing since the pull ratios are different. Before the 2000s most rear axles were narrower than the 135 mm used from then on, so a modern hub don't simply fit except it's a steel frame and you can widen it up.

[@another3997]

​@@simonm1447 You can still buy the old style freehubs, six speed blocks are still made and can often be used on older bikes, you can physically limit the derailleur to use just 5 cogs. Friction shifters for derailleur gears are still available. Cables don't push, they just pull... a spring loaded gear mech does the pulling back. Besides, there always were, and still are, several manufacturers of cycling parts other than Shimano. Getting parts for bikes made before the 1960s is going to be harder, but you can find parts to fit most bikes from the '70s and beyond if you look around and are prepared to sacrifice originality.

[@simonm1447]

@@another3997 Shimano once had a 5 speed shifter which was controlled not by a modern steel cable which can just pull but it was controlled by one single wire which could do push and pull. I think this was in the 1970s, my father had such a bike. Of course modern cables just pull, the force in the other direction is made by a spring in the derailleur. The 1970s 5 speed derailleur my father had was different, and if you get spares for that today it's from old stock or used stuff

[@simonm1447]

@@another3997 it was positron 1, which was introduced in 74. It had a single push and pull wire. Positron 2 already had a steel cable like it's used today

[@GarryQuinn]

Excellent, just the tips I was waiting for.

[@carlosochoa9388]

I always use the chain stay to hold to pedal still cuz I've slammed my knuckles into the front cog more than once and seen knew riders do the same the way you did it and cut up hand

[@vernsmart1922]

Some good tips, Thanks!!

[@antoniohatch5170]

My memory for pedals is pedal the crank forward to remove, and backpedal to install.

[@interceptor7905]

How do you determine position of rear derailleur before adjusting pulleys?Thank you

[@Jim-sz7qi]

Does the newer rear derailleurs screw settings fit on 1980 road bikes?

[@Bikeops2021]

Yup, never knew the brake adjuster one, cool as... 👍

[@dougbutcher4452]

Love the Ritchey

[@ricardorivera6359]

Hi, I'm a big fan of yours videos ,Since you talked about how to install the rear transmission, I would like a video with info on how to adjust it well so that it doesn't have a final sound when upshifting or downshifting and the complete adjustment, sometimes we use parts shimano but not from the same team ( deore with sora - 105 with sensha ) example of what he talked about .

[@makevet6531]

Great vid - Q: I want to replace the chain on my 10 sped 70s Centurion road bike. Can`t find the original for sale. How do I know which of the modern ones fits my bike?

[@supervortex8363]

i have i tip for you when removing bar grips to make it easy first undo the break leaver,,,slide the break lever off to slide off the grips ,

[@williampearce5878]

Awesome tips first class thanks.

[@urchinden]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Johann-4354]

Love my steel frame bikes.

[@oswrdfsh]

amazing as always - I have an old Kona NuNu that needs a make over - do you do requests?

[@Ronin_Texas]

Awesome video, great advice.

[@jasonbannan4024]

Thanks. Very helpful.

[@Mike-kr9ys]

Those were useful & valuable tips! Thank you. There will be less cursing in the world after this video.

[@nickmassey9104]

Cool video .Rob why don't you fit rubber noddles on your v brake cables ?

[@restorationdotbike]

screw out the barrel adjuster most of the way! I saw you do it in one of your videos and thought to myself "it would help so many people if you said why you do that". Great job!

[@JoshuaYoungsma]

Solid tips!

[@dm7646]

Great information here!

[@chrisko6439]

Great! This should be pinned, so everyone who visits your channel can have a look at it.

[@MrByrneyboy]

Great tips😊

[@driver8sk]

A wise bike shop guy told me that if the part has threads and you want to remove it one day, it either needs threadlocker or grease. I guess expand that to anti-seize for fancy titanium parts.

[@RoadieRick]

How do I identify what crank or hub I have so I can upgrade the sprockets and gears?

[@StanEby1]

Very useful. Thank you very much. 😊

[@tecdesigns8183]

Great advice thanks

[@RubenCasias-zf3vd]

Thanks 👍

[@1RunnerDad]

So THAT’S how to do a rear derailleur! Thanks!

[@gregmccaslin7400]

Thank you .

[@LoranBriggs]

What is your tip for setting up the initial derailleur indexing? I liked how you did the limit screws adjustment before the cable, curious how you do the initial indexing similar to how you showed the brake adjustment.

[@simonm1447]

I'm not oldshovel, but if I set up the cable I shift the lever into the biggest gear (since the derailleur moves there from itself), turn out the barrel adjuster for the cable to the middle (so you can move it in both directions), put tension by hand on the cable and tighten the clamp. Then you can do the finer adjustments.

[@LoranBriggs]

Thanks!

[@ToddNZMTB]

Mate I'm just about dying out here with a 30t up front and 34 on the back, 1:1 is chest beating knuckle dragging protein beast stuff 😆

[@oldshovel]

Lol yeah I’ve concluded that I’m just not a 90’s xc racer… 😁

[@bsdooby]

Can cantilever brakes (on a similar bike to this shown in the video) easily be replaced by V-brakes?

[@saidimon]

6:33 The best part! Changing gear sound is so juicy 👌🤤

[@sidmarx7276]

If you unscrew pedals in backward rotation, then bottom brackets unscrew in forward rotation?

[@christopherdier6542]

Anyone know anything about Taylor bikes? I’m looking at a Taylor Mill Valley but can’t find much about it.

[@ADAMJWAITE]

You're only the second person on KZbin I've seen (the other one being Park Tools) who explains how to set up a derailleur properly. Everyone gets it wrong and skips setting up the limit screws.

[@oldshovel]

Did I get it right 😁

[@keithschrack]

*** My Pedal Haiku *** To the rear loosens To the front tightens, thusly Both sides are the same

[@oldshovel]

My friend, you win the comment section! Awesome awesome awesomeness!

[@uprsng44]

right pedal -- right thread, left pedal -- left thread

[@kaesz00]

I'm still waiting for an episode about frame painting tips :)

[@Barry101er]

That Ritchey!