A few weeks ago I found a
beater bike in the trash. I snagged it and decided to rebuild this historical artifact. It's a Nishiki, which is a decent make of bike certainly worth repairing. It's in rough shape now but it has potential. But before you can construct, you must deconstruct.
This bike is so dirty and banged up that I need to remove all the components in order to clean them and clean the frame. Here's the front derailer. Just a thought, but I think the dirt is impairing performance.
To remove the cranks, remove the retaining bolts with a socket wrench. Adjustable wrenches and pliers will not be able to access the recessed bolt- you'll need a socket wrench. It's also helpful to remove the pedals prior to removing the cranks as you'll have more leverage when they're connected to the bike. Remember that the right pedal threads normally (righty tighty- lefty loosy) but the left threads counterclockwise (so to remove it you need to twist it in the right hand direction to remove it). Most pedals have flat spots for a wrench to grip but some have only a narrow band that requires a special pedal removal wrench. Other pedals have an allen key on the pedal axle for removal and installation. Don't forget to keep track of the way the threads turn so you're turning the pedals in the correct direction.
A specially crank pulling tool is used to remove the crank arms. Essentially the tool threads into the cranks and then a bolt is screwed down onto the bottom bracket spindle thereby removing the cranks. Crank pullers are about $15 and last forever. They're well worth the investment!
Check out that grime and pinged steel frame.
Three of the cantilever brakes came right off but on the fourth one of the bushings came loose inside the brake housing and would not slide off the brake post. With no other option, I ground out the bushing with an angle grinder and it slid right off.
After hours of removing grime and slime with a citrus degreaser and a toothbrush, I had a frame and set of components that looked fairly presentable. I'll need to add some components from other bikes and replace some wear parts but I'll be able to salvage many of these parts.
Take a look at that frame! Slightly less gross looking than before.
Before you paint, you might prime. I'm not sanding this frame down to the metal because this is a beater bike and it's not worth the time or effort. Plus I don't want to make this bike look too nice because it'll only make it a hotter target for thieves. Note that you can't skip the cleaning and degreasing step and just prime and paint because the the grease will prevent the paint from bonding to the metal. Along these lines, without primer, the paint won't bond with the frame nearly as well and you won't be pleased with the results. Priming is an easy step that will greatly enhance the final product, even if you're rebuilding a beater bike and aren't too concerned about aesthetics.
Check out this primed frame. Not bad compared to how I found it.
Stay tuned for the rebuilding stage. I'm going to rebuild the bottom bracket and the headset, put a coat of paint on the frame and reassemble and calibrate all the components. Can't wait to take this for a spin!
This bike is so dirty and banged up that I need to remove all the components in order to clean them and clean the frame. Here's the front derailer. Just a thought, but I think the dirt is impairing performance.
To remove the cranks, remove the retaining bolts with a socket wrench. Adjustable wrenches and pliers will not be able to access the recessed bolt- you'll need a socket wrench. It's also helpful to remove the pedals prior to removing the cranks as you'll have more leverage when they're connected to the bike. Remember that the right pedal threads normally (righty tighty- lefty loosy) but the left threads counterclockwise (so to remove it you need to twist it in the right hand direction to remove it). Most pedals have flat spots for a wrench to grip but some have only a narrow band that requires a special pedal removal wrench. Other pedals have an allen key on the pedal axle for removal and installation. Don't forget to keep track of the way the threads turn so you're turning the pedals in the correct direction.
A specially crank pulling tool is used to remove the crank arms. Essentially the tool threads into the cranks and then a bolt is screwed down onto the bottom bracket spindle thereby removing the cranks. Crank pullers are about $15 and last forever. They're well worth the investment!
Check out that grime and pinged steel frame.
Three of the cantilever brakes came right off but on the fourth one of the bushings came loose inside the brake housing and would not slide off the brake post. With no other option, I ground out the bushing with an angle grinder and it slid right off.
After hours of removing grime and slime with a citrus degreaser and a toothbrush, I had a frame and set of components that looked fairly presentable. I'll need to add some components from other bikes and replace some wear parts but I'll be able to salvage many of these parts.
Take a look at that frame! Slightly less gross looking than before.
Before you paint, you might prime. I'm not sanding this frame down to the metal because this is a beater bike and it's not worth the time or effort. Plus I don't want to make this bike look too nice because it'll only make it a hotter target for thieves. Note that you can't skip the cleaning and degreasing step and just prime and paint because the the grease will prevent the paint from bonding to the metal. Along these lines, without primer, the paint won't bond with the frame nearly as well and you won't be pleased with the results. Priming is an easy step that will greatly enhance the final product, even if you're rebuilding a beater bike and aren't too concerned about aesthetics.
Check out this primed frame. Not bad compared to how I found it.
Stay tuned for the rebuilding stage. I'm going to rebuild the bottom bracket and the headset, put a coat of paint on the frame and reassemble and calibrate all the components. Can't wait to take this for a spin!
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