B
bookieb
Guest
bookieb wrote:
> The, neighbours across the road were having a bit of a garden clear
> out, and had hired a skip.
> The night before last, I saw somthing suspiciously resembling a saddle
> sticking over the side.
> I went into full magpie mode, and and saw were several bikes in there.
> Asked the neigbour, and he said go on ahead, take whatever I wanted.
>
> Four bikes in total:
> - Two Raleigh 20" wheeled kids "mountain bikes" - now tucked away in
> the shed with a vague plan to build a trailer.
> - A Townsend ladies "mountain bikes" - old, bit of surface rust, bit
> mossy and dirty, largely made of gorgonzola, but essentially sound - to
> become a "lock it at the station" hack for SWMBO.
> - A Giant Track MTB, "triple-butted cromoly frame".
>
> Delighted with the Giant - I remeber looking through the Giant
> catalogue while in school (15+ years ago), and lusting after this bike
> and it's ilk, and being massively dissatisfied with my own Raleigh
> Mustang "gas-pipe special". General retro-inspired, childhood dream
> fulfilled at last, happiness!
>
> It's got a full Suntour [1] X-1 21 spd. groupset (including all of
> the bits normally skimped on, eg headset, hubs and bottom bracket are
> all X-1), and featuring the rare Suntour "under bar, clicky-button"
> AccuShift shifters.
> It's about the right frame size (18"-19" frame) for me (6'1"), and
> features such interesting things as a:
> - 1" headset, and a stem that can be raised and lowered! [1]
> - somthing called a "freewheel" instead of a freehub. [1]
> - Seperate brake levers and shifters. [1]
> - Decent wheels (true, tight spokes, cleanAraya rims)
>
> I'll be stripping the whole bike down for a complete service (full new
> new set of cables and bearings, new pair of slicks).
> There's a bit of surface rust on the bars and stem, and the front fork,
> and the tires are a bit perished where they were flat when the bike was
> left standing. Good paint, apparently original tyres, no indication of
> anything but light use (except perhaps the fork - see below). Only
> thing missing is the wheel skewers - neighbour had unscrewed them to
> take the wheels off to chuck it in the skip, and I couldn't lay my
> hands on them in the amidst all the rubbish is the bottom of the skip.
>
> Anyway, a couple of questions:
>
> Can anyone date the bike, based on model and groupset? My best guess
> is late eighties/early ninties. I think Suntour died off if 1990,
> BICBW.
>
> The fork is a chromed steel number, and doesn't have any decals.
> Anyone remember this model of bike, or could suggest a way to tell if
> this is the original fork or a replacment?
>
> The fork appears to be surface rusted only - I'll give it a good
> inspection to check it's safe while I'm servicing the headset, but has
> anyone any idea what to do with the pitted chrome? I don't fancy
> getting it rechromed (especially if it's not original, but in any case,
> it'd probably cheaper just to buy another one), so can it be painted?
> What's the best way to prepare old chrome for painting?
>
> TIA for help/advice...
>
> bookieb
>
> [1] Ask your Grandad, sonny...
> The, neighbours across the road were having a bit of a garden clear
> out, and had hired a skip.
> The night before last, I saw somthing suspiciously resembling a saddle
> sticking over the side.
> I went into full magpie mode, and and saw were several bikes in there.
> Asked the neigbour, and he said go on ahead, take whatever I wanted.
>
> Four bikes in total:
> - Two Raleigh 20" wheeled kids "mountain bikes" - now tucked away in
> the shed with a vague plan to build a trailer.
> - A Townsend ladies "mountain bikes" - old, bit of surface rust, bit
> mossy and dirty, largely made of gorgonzola, but essentially sound - to
> become a "lock it at the station" hack for SWMBO.
> - A Giant Track MTB, "triple-butted cromoly frame".
>
> Delighted with the Giant - I remeber looking through the Giant
> catalogue while in school (15+ years ago), and lusting after this bike
> and it's ilk, and being massively dissatisfied with my own Raleigh
> Mustang "gas-pipe special". General retro-inspired, childhood dream
> fulfilled at last, happiness!
>
> It's got a full Suntour [1] X-1 21 spd. groupset (including all of
> the bits normally skimped on, eg headset, hubs and bottom bracket are
> all X-1), and featuring the rare Suntour "under bar, clicky-button"
> AccuShift shifters.
> It's about the right frame size (18"-19" frame) for me (6'1"), and
> features such interesting things as a:
> - 1" headset, and a stem that can be raised and lowered! [1]
> - somthing called a "freewheel" instead of a freehub. [1]
> - Seperate brake levers and shifters. [1]
> - Decent wheels (true, tight spokes, cleanAraya rims)
>
> I'll be stripping the whole bike down for a complete service (full new
> new set of cables and bearings, new pair of slicks).
> There's a bit of surface rust on the bars and stem, and the front fork,
> and the tires are a bit perished where they were flat when the bike was
> left standing. Good paint, apparently original tyres, no indication of
> anything but light use (except perhaps the fork - see below). Only
> thing missing is the wheel skewers - neighbour had unscrewed them to
> take the wheels off to chuck it in the skip, and I couldn't lay my
> hands on them in the amidst all the rubbish is the bottom of the skip.
>
> Anyway, a couple of questions:
>
> Can anyone date the bike, based on model and groupset? My best guess
> is late eighties/early ninties. I think Suntour died off if 1990,
> BICBW.
>
> The fork is a chromed steel number, and doesn't have any decals.
> Anyone remember this model of bike, or could suggest a way to tell if
> this is the original fork or a replacment?
>
> The fork appears to be surface rusted only - I'll give it a good
> inspection to check it's safe while I'm servicing the headset, but has
> anyone any idea what to do with the pitted chrome? I don't fancy
> getting it rechromed (especially if it's not original, but in any case,
> it'd probably cheaper just to buy another one), so can it be painted?
> What's the best way to prepare old chrome for painting?
>
> TIA for help/advice...
>
> bookieb
>
> [1] Ask your Grandad, sonny...
