Last year during Covid, I did a resto mod to my 98 Stumpjumper hardtail that I've had since new. I upgraded the drive train to a 1x12 Sram (that fit perfectly first try with no mods!) and a mid 2000s SID xc fork up front. A new pair of 720 mm bars and it rides like a dream!
i'd love to see yours. I have the same bike since new, and it's still one of my favourite bikes. I'd like to do a resto mod like yours and would like to learn more details what you did.
I agree 100%. I purchased a early 90's Marinoni Columbus lugged steel road bike for 150 bucks on Nextdoor. Sold all the old parts and used the proceeds to equipped it with a Sram Apex 10-speed group set, Ritchey WCS compones and a 1" threadless Ritchey carbon fork. It's such a sweeter bike now. Also congrats on the new house and bigger shop.
I have been into restoring old road bikes for many years. I found some bikes I wanted to keep totally original, period correct. But some projects were too difficult to allocate all the right stuff. I had also been watching what car guys were doing. They were putting modern wheels, brakes, whatever on thier builds. I stated doing this, and of course encountered some engineering problems, but that made it fun. I liked the challenge of figuring it out. Sometimes I'd need to fab a part. This made me a better mechanic.
I am in process of restomodding a 1989(?) Schwinn Woodlands. This bike was bought by my family new and was ridden by my mom around our town for most of the 90s but was mouldering in a barn for about 20 years. The second one was ridden hard by me from 89-95 until I wore out the components and sold it when I went to college. Big mistake. I was happy to see if that one was still around and was the same size as mine. I’ve been riding it around most of the summer and love it. It’s currently mostly the original parts but will be adding some alt bars over the winter like Albatross or Bosco . It’s fast, snappy, responsive and just feels right, especially to ride in town or on dirt roads or ORV/horse paths. It makes me feel like a kid again.
I am sorry about the difficult family stuff. I know I'm some rando on the internet, but your videos have totally help and distract me during my tough times. Good luck.
Thanks for all they great videos over the years! I got a lot of great inspiration for bike restos from them, not to mention the sheer enjoyment of just watching them. Good luck with your new digs and whatever else is going on.
I’ve got an 80s trek and and 80s Japanese road bike, I put felt wheels on them and new cassette/derailleurs and just threw on new cables, seat, and bar tape and it’s the most fun thing and I sticker bombed one of them it’s definitely one of a kind
I have a Cannondeale F1000 in Black faded to Silver faded to White paint.. last year of the CAAD3 series, think 2007, that I'm starting to modernise, I've ditched the ruined headshox I had and have got some very light carbon forks..and lightweight carbon and Titanium where possible.. I CAN'T wait for this to be done!
9 months... It took me 9 months to restore a mongoose NX 7 pro mtb, found it in a dumpsters. someone throw it away, doesn't want it anymore. and "it's mine" now . I love the outcome of the bike, it's has a certain character upon restoration. Thank you for sharing your video, awesome suggestion to all who wants to restore a vintage bike, no regrets. 🥰👍
I restomoded a 95 tuqesta gt and it turned out great!it will get over almost anything and it flys across grass and mud like it's on pavement,I put 780mm bars 1x10,and hydraulic disc brakes newest rims I could afford.and air rock shocks forks,i also restored my outpost gt that was my favorite bike but my tuqesta kicks its ass now
Another reason: to learn. I know nothing about working on bikes but I have a Lotus Excelle that I have almost all the way apart. I just have to get those bits out of the top and bottom where the fork goes in. Then I’m going to clean it all up and try to figure out how to get it all back together. I’m learning the terms, getting a few special tools as I find I need them, and going to turn it into a single speed. Going slowly but having fun learning. Mostly from UA-cam videos!
I recently bought a used set of tubulars in 700c and omg! I'm ready to convert all of my steel bikes to sew ups. The problem is the cash outlay. My usual first modernize is a Holotech BB with a 110 mm spider so I can get the gearing my old legs will tolerate. I have also become a fan of microshift. I put a 10 speed set of brifters on a very early Trek 1000 and they function flawlessly. Love your channel, keep the videos coming to educate folks like me.
The frustrating thing is finding a bike shop with staff who understand my interest in working on old bikes in order to RestoMod them and learn about bike mechanics. They're often not interested in answering questions or helping me find ways to solve the problems I come across as I'm working on a project - I guess that's not what they get paid to do.
You kind of nailed it on the head at the end. They don’t get paid to do it. Those conversations can last hours, and they have bikes to be working on/fixing, etc. It’s not that they aren’t interested, it’s that they get railed on my people who are constantly asking when their bike is going to be fixed. It’s a time thing
The first time my LBS put my restomoded DiamondBack Apex up on his stand, he said "Oh, this is a nice bike. I thought it was somekinda cruiser". I guess the riser bars fooled him! Now, his employees tell me "He likes your projects. He always wants to be the one working on them.".
I'm a bike mechanic that's been doing it in the "bicycle industry" for over 40 years. I don't do it because I'm looking to get rich, but it's been my main hobby for a long time. Riding, racing, and repairing bikes. I don't think most enthusiasts, new bike mechanics, rest-moders, Etc. will ever understand the day to day experience of a seasoned bike mechanic. For the amount of time it takes to explain something, something that we already know the result of, despite the best of intentions by a curious individual, there's another client, customer that's going to be angry because their bike wasn't repaired in a timely manner. I'm not trying to be rude, pretentious, or have some king of elite attitude, but the bike shop business is tough. Very tight margins to make enough money to survive. Bike mechanics don't make money solving other peoples problems unless they're being paid to do so. Seriously, it's not a greed thing, it's a survival thing.
To me , a Restomod is aero brake levers , clipless pedals, and no more than an 8 speed cogset. Anymore than that is just fluff. All 30+ roadbikes of mine ,some 50 years old, can perform flawlessly with never the sorry asked failures I`ve witnessed from the eternally upgraded crowd that after decades of experience still haven`t figured it out.
The more I see of this channel, the more I'm inspired to restomod a couple of my old bikes that I haven't ridden in years. I have a 1993 Fuji Roubaix that I want to turn into a street fighter like your LeMond, but single speed. And my 1998 Gary Fisher Aquila - love that green paint - would make a great gravel bike. Thanks for all the great content!
Another thing when it comes to modern Vs. vintage components is very often the entry level/budget/off-brand stuff of today is better than the top of the line stuff that donned the pro's bikes back then. The Aliexpress ZRACE HARDROCK crankset I dropped on my 1997 Saracen Kili Team a few years back, are superior in pretty much every way to what was available back then and cost £56 to my door.
During covid my wife got me a Bafang BBS02 mid drive kit that I installed on my 89 Cannondale XM, that I bought new, and I've been riding a lot again. Now I'm looking for ways to make it even better, which is how I ran across this channel 😀
I took apart my old 15 y/o XC bike. Sold all the parts. Had the frame stripped and repainted professionally with a new color and new logos. Then slapped on 1x GX Eagle drivetrain, dropper post, tubeless tires, everything modern. The bike is now lighter and rides way better. Very fun.
I got a Cannondale SM500 off of Craigs-I like the idea of keeping it all original (it was hardly ridden) but I am going to resto-mod for sure-make it mine!
I have done resto-mods on my 1983 Gitane Sprint and my 1994 Stumpjumper M2. My biggest changes have been teh road bike getting Sun rims, aero spokes, new tires, sealed BB, titanium bolts, stretched frame and upgraded to 7 speed freehub.
I've got a 1964 Schwinn Super Sport, bought brand new, ridden for 1 year, and left in a basement for 58 years until the original owner passed. It's now wearing single speed Mavic wheels, velo orange fenders, front flat rack and wide drop bars, modern Tektro brakes and it's great. When the paint wears off you've inspired me to strip the paint to bare steel and use gun blueing.
I have constantly doing that with my bikes! It's really a Fun & Pleasant way 😊 For example, my MTB took me about 3 years to reach the desire configuration, modifying the components step by step. Unique?! For sure, mine is a mixed up of Downhill with X-country: Syncros Handlebar, Saint Brakes, SLX Group Set in a Carbon Hardtail Frame that all together give me confort & performance on Commute or Trail Rides 🤙🏻🚲🍀 See ya, blue skies
Adding my touch to the bike to make it enjoyable to me. Typcially that is switching out the compenets. Lately with my older steel frames, that has been cold setting the rear end to accept 130mm hubs. The ilder frames, to me, have so much style with the lugs, that it is a shame to keep them hanging up or with the older components. That being said, there is something about just restoring an old classic; like hunting down period specific parts online or at a swap meet.
I’ve RestoModed a older KLEIN AuraX road bike frame with new Bontrager parts (Stem, handelbar, seatpost, saddle), a Shimano 105 5700 group set and a set of Vision Team30 wheels… I simply love that bike
My resto-mod project was to take my early 2000's chrome-moly frame MTB and convert it over to single speed. Even with a lot of original parts like v-brakes and a Manitou elastomer fork that I rebuilt, its like an entirely new bike to me. Instead of having it sit in storage most of the year, I'm now regularly taking it out for rips on the local trails and having a blast.
A guy brought me an early 70s Fred Deeley Apollo in beautiful condition. He had bought a second hand 105 full groupset...cranks wheels everything. He asked me to set it all up. It was a challenge. There was some cold forming required to get the 10 spd rear wheel in the stays. Also, had to come up with something for cable housing stops. It was a success. The test rides were delightful. You are right. The bike is yours when you do a custom build. I usually sandblast and repaint the frame when I do total rebuilds. Have even put my own last name on the downtube. No one knows that NORGAARD bikes aren't a thing. Haha.
Went to the bike shop and they told me the Manitou Answer shocks on my Gary Fisher Aquila were obsolete. Came to youtube and found a video about restoring those and he included the company [suspension fork parts] with the parts that are available to do so. Now I just need the time, probably this summer. The GF Aquila has the Chromoly steel frame that is rumored to be pretty desirable in vintage bikes.
Stripped a 1986 Cannondale mtb frame of parts and paint. Replaced the tired 3x7 crap with a 48/39crankset and the 9 speed parts from a Jekyll frame that cracked(heartbreak). Completely blacked out with parts. Painted hunter green with replica decals in hunter orange cleared in a matte finish for a modern look. I call it my Camodale. My go to cruiser. Chubby thinner fast tires, rack and packs for touring. Yes, my Camodale is my bike. No regrets.
I have a couple of old 10 speeds out in the garage that I bought from an auction. I hope to get around to doing something like this some day. What I have done and this was inane. I had a Cannondale Cross Country mountain bike that I bought new in about 2013 and paid about $750 for it, new. Later, I had a massive stroke, but when I was back home in recovery and had to retire, I decided to totally make that bike mine. So when I got done, no joke, the only original part was the frame. I had SRAM 1X10 setup and a low-end, but brand name suspension fork. New Renthal bars, grips, Hope brake discs and calipers, all hydraulic, new saddle, rims, tires. Literally everything. When I moved to my new home way up north, I rode it a few times around here and decided that after all that work, now it just bored me, so I traded it at a bike shop for a fat tire Trek Farley 5. I like it, but don't intend to modify much about it. I've changed the saddle and the grips. I think that'll do on this one. But there's no reason other than funding, why I can't do to those 10 speeds, at least one of them, the same thing I did to the Cannondale.
I've bought several vintage bikes recently and I find that due to my advancing years and being surrounded by hills up to 25% the usual single chain ring and tiny 5 speed freewheel are unuseable so I have to replace the whole drive train. I put a tapered square cartridge in the bottom bracket. The Shimano UN300s have soft alloy threads so steel Raleigh threads will recut them if necessary. I can then fit a 3 sprocket chain set and front derailleur. I re-lace an 8 speed hub and wide range MTB cassette on the rear with suitable shifters either indexed or friction. I can now ride them up a brick wall allbeit at a snails pace without spinning out down hill 😊.
Great video Rob Recently got a giant atx atlanta world cup edition .from being thrown out .ue to a brake pivot being broken. Welded back on. Touched up the paint. New bb chain ,sprocket , cables.etc and itl be back on the road.
Hi Old Shovel- My story . . . . . Great video . . . . . I'm currently working on my old French '75 Motobacane Grand Jubilee Steel road bike. It's got to be the most beautiful riding bike I've ever had (next to my new '24 All City Zig Zag of course)! Anyway, the bike is definitely not stock except for the steel frame which I had powder-coated the same stock color. This has been a 30 year on and off project where I have replaced the old parts with vintage era parts: campy, shimano, suntour. I utilize the local bike Coop now where I can to do some work myself. My goal has been to change it from a racer to more of a rando/touring bike. It has a 6-speed free wheel. I set it up with sugino triple crank 28-38-48. The old NUOVO record small cage derailler/suntour triple front derailler works pretty well with it. I've moved the campy down tube shifters to the bar ends with a retrofit kit. I'm still using the vintage campy/omega hardox rims i bought with it; and, they're sooo smooth on the road. The bike makes no clicking noises when your not pedeling . . . .it's very quiet . . . . I like that! One of my local BS mechanics put up a fuss with me because he didn't want to work on an old French bike with the weird bottom bracket threading it had. He said I should buy a new bike (from him of course!). Forget it!! I took it across town to a another shop. They fixed it up and also earned my buisness on a new bike (all city steel zig zag). I'm happy now . . . .still got some more parts to get off ebay . . . . everything is good! Thanks for a positive video on old bike restmods! Old Moto/All City Dan
I agree with your sentiments exactly! A number of years ago I was restoring a vintage Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, that was saved from being headed to the landfill. It was a nice bike, but time hadn't been kind to it. The rear wheel was tacoed, and the rear shifting wasn't working right. I found it very difficult to find original parts for the bike. I did manage get some parts to get it working, but I was never really happy with the bike's performance. The parts the bike was originally equipped with may have been groundbreaking for it's time, but they're very antiquated now. I made the decision to swap out all the parts I wasn't happy with, and modernize it where necessary. It wasn't that hard to find vastly superior parts for it. The bike did end up becoming a bit of a money pit (the mint Thompson seatpost I put on it may have been a contributing factor... LOL). After the build, I rode the bike everywhere for months, and it performed flawlessly. I was very happy with it, and so was the guy I sold it to!
Did this with my Niner MCR after years of riding it to work, I realized I missed it as an MTB. Now I ride it on the trails again. Keep up the good work, and keep your head up! Fan in Boise.
I Called in my term...experiment bike ..using flat bar, suspension stem and seat post and finally use dropbar with modern brifter fd rd and HT Crank....really nostalgic bike ever...🥰
Just got done with a 1992 Schwinn CrossPoint went with SRAM Rival 1x11 and it's been a great learning process and it turned out pretty great best part is I got to ride with my daughter the first time I took it out
Nice channel, and great work, Oldshovel. In 2009, my son and I converted my original 1987 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp with the pearl paint job and Miami Vice blue and pink decals into something a little different. It ended up looking more like a Pashley Guv'nor.
put a 46t cassette, sram mtn derailleur, 105 compact crank and went tubeless with 28c tires on my 88 Marinoni that i got when i was a teenager. its a great endurance bike that climbs any logging road where i live in the rockies. dont even ride my modern gravel bike anymore.
I love my dad’s 1999-2000 Specialized Hardrock Sport but he didn’t want his heavily altered. So I poked around Craigslist and found an exact duplicate, like it came out of the same bike shop level of duplicate. The previous owner had some things changed from the original state. Like it was supposed to have Weinman wheels but mine has some Alex Rims. I swapped it from a SRAM X-3 3x8 to a Shimano Acera 1x8. Used a Proflie Design quill to 1 1/8 stem adapter and older Ibis drop bars from a coworker. Also went with some Panaracer Gravelking SK+ tires. Also made the jump to a Brooks C-17 saddle and haven’t had many issues. I am happy with the build and it has been a great bike to commute on, when it isn’t a million degrees.
I saw a Mountain Cycle Zen frame at a local bike shop. $30 was a great deal. Seems that the frame required a specific front derailleur that is not available. I converted it to a 1x9 so the penalty was that top speed suffered... but for me i have a road bike for going fast. Good video and relevant. Thanks for the time you put in these vids.
great video and what I consider to be a great hobby pastime sometimes business playing with old bicycles is not playing it's therapy ! Hang in there we all go through lifes changes and tribulations 🕊️ 🙏
Bless you for attending Scout Camp. That organization has endured a lot of criticism due to some selfish and heinous acts, but the overall goal and intent was to build skills in boys as they ascend into manhood. I enjoyed my time in scouts, both as a boy and as a leader.
Can't wait to see the new build of the shop. Wishing you the best on the recovery of moving. Moving sucks, but worht it in the end. I've got a good space to hopefully start my hobby shop this winter, depending on how busy I get with work and this ski season.
I actually just finished a resto mod in my 2006 Specialized Sequoia. I finished it Friday and I’m taking her out for the first time since today (Sunday). I used a mix if Previous gen Tiagra and current gen Tiagra with some 105 Levers and cassette. Some Gravel King tires with the tan walls looks amazing!
The tan walls complete the looks. decided to put some on my 99-00 Specialized Hardrock Sport and it just completes the look. Even my mechanic was impressed.
now that I finished Modding / upgrading my modern Trek, I am currently in the process of restoring my already modified 1982 Peugeot road frame single speed (BMX driveline) conversion.... with a paint job inspired by some of the work you have posted.
I've resto-modded a 1983 Dawes Galaxy touring bike, it wasn't completely original when I bought it. I've tastefully added new black continental tyres, clipless pedals and a handlebar stem which are the modern elements, it came with 90's Shimano brake levers which was an upgrade from the original ones by the first owner. The gearing is original and friction.
I’ve got a 1992 Mongoose Switchback that I restored and added riser bars, basket, new PNW loam grips, rack, and fenders to. Everything else is restored original. Love it as my daily driver. Just got a free 1992 Trek 800 that I’m thinking I might go more resto-mod with. I wish it had an 8-9-10 speed compatible rear hub… maybe I’ll rebuild the wheels.
I updated my 89 GT Karakoram once I saw the Nitto Bullmoose quill bars and just turned it into a monster commuter/errand runner with a dynamo and full racks and Brooks everything. Love it.
Don't discard old Rapid Fire shifters, with a bit of patience and time you can disassemble, clean, and apply fresh lube. I did this with a set of '01 Shimano LX shifters that were "hanging up" and missing shifts. Once I did this and used a lightweight oil instead of grease, they worked like new.
I would hesitate before modding an older and still complete classic, but if it were missing significant components or were a minor product I can see the advantages of updating the bike. For example, I wanted to try the wonderful world of road bikes, so I picked up a vintage Bianchi Randonneur for $125; an amount I can easily sacrifice if I decide I can't ride road bikes. And it's in excellent condition, so I don't need to replace anything but the tubes. If I do decide to keep it, I would replace the 27x1-1/2 with 1-1/8 tires to make more clearance, and add fenders and at least a front rack. Actual randonneur bikes need fenders and a front rack, right? The front chain rings are 52/47/34. I would like to swap the middle ring with a 42 for even steps between the three chain rings, and have the rear end spread for a seven speed freewheel. If it were an Italian Bianchi I would hesitate before even doing that much, but since it's a Japanese Bianchi, built by another company, I'm willing to make modest changes. Everyone has their own tolerances on the issue.
My biggest restomod was converting a full sus 94 Stumpjumper with 3x7 drivetrain into a dropbar 1x10 gravel bike. Lots of challenges and some $ spent but it’s cool and it’s mine.
I converted an old 26 inch mtb to a 700cc disc brake almost road/ touring bike and it rides pretty dang well it definitely isn’t the fastest bike out there but it sure is fun to ride sadly I am going to be in the future upgrading to an E bike so my custom bike build will be sold but I am still happily riding it to this day well at least once my New E bike replacement arrives!
It’s 12’x16’ with 8’ walls. The peak of the shed is 3’ above the top of the walls (11’ total in the center). Then I have the bikes 6” apart on each side and staggered every 3” down the center so I have a bike hanging every 3 inches.
You could do a how to modify for a larger cassette, and pitfalls, the hanger ear can be too short. I tried to put a large cassette on a 90s Kona Cinder Cone (Alu one), even tried using a goatlink -it did not work... !!good luck on moving!!
Hey Oldshovel! I love your videos and what you do. I have recently acquired a 1979 Schwinn varsity and I want to restore it. Do you have any tips or tricks to make the job a little easier? Thank you in advance.
Yeh - I had those flat bars on my bike. My hands always got numb. I added bar ends soon after I got the bike over 30 years ago. My hands always got numb. I finally changed to a sort of a Dutch style handlebar a few months back and it helped. What will wear out? I can see that the cams in the thumb shifters may eventually wear, but I think epoxy can renew old plastic parts. Alternately, I can cut new pieces with the Dremel. The springs may force me to change them out, but they are still good after 30 years. I see no real advantage to a 1X and my cantilever brakes seem to work fine. Maybe the best thing for some of us is to just clean it, replace bearings and lube it. I ain't shaving my legs either.
I got a Specialized 'Crossroads' for $10 at a garage sale years ago. It was pretty sad shape with lots of SanFrancisco rust. First I rebuilt it along with a matching Crossroads I got in the same deal just a much smaller frame. Over the years as parts I wanted came through my shop I'd set those aside and swap them out later after I finished what ever build I was doing. Almost all my builds are bikes discarded on the streets of San Francisco in actually decent shape to downright borderline junk. Many bikes have ended up in my parts bins and the frame taken to the junk man in South SF. I got huge vintage brake levers, stem shifters in stead of plastic grip shift, some of the those enclosed triangle cantilevers from the late eighties, so much more. By now the only thing native to the bike is the front wheel and forks. The next thing I'm looking to ad are some Cunningham roller cam brakes. I did have a bike come through with a set but they needed to go back on. Both my primary and my back up bike are built from disparate parts I got from junkers, friends and a very few online.
I've been "restomodding" my 94 Gary Fisher Paragon since it was new. I upgraded it a bunch the first few years I had it, then as I would get new bikes and components the old ones would trickle down. At this point the only thing that's stock is the frame, bottom bracket and hubs. I'll never get rid of it.
Some components waiting for a new life in secret places at home: Lapierre ti frame, AMP F3xc fork, USE ti seatpost, Shimano XT VB & 2x10 transmission. Need to find quality 26" rims and build a nice wheelset.
The issue I have here is cost. I have a 1980s (i think?) Univega Nuovo Sport that has a bunch of shifting and comfort issues that I'm trying to fix. For the price of a modern groupset, I can buy an entirely new bike sometimes with better parts! Would love to restomod this bike since I have it already but price always is the biggest factor here.
Maybe, depending on what is rubbish on your old bike. My go to old Saracen Tufftrax Elite has mostly original era 90s parts, yes, the shifters wore out a while ago but found some unworn older 8speed ones that work properly. Wheels are pretty old but with LX deore level serviceable hubs are great. Rims not worn out yet... Drive train, bits and bobs of LX apart from cheapo modern rear mech that works better than the original 1990s XT ! Brakes, on cantis with good quality pads , they work properly and very well. Modern tyres fitted, thank goodness.... Road bike for racing, vintage 753 Argos, vintage compact chainset and front mech, 8 speed older shifters , vintage (1960s!) brakes with modern pads .. With modern race wheels, it is fast for hilly time trials, particularly on rough roads. I might upgrade to some lighter equipment on this one but the older mountain bike it's keeping the vintage parts until they wear out. I'm an older guy been doing this a long time and see stuff come and go, some of the modern kit that is now old was terrible , some front mechs terrible but somethings like cup and cone wheel bearings are still faster than cartridge bearing hubs.... thank f for cartridge bb bearings tho 😂
Great video, question for you: I have a fully chromed pinarello montello from the 80s and want to paint it as part of a restomod. Ever have any luck painting over chrome? Thanks
I have a FUJI folding mountain that came with decent low end components. It's a nice looking frame for a folder and after seeing a restomod video of this bike, it's got me wanting to update my bike. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many quality upgrade parts for a 3x5 15-speed bike, like a 5 speed shifter and rear derailleur. Is there any solution for this setup? The most common parts are for 6 speeds or higher. Thanks in advance.
Old components do wear out, especially if you used your old bike as a commuter in snowy, wet, winter weather. Grit grinds the goodness away. That is where I am at with the frame I have. Thus, your idea on resto-modding will likely come into play. I have snagged some vintage parts to use where necessary, but the drive train... that is where the mods will likely happen.
On my vintage bikes I generally have new saddles, pedals, tires, chains, brake pads, stems and bars. Generally keep the rest pretty original or period correct.
I'm in the long process of resto-modding an old trek commuter. I want to ride it on paved rail trails. My problem is that I don't know enough about parts to know what to order or where to order from. Thanks, I hope everything goes well with you.
Hello! Greetings from Mérida, Yucatán México. I really enjoy your channel and also i am into "restomod" , i have updated trek 1200 bikes into racers and "street warriors". wish i could have your opinions of these bicycles. one question: Do you see any future for a small business that could sell "restomod" bicycles?. Hope things get better for you and your family.
I'm doing the opposite. I got a used BMX that just came off the race track. The paint looks really good but it is the wrong color, I'm stripping it down it getting new paint with silver leaf and pinstripes. I'm not sure if I want twisted sissy bars yet or straight but I want a black banana seat. I want Schwinn dragster-style fenders, I'll fabricate and weld in any mounting points to make it work. I keeping the BMX-type handlebars, I never did like those OEM handlebars on Stinrays but I like the grips so I'm putting Stingray grips on my BMX bars. I'm building my vision of what a bike should be like. The BMX is made in USA so I'll try to keep all the parts that way if I can. Trying to put vintage-like parts that won't bolt on a modern bike seems like about the same difficulty as putting modern parts that won't bolt on a vintage bike.
My very first bicycle was a Schwinn Stingray I was 13 years old. It was very beat-up hand-me-down and had wobbly rims. I got a book at the school library about fixing bicycles. I replaced all the spokes and trued the rims to replaced every bearing. Then after I finished it my dad bought me a new bicycle. I gave my bike to this very poor kid at the end of the street who could never afford a bike. I've been rebuilding bicycles ever since it became a hobby. Later my uncle started a used bike shop and I could get some cool bikes to build like the 1976 Schwinn World Sport 15 speed and a 1979 Sidewinder were my favorite bikes I got from him, someone stole the World Sport about a week after the new paint dried. I only do one or two at a time, you got to have something to ride while you're building the next one. I haven't done it in a while. For my next bike build, I want to remove all the anodizing and change and match the colors of it, I can do colors you can't find on most parts like orange and violet. I also want to silver and gold leaf pinstripes.
Hello, I really enjoy your videos . I have a 1992 garyfisher "hoo koo e koo" with the raised chainstay with a curve seat tube,and I would like to restore it with new parts. I heard you say that you can weld a disk brake tabes on the frame and my questions is where do I find disk brake tabes. Also would you know someone that could do that for my frame because I live in a aprtment in the new york city area. Thanks again for the cool content.
I do this often. It is not only a lot of fun, it gives you a real sense of accomplishment, and gives you something useable that is totally you! I've got a ways to go to catch up to you. I've only got 17!
My no.1 reason for old bike restomod: finding a lightly used lugged frame bike for a small fraction of a new lugged frame and spending the money you saved on quirky components. P.s. lugged frames uber allies!
I have a Fuji mtb that has 3x5 speed but the thumb shifter is broken and i cant find any replacment. So i modified it to 3x9. 9spd shifters, RD and Cassette is so much available in the market today thats the 1 reason I modified 😍
i have a old 85 peugot , that i have upgrade , got a set of old sti shifter 105 2x8 for 20euro , , and modern wheels with cassette and crankset deraleure from my mid 2010 road bike that i upgrade , modern dual pivot brakes , alu drop handebar , coil to ahead adapter , and the bike ride wery well , the bike was stock with steel wheels , 2x6 freewheel , down tube friction shifters ,steel bars , and steel cranks with the wedge scew was terible to ride ,
I have Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo from 2000.Is it possible to replace square tapered bottom bracket with pressfit bottom bracket,thank you.Any help is greatly appreciated and good luck with your new garage!
@RollinRat Ok,thank you.I was just looking for more options that's all.I agree there is lot of marketing bs these days.Hambini on yt explains it well lol.I can't get my head around that top notch road bike from Trek costs 17 000 bucks!Bikes used to be fun and lifestyle not corporate bs once upon a time.
Last year during Covid, I did a resto mod to my 98 Stumpjumper hardtail that I've had since new. I upgraded the drive train to a 1x12 Sram (that fit perfectly first try with no mods!) and a mid 2000s SID xc fork up front. A new pair of 720 mm bars and it rides like a dream!
i'd love to see yours. I have the same bike since new, and it's still one of my favourite bikes. I'd like to do a resto mod like yours and would like to learn more details what you did.
“It’s yours” that is the key. Couldn’t agree with your more. Good luck with the new shop and looking forward to more awesome builds in future
I agree 100%. I purchased a early 90's Marinoni Columbus lugged steel road bike for 150 bucks on Nextdoor. Sold all the old parts and used the proceeds to equipped it with a Sram Apex 10-speed group set, Ritchey WCS compones and a 1" threadless Ritchey carbon fork. It's such a sweeter bike now. Also congrats on the new house and bigger shop.
Awesome
I have been into restoring old road bikes for many years. I found some bikes I wanted to keep totally original, period correct. But some projects were too difficult to allocate all the right stuff. I had also been watching what car guys were doing. They were putting modern wheels, brakes, whatever on thier builds. I stated doing this, and of course encountered some engineering problems, but that made it fun. I liked the challenge of figuring it out. Sometimes I'd need to fab a part. This made me a better mechanic.
I am in process of restomodding a 1989(?) Schwinn Woodlands. This bike was bought by my family new and was ridden by my mom around our town for most of the 90s but was mouldering in a barn for about 20 years. The second one was ridden hard by me from 89-95 until I wore out the components and sold it when I went to college. Big mistake. I was happy to see if that one was still around and was the same size as mine. I’ve been riding it around most of the summer and love it. It’s currently mostly the original parts but will be adding some alt bars over the winter like Albatross or Bosco . It’s fast, snappy, responsive and just feels right, especially to ride in town or on dirt roads or ORV/horse paths. It makes me feel like a kid again.
Totally agree. Did this to an old Centurion Ironman. It was a lot of fun and really love how it turned out.
I am sorry about the difficult family stuff. I know I'm some rando on the internet, but your videos have totally help and distract me during my tough times. Good luck.
Thanks Matt, much appreciated. 🙏
Of all UA-cam sponsored videos, this is the best one. You’re actually using the product. Awesome!
Thanks for all they great videos over the years! I got a lot of great inspiration for bike restos from them, not to mention the sheer enjoyment of just watching them. Good luck with your new digs and whatever else is going on.
I’ve got an 80s trek and and 80s Japanese road bike, I put felt wheels on them and new cassette/derailleurs and just threw on new cables, seat, and bar tape and it’s the most fun thing and I sticker bombed one of them it’s definitely one of a kind
I have a Cannondeale F1000 in Black faded to Silver faded to White paint.. last year of the CAAD3 series, think 2007, that I'm starting to modernise, I've ditched the ruined headshox I had and have got some very light carbon forks..and lightweight carbon and Titanium where possible.. I CAN'T wait for this to be done!
9 months... It took me 9 months to restore a mongoose NX 7 pro mtb, found it in a dumpsters. someone throw it away, doesn't want it anymore. and "it's mine" now . I love the outcome of the bike, it's has a certain character upon restoration. Thank you for sharing your video, awesome suggestion to all who wants to restore a vintage bike, no regrets. 🥰👍
I restomoded a 95 tuqesta gt and it turned out great!it will get over almost anything and it flys across grass and mud like it's on pavement,I put 780mm bars 1x10,and hydraulic disc brakes newest rims I could afford.and air rock shocks forks,i also restored my outpost gt that was my favorite bike but my tuqesta kicks its ass now
Another reason: to learn. I know nothing about working on bikes but I have a Lotus Excelle that I have almost all the way apart. I just have to get those bits out of the top and bottom where the fork goes in. Then I’m going to clean it all up and try to figure out how to get it all back together. I’m learning the terms, getting a few special tools as I find I need them, and going to turn it into a single speed. Going slowly but having fun learning. Mostly from UA-cam videos!
I recently bought a used set of tubulars in 700c and omg! I'm ready to convert all of my steel bikes to sew ups. The problem is the cash outlay. My usual first modernize is a Holotech BB with a 110 mm spider so I can get the gearing my old legs will tolerate. I have also become a fan of microshift. I put a 10 speed set of brifters on a very early Trek 1000 and they function flawlessly. Love your channel, keep the videos coming to educate folks like me.
The frustrating thing is finding a bike shop with staff who understand my interest in working on old bikes in order to RestoMod them and learn about bike mechanics. They're often not interested in answering questions or helping me find ways to solve the problems I come across as I'm working on a project - I guess that's not what they get paid to do.
Try to find an independent shop or mechanic. 👍
You kind of nailed it on the head at the end. They don’t get paid to do it. Those conversations can last hours, and they have bikes to be working on/fixing, etc. It’s not that they aren’t interested, it’s that they get railed on my people who are constantly asking when their bike is going to be fixed. It’s a time thing
The first time my LBS put my restomoded DiamondBack Apex up on his stand, he said "Oh, this is a nice bike. I thought it was somekinda cruiser". I guess the riser bars fooled him! Now, his employees tell me "He likes your projects. He always wants to be the one working on them.".
I'm a bike mechanic that's been doing it in the "bicycle industry" for over 40 years. I don't do it because I'm looking to get rich, but it's been my main hobby for a long time. Riding, racing, and repairing bikes. I don't think most enthusiasts, new bike mechanics, rest-moders, Etc. will ever understand the day to day experience of a seasoned bike mechanic. For the amount of time it takes to explain something, something that we already know the result of, despite the best of intentions by a curious individual, there's another client, customer that's going to be angry because their bike wasn't repaired in a timely manner.
I'm not trying to be rude, pretentious, or have some king of elite attitude, but the bike shop business is tough. Very tight margins to make enough money to survive. Bike mechanics don't make money solving other peoples problems unless they're being paid to do so. Seriously, it's not a greed thing, it's a survival thing.
To me , a Restomod is aero brake levers , clipless pedals, and no more than an 8 speed cogset. Anymore than that is just fluff. All 30+ roadbikes of mine ,some 50 years old, can perform flawlessly with never the sorry asked failures I`ve witnessed from the eternally upgraded crowd that after decades of experience still haven`t figured it out.
The more I see of this channel, the more I'm inspired to restomod a couple of my old bikes that I haven't ridden in years. I have a 1993 Fuji Roubaix that I want to turn into a street fighter like your LeMond, but single speed. And my 1998 Gary Fisher Aquila - love that green paint - would make a great gravel bike. Thanks for all the great content!
Another thing when it comes to modern Vs. vintage components is very often the entry level/budget/off-brand stuff of today is better than the top of the line stuff that donned the pro's bikes back then. The Aliexpress ZRACE HARDROCK crankset I dropped on my 1997 Saracen Kili Team a few years back, are superior in pretty much every way to what was available back then and cost £56 to my door.
During covid my wife got me a Bafang BBS02 mid drive kit that I installed on my 89 Cannondale XM, that I bought new, and I've been riding a lot again. Now I'm looking for ways to make it even better, which is how I ran across this channel 😀
I took apart my old 15 y/o XC bike. Sold all the parts. Had the frame stripped and repainted professionally with a new color and new logos. Then slapped on 1x GX Eagle drivetrain, dropper post, tubeless tires, everything modern. The bike is now lighter and rides way better. Very fun.
I got a Cannondale SM500 off of Craigs-I like the idea of keeping it all original (it was hardly ridden) but I am going to resto-mod for sure-make it mine!
I have done resto-mods on my 1983 Gitane Sprint and my 1994 Stumpjumper M2. My biggest changes have been teh road bike getting Sun rims, aero spokes, new tires, sealed BB, titanium bolts, stretched frame and upgraded to 7 speed freehub.
I've got a 1964 Schwinn Super Sport, bought brand new, ridden for 1 year, and left in a basement for 58 years until the original owner passed. It's now wearing single speed Mavic wheels, velo orange fenders, front flat rack and wide drop bars, modern Tektro brakes and it's great. When the paint wears off you've inspired me to strip the paint to bare steel and use gun blueing.
I just picked up a 90s Rockhopper.... in the process of mapping out how I want it restored... I'm very excited
I'm still riding my dad's old 90s bianchi mtb. Just mod it to my needs and I love it.
I have constantly doing that with my bikes! It's really a Fun & Pleasant way 😊 For example, my MTB took me about 3 years to reach the desire configuration, modifying the components step by step. Unique?! For sure, mine is a mixed up of Downhill with X-country: Syncros Handlebar, Saint Brakes, SLX Group Set in a Carbon Hardtail Frame that all together give me confort & performance on Commute or Trail Rides 🤙🏻🚲🍀 See ya, blue skies
Adding my touch to the bike to make it enjoyable to me. Typcially that is switching out the compenets. Lately with my older steel frames, that has been cold setting the rear end to accept 130mm hubs. The ilder frames, to me, have so much style with the lugs, that it is a shame to keep them hanging up or with the older components. That being said, there is something about just restoring an old classic; like hunting down period specific parts online or at a swap meet.
I’ve RestoModed a older KLEIN AuraX road bike frame with new Bontrager parts (Stem, handelbar, seatpost, saddle), a Shimano 105 5700 group set and a set of Vision Team30 wheels… I simply love that bike
My resto-mod project was to take my early 2000's chrome-moly frame MTB and convert it over to single speed. Even with a lot of original parts like v-brakes and a Manitou elastomer fork that I rebuilt, its like an entirely new bike to me. Instead of having it sit in storage most of the year, I'm now regularly taking it out for rips on the local trails and having a blast.
A guy brought me an early 70s Fred Deeley Apollo in beautiful condition. He had bought a second hand 105 full groupset...cranks wheels everything. He asked me to set it all up. It was a challenge. There was some cold forming required to get the 10 spd rear wheel in the stays. Also, had to come up with something for cable housing stops. It was a success. The test rides were delightful. You are right. The bike is yours when you do a custom build. I usually sandblast and repaint the frame when I do total rebuilds. Have even put my own last name on the downtube. No one knows that NORGAARD bikes aren't a thing. Haha.
Went to the bike shop and they told me the Manitou Answer shocks on my Gary Fisher Aquila were obsolete. Came to youtube and found a video about restoring those and he included the company [suspension fork parts] with the parts that are available to do so. Now I just need the time, probably this summer. The GF Aquila has the Chromoly steel frame that is rumored to be pretty desirable in vintage bikes.
Stripped a 1986 Cannondale mtb frame of parts and paint. Replaced the tired 3x7 crap with a 48/39crankset and the 9 speed parts from a Jekyll frame that cracked(heartbreak). Completely blacked out with parts. Painted hunter green with replica decals in hunter orange cleared in a matte finish for a modern look.
I call it my Camodale. My go to cruiser. Chubby thinner fast tires, rack and packs for touring.
Yes, my Camodale is my bike.
No regrets.
I have a couple of old 10 speeds out in the garage that I bought from an auction. I hope to get around to doing something like this some day. What I have done and this was inane. I had a Cannondale Cross Country mountain bike that I bought new in about 2013 and paid about $750 for it, new. Later, I had a massive stroke, but when I was back home in recovery and had to retire, I decided to totally make that bike mine. So when I got done, no joke, the only original part was the frame. I had SRAM 1X10 setup and a low-end, but brand name suspension fork. New Renthal bars, grips, Hope brake discs and calipers, all hydraulic, new saddle, rims, tires. Literally everything. When I moved to my new home way up north, I rode it a few times around here and decided that after all that work, now it just bored me, so I traded it at a bike shop for a fat tire Trek Farley 5. I like it, but don't intend to modify much about it. I've changed the saddle and the grips. I think that'll do on this one. But there's no reason other than funding, why I can't do to those 10 speeds, at least one of them, the same thing I did to the Cannondale.
I love this so much ! i'm stuck in the 90's. 98 GT avalanche LE,99 Zaskar
I've bought several vintage bikes recently and I find that due to my advancing years and being surrounded by hills up to 25% the usual single chain ring and tiny 5 speed freewheel are unuseable so I have to replace the whole drive train. I put a tapered square cartridge in the bottom bracket. The Shimano UN300s have soft alloy threads so steel Raleigh threads will recut them if necessary. I can then fit a 3 sprocket chain set and front derailleur. I re-lace an 8 speed hub and wide range MTB cassette on the rear with suitable shifters either indexed or friction. I can now ride them up a brick wall allbeit at a snails pace without spinning out down hill 😊.
I recently Resto mod my 2001 GT Avalanche 2.0 and my 1998 Gary Fisher Marlin, you inspired me by watching your video's.
Great video Rob Recently got a giant atx atlanta world cup edition .from being thrown out .ue to a brake pivot being broken. Welded back on. Touched up the paint. New bb chain ,sprocket , cables.etc and itl be back on the road.
Hi Old Shovel- My story . . . . .
Great video . . . . . I'm currently working on my old French '75 Motobacane Grand Jubilee Steel road bike. It's got to be the most beautiful riding bike I've ever had (next to my new '24 All City Zig Zag of course)! Anyway, the bike is definitely not stock except for the steel frame which I had powder-coated the same stock color. This has been a 30 year on and off project
where I have replaced the old parts with vintage era parts: campy, shimano, suntour.
I utilize the local bike Coop now where I can to do some work myself.
My goal has been to change it from a racer to more of a rando/touring bike. It has a 6-speed free wheel. I set it up with sugino triple crank 28-38-48. The old NUOVO record small cage derailler/suntour triple front derailler works pretty well with it. I've moved the campy down tube shifters to the bar ends with a retrofit kit. I'm still using the vintage campy/omega hardox rims i bought with it; and, they're sooo smooth on the road. The bike makes no clicking noises when your not pedeling . . . .it's very quiet . . . . I like that!
One of my local BS mechanics put up a fuss with me because he didn't want to work on an old French bike with the weird bottom bracket threading it had. He said I should buy a new bike (from him of course!). Forget it!! I took it across town to a another shop. They fixed it up and also earned my buisness on a new bike (all city steel zig zag).
I'm happy now . . . .still got some more parts to get off ebay . . . . everything is good!
Thanks for a positive video on old bike restmods! Old Moto/All City Dan
Good to see you back!! Nice setup! 👍
I agree with your sentiments exactly! A number of years ago I was restoring a vintage Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, that was saved from being headed to the landfill. It was a nice bike, but time hadn't been kind to it. The rear wheel was tacoed, and the rear shifting wasn't working right. I found it very difficult to find original parts for the bike. I did manage get some parts to get it working, but I was never really happy with the bike's performance. The parts the bike was originally equipped with may have been groundbreaking for it's time, but they're very antiquated now. I made the decision to swap out all the parts I wasn't happy with, and modernize it where necessary. It wasn't that hard to find vastly superior parts for it. The bike did end up becoming a bit of a money pit (the mint Thompson seatpost I put on it may have been a contributing factor... LOL). After the build, I rode the bike everywhere for months, and it performed flawlessly. I was very happy with it, and so was the guy I sold it to!
Did this with my Niner MCR after years of riding it to work, I realized I missed it as an MTB. Now I ride it on the trails again. Keep up the good work, and keep your head up! Fan in Boise.
I Called in my term...experiment bike
..using flat bar, suspension stem and seat post and finally use dropbar with modern brifter fd rd and HT Crank....really nostalgic bike ever...🥰
My son loves his resto modded/converted Panasonic gravelbike with a 1x10 microshift.
I forgot to mention: of course inspired by your Panasonic build!
Just got done with a 1992 Schwinn CrossPoint went with SRAM Rival 1x11 and it's been a great learning process and it turned out pretty great best part is I got to ride with my daughter the first time I took it out
Nice channel, and great work, Oldshovel. In 2009, my son and I converted my original 1987 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp with the pearl paint job and Miami Vice blue and pink decals into something a little different. It ended up looking more like a Pashley Guv'nor.
I love your Lemond Streetfighter. It's maybe one of my top3 episodes on your channel. I still want to cold-blue a steel frame because of it!!!
put a 46t cassette, sram mtn derailleur, 105 compact crank and went tubeless with 28c tires on my 88 Marinoni that i got when i was a teenager. its a great endurance bike that climbs any logging road where i live in the rockies. dont even ride my modern gravel bike anymore.
That is a sweet collection! As always I enjoy your videos. Wishing you all the best with the move and with the family!!
I love my dad’s 1999-2000 Specialized Hardrock Sport but he didn’t want his heavily altered. So I poked around Craigslist and found an exact duplicate, like it came out of the same bike shop level of duplicate. The previous owner had some things changed from the original state. Like it was supposed to have Weinman wheels but mine has some Alex Rims. I swapped it from a SRAM X-3 3x8 to a Shimano Acera 1x8. Used a Proflie Design quill to 1 1/8 stem adapter and older Ibis drop bars from a coworker. Also went with some Panaracer Gravelking SK+ tires. Also made the jump to a Brooks C-17 saddle and haven’t had many issues. I am happy with the build and it has been a great bike to commute on, when it isn’t a million degrees.
I saw a Mountain Cycle Zen frame at a local bike shop. $30 was a great deal. Seems that the frame required a specific front derailleur that is not available. I converted it to a 1x9 so the penalty was that top speed suffered... but for me i have a road bike for going fast. Good video and relevant. Thanks for the time you put in these vids.
great video and what I consider to be a great hobby pastime sometimes business playing with old bicycles is not playing it's therapy ! Hang in there we all go through lifes changes and tribulations 🕊️ 🙏
Thanks my friend
@@oldshovel 🤙
Bless you for attending Scout Camp. That organization has endured a lot of criticism due to some selfish and heinous acts, but the overall goal and intent was to build skills in boys as they ascend into manhood. I enjoyed my time in scouts, both as a boy and as a leader.
Can't wait to see the new build of the shop. Wishing you the best on the recovery of moving. Moving sucks, but worht it in the end. I've got a good space to hopefully start my hobby shop this winter, depending on how busy I get with work and this ski season.
I actually just finished a resto mod in my 2006 Specialized Sequoia. I finished it Friday and I’m taking her out for the first time since today (Sunday). I used a mix if Previous gen Tiagra and current gen Tiagra with some 105 Levers and cassette. Some Gravel King tires with the tan walls looks amazing!
The tan walls complete the looks. decided to put some on my 99-00 Specialized Hardrock Sport and it just completes the look. Even my mechanic was impressed.
now that I finished Modding / upgrading my modern Trek, I am currently in the process of restoring my already modified 1982 Peugeot road frame single speed (BMX driveline) conversion.... with a paint job inspired by some of the work you have posted.
I am restoring my 1986 Nasbar road bike with new brake system, and cold set to 130mm for new wheels and 10 speed derailleur, etc.
I've resto-modded a 1983 Dawes Galaxy touring bike, it wasn't completely original when I bought it. I've tastefully added new black continental tyres, clipless pedals and a handlebar stem which are the modern elements, it came with 90's Shimano brake levers which was an upgrade from the original ones by the first owner. The gearing is original and friction.
I’ve got a 1992 Mongoose Switchback that I restored and added riser bars, basket, new PNW loam grips, rack, and fenders to. Everything else is restored original. Love it as my daily driver.
Just got a free 1992 Trek 800 that I’m thinking I might go more resto-mod with. I wish it had an 8-9-10 speed compatible rear hub… maybe I’ll rebuild the wheels.
Absolutely agree with your process on this video and definitely good luck with your family stuff. Always appreciate your videos.
I updated my 89 GT Karakoram once I saw the Nitto Bullmoose quill bars and just turned it into a monster commuter/errand runner with a dynamo and full racks and Brooks everything. Love it.
Thanks Buki 🙏
@@oldshovel Very welcome 👍🏼
I never thought that I will see you in the bathtub, however I enjoyed your top 5 so much. Great video and cool as always 👍
😂🙌
Don't discard old Rapid Fire shifters, with a bit of patience and time you can disassemble, clean, and apply fresh lube. I did this with a set of '01 Shimano LX shifters that were "hanging up" and missing shifts. Once I did this and used a lightweight oil instead of grease, they worked like new.
I would hesitate before modding an older and still complete classic, but if it were missing significant components or were a minor product I can see the advantages of updating the bike.
For example, I wanted to try the wonderful world of road bikes, so I picked up a vintage Bianchi Randonneur for $125; an amount I can easily sacrifice if I decide I can't ride road bikes. And it's in excellent condition, so I don't need to replace anything but the tubes.
If I do decide to keep it, I would replace the 27x1-1/2 with 1-1/8 tires to make more clearance, and add fenders and at least a front rack. Actual randonneur bikes need fenders and a front rack, right?
The front chain rings are 52/47/34. I would like to swap the middle ring with a 42 for even steps between the three chain rings, and have the rear end spread for a seven speed freewheel.
If it were an Italian Bianchi I would hesitate before even doing that much, but since it's a Japanese Bianchi, built by another company, I'm willing to make modest changes.
Everyone has their own tolerances on the issue.
I had a Nevada City and I sold it when I had to move one year. I really miss that bike. I'm not sure why it was so nice, but it really was.
I usually skip through the promotional part of you tube videos but this one was definitely worth sticking around for,LOL!
Thanks my friend 😂🙌
Can't wait for the progress vids of the new shop!!!
My biggest restomod was converting a full sus 94 Stumpjumper with 3x7 drivetrain into a dropbar 1x10 gravel bike. Lots of challenges and some $ spent but it’s cool and it’s mine.
I converted an old 26 inch mtb to a 700cc disc brake almost road/ touring bike and it rides pretty dang well it definitely isn’t the fastest bike out there but it sure is fun to ride sadly I am going to be in the future upgrading to an E bike so my custom bike build will be sold but I am still happily riding it to this day well at least once my New E bike replacement arrives!
I'm building a new bike shop/ shed. I love how you have the bikes stored up in the ceiling! Could you please tell me the how tall/ wide your shop is?
It’s 12’x16’ with 8’ walls. The peak of the shed is 3’ above the top of the walls (11’ total in the center). Then I have the bikes 6” apart on each side and staggered every 3” down the center so I have a bike hanging every 3 inches.
I’m rebuilding my GT LTS 1997 right now. I’m doing it for the cool points. Only because of my love it’s going to live on ♥️.
You could do a how to modify for a larger cassette, and pitfalls, the hanger ear can be too short.
I tried to put a large cassette on a 90s Kona Cinder Cone (Alu one), even tried using a goatlink -it did not work...
!!good luck on moving!!
Hey Oldshovel! I love your videos and what you do. I have recently acquired a 1979 Schwinn varsity and I want to restore it. Do you have any tips or tricks to make the job a little easier? Thank you in advance.
I am in. I just bought a 1996 rocky mountain frame to rebuild.
Yeh - I had those flat bars on my bike. My hands always got numb. I added bar ends soon after I got the bike over 30 years ago. My hands always got numb. I finally changed to a sort of a Dutch style handlebar a few months back and it helped. What will wear out? I can see that the cams in the thumb shifters may eventually wear, but I think epoxy can renew old plastic parts. Alternately, I can cut new pieces with the Dremel. The springs may force me to change them out, but they are still good after 30 years. I see no real advantage to a 1X and my cantilever brakes seem to work fine. Maybe the best thing for some of us is to just clean it, replace bearings and lube it. I ain't shaving my legs either.
I got a Specialized 'Crossroads' for $10 at a garage sale years ago. It was pretty sad shape with lots of SanFrancisco rust. First I rebuilt it along with a matching Crossroads I got in the same deal just a much smaller frame. Over the years as parts I wanted came through my shop I'd set those aside and swap them out later after I finished what ever build I was doing. Almost all my builds are bikes discarded on the streets of San Francisco in actually decent shape to downright borderline junk. Many bikes have ended up in my parts bins and the frame taken to the junk man in South SF.
I got huge vintage brake levers, stem shifters in stead of plastic grip shift, some of the those enclosed triangle cantilevers from the late eighties, so much more. By now the only thing native to the bike is the front wheel and forks. The next thing I'm looking to ad are some Cunningham roller cam brakes. I did have a bike come through with a set but they needed to go back on. Both my primary and my back up bike are built from disparate parts I got from junkers, friends and a very few online.
I've been "restomodding" my 94 Gary Fisher Paragon since it was new. I upgraded it a bunch the first few years I had it, then as I would get new bikes and components the old ones would trickle down. At this point the only thing that's stock is the frame, bottom bracket and hubs. I'll never get rid of it.
I'm more interested knowing more about your wooden workbench on how you built it and the materials you used to make it.
Some components waiting for a new life in secret places at home:
Lapierre ti frame, AMP F3xc fork, USE ti seatpost, Shimano XT VB & 2x10 transmission.
Need to find quality 26" rims and build a nice wheelset.
Prayers for you and your family. Keep up God’s work for you!
Thanks Mark, much appreciated. 🙏
The issue I have here is cost. I have a 1980s (i think?) Univega Nuovo Sport that has a bunch of shifting and comfort issues that I'm trying to fix. For the price of a modern groupset, I can buy an entirely new bike sometimes with better parts! Would love to restomod this bike since I have it already but price always is the biggest factor here.
I resto modded A 2001 Novara Touring frame . It is the best Bike that I have ever owned
Does neuwer stuff, is an upgrade? No sûre, all the industrial bearing cannot compète with à well tuned cup and free bearing bottom bracket
Maybe, depending on what is rubbish on your old bike.
My go to old Saracen Tufftrax Elite has mostly original era 90s parts, yes, the shifters wore out a while ago but found some unworn older 8speed ones that work properly.
Wheels are pretty old but with LX deore level serviceable hubs are great. Rims not worn out yet...
Drive train, bits and bobs of LX apart from cheapo modern rear mech that works better than the original 1990s XT !
Brakes, on cantis with good quality pads , they work properly and very well.
Modern tyres fitted, thank goodness....
Road bike for racing, vintage 753 Argos, vintage compact chainset and front mech, 8 speed older shifters , vintage (1960s!) brakes with modern pads ..
With modern race wheels, it is fast for hilly time trials, particularly on rough roads. I might upgrade to some lighter equipment on this one but the older mountain bike it's keeping the vintage parts until they wear out.
I'm an older guy been doing this a long time and see stuff come and go, some of the modern kit that is now old was terrible , some front mechs terrible but somethings like cup and cone wheel bearings are still faster than cartridge bearing hubs.... thank f for cartridge bb bearings tho 😂
Great video, question for you: I have a fully chromed pinarello montello from the 80s and want to paint it as part of a restomod. Ever have any luck painting over chrome? Thanks
I have a FUJI folding mountain that came with decent low end components. It's a nice looking frame for a folder and after seeing a restomod video of this bike, it's got me wanting to update my bike. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be many quality upgrade parts for a 3x5 15-speed bike, like a 5 speed shifter and rear derailleur. Is there any solution for this setup? The most common parts are for 6 speeds or higher. Thanks in advance.
Old components do wear out, especially if you used your old bike as a commuter in snowy, wet, winter weather. Grit grinds the goodness away. That is where I am at with the frame I have. Thus, your idea on resto-modding will likely come into play. I have snagged some vintage parts to use where necessary, but the drive train... that is where the mods will likely happen.
On my vintage bikes I generally have new saddles, pedals, tires, chains, brake pads, stems and bars. Generally keep the rest pretty original or period correct.
I got a birthday coming up and told my wife as we watched this during dinner that all I want is an OldShovel hat
I'm in the long process of resto-modding an old trek commuter. I want to ride it on paved rail trails. My problem is that I don't know enough about parts to know what to order or where to order from. Thanks, I hope everything goes well with you.
Hello! Greetings from Mérida, Yucatán México. I really enjoy your channel and also i am into "restomod" , i have updated trek 1200 bikes into racers and "street warriors". wish i could have your opinions of these bicycles. one question: Do you see any future for a small business that could sell "restomod" bicycles?. Hope things get better for you and your family.
I'm doing the opposite. I got a used BMX that just came off the race track. The paint looks really good but it is the wrong color, I'm stripping it down it getting new paint with silver leaf and pinstripes. I'm not sure if I want twisted sissy bars yet or straight but I want a black banana seat. I want Schwinn dragster-style fenders, I'll fabricate and weld in any mounting points to make it work. I keeping the BMX-type handlebars, I never did like those OEM handlebars on Stinrays but I like the grips so I'm putting Stingray grips on my BMX bars. I'm building my vision of what a bike should be like. The BMX is made in USA so I'll try to keep all the parts that way if I can. Trying to put vintage-like parts that won't bolt on a modern bike seems like about the same difficulty as putting modern parts that won't bolt on a vintage bike.
My very first bicycle was a Schwinn Stingray I was 13 years old. It was very beat-up hand-me-down and had wobbly rims. I got a book at the school library about fixing bicycles. I replaced all the spokes and trued the rims to replaced every bearing. Then after I finished it my dad bought me a new bicycle. I gave my bike to this very poor kid at the end of the street who could never afford a bike. I've been rebuilding bicycles ever since it became a hobby. Later my uncle started a used bike shop and I could get some cool bikes to build like the 1976 Schwinn World Sport 15 speed and a 1979 Sidewinder were my favorite bikes I got from him, someone stole the World Sport about a week after the new paint dried. I only do one or two at a time, you got to have something to ride while you're building the next one. I haven't done it in a while. For my next bike build, I want to remove all the anodizing and change and match the colors of it, I can do colors you can't find on most parts like orange and violet. I also want to silver and gold leaf pinstripes.
Hello, I really enjoy your videos . I have a 1992 garyfisher "hoo koo e koo" with the raised chainstay with a curve seat tube,and I would like to restore it with new parts. I heard you say that you can weld a disk brake tabes on the frame and my questions is where do I find disk brake tabes. Also would you know someone that could do that for my frame because I live in a aprtment in the new york city area. Thanks again for the cool content.
I do this often. It is not only a lot of fun, it gives you a real sense of accomplishment, and gives you something useable that is totally you! I've got a ways to go to catch up to you. I've only got 17!
My no.1 reason for old bike restomod: finding a lightly used lugged frame bike for a small fraction of a new lugged frame and spending the money you saved on quirky components. P.s. lugged frames uber allies!
I have a verrrrry upgraded 2013 Raleigh talus 29er..it’s awesome
I have a Fuji mtb that has 3x5 speed but the thumb shifter is broken and i cant find any replacment. So i modified it to 3x9. 9spd shifters, RD and Cassette is so much available in the market today thats the 1 reason I modified 😍
I have a Trek 6000 from 1999 should I RestoMod it
Enjoy watching. Can I modify and transform a regular 10 speed into a mountain bike?
i have a old 85 peugot , that i have upgrade , got a set of old sti shifter 105 2x8 for 20euro , , and modern wheels with cassette and crankset deraleure from my mid 2010 road bike that i upgrade , modern dual pivot brakes , alu drop handebar , coil to ahead adapter , and the bike ride wery well , the bike was stock with steel wheels , 2x6 freewheel , down tube friction shifters ,steel bars , and steel cranks with the wedge scew was terible to ride ,
Paint the walls white en your board for the tools blue
I have Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo from 2000.Is it possible to replace square tapered bottom bracket with pressfit bottom bracket,thank you.Any help is greatly appreciated and good luck with your new garage!
@RollinRat Ok,thank you.I was just looking for more options that's all.I agree there is lot of marketing bs these days.Hambini on yt explains it well lol.I can't get my head around that top notch road bike from Trek costs 17 000 bucks!Bikes used to be fun and lifestyle not corporate bs once upon a time.
Congrats on the new place!🎊 Where can I get the hats?