Restoration/Modification Project: my deceased father's road bike.



RoadBikeGerman

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Jan 12, 2012
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Hello all, my name is Zach, and i'm new to this forum.... and i thought i'd share with you all a project i'm working on that hopefully you guys will appreciate..... i'm not sure where this falls in your forum categories so i picked the best match i could find for the topic.

Anyway, the whole reason for this project is because my father passed away last February 8th, 2011 at the age of 45. I'm 22 (just turned 22 on the 7th).....my dad and family used to all go out for a bike ride in the summers when i was younger.... so i've decided to take on restoring/modifying my dad's old Roadmaster Elite. Now, i know it's nothing special, but i'm hoping it will be once i'm finished. :) It indeed has a lot of sentimental value and will have even more once it's finished.

I apologize for the lack of pictures but here's what i have done and what i have so far for parts:

-i've stripped the frame down to where only the crank and fork are left on (not gonna disassemble it any further until i'm ready to get it painted and the local bike shop guy sees what kind of bearings he needs to order, etc.)
-got rid of as much rust and pitting and polished out the pieces i could get clean with PB Blaster and 0000 grade steel wool/2000 grit sandpaper

PARTS I HAVE FOR IT SO FAR:
-Shimano Sora rear derailleur (front one is on the way)
-Shimano Sora front derailleur
-adapter bracket for the derailleur
-new tubes (27")
-new tires (kevlar reinforced 27")
-brake pads front and rear
-new Bell Dart seat (black & silver)
-whole new brake & shifter cable set

PARTS I PLAN ON GETTING:
-Shimano Sora brake/shifter levers
-not sure what brake calipers to go with, any suggestions? (center bolt style, and i'm not looking to get something that's any more than $20 per caliper....i plan on running some deep V rims if that makes a difference?)
-27" Deep V rims with machined braking surface (regular bolt on rims, no quick release)
-Shimano front chainring (double).......w/ cranks??????
-new rear speed cassette
-speed cassette guard
-handlebar wrap
-new pedals
-speedometer/computer
-mayyyybe a headlight... don't really plan on riding this thing at night though.


i apologize if i don't know any of the lingo, or misunderstand someone if they try to suggest something. I'm trying to make this a medium-budgeted project, i don't want to make some competition bike, but i don't want it to be crappy either.

my color scheme is black frame, lime green rims w/black spokes & hub, and some silver/chrome bits (not very many)

i'll probably throw on some high quality vinyls, maybe some company logos, etc. i plan on putting a tribute decal for my dad on it somewhere.

pictures as soon as i possibly can :) although i don't have any real good pictures of the bike before it was disassembled.... the paint is faded, chipping off on the fork.... and there is a little rust on the polished parts, oxidation, etc....and the tires were shot, as well as the brake pads. cables were kinda crappy too so i'm just gonna replace em with fresh ones.
 
Welcome aboard the forum Zach,

You have taken on a wonderful project to honor your fathers memory.

Check on Amazon for Tektro dual pivot brakes. They will function well with your Sora components and can be purchased for around 30.00 a pair. With that said you will need to take a measurement from the mounting hole on the frame to the center of the rim braking surface to figure out the reach of the calipers. If in doubt you can have the LBS you are dealing with spec them out for you
.
IMO handlebar wrap in contrasting color to the frame looks best. I tend to match the decal color instead of the frame to me it gives a little more flare. Bike Nashbar has a good selection and they may have some that match you rim color.

If you really need to replace the cassette try to stick with the same gear range as the original. If not and you go to a gear combination that is to great for the original rear derailleur you will end up having to replace that also.

Speed Cassette guard. The plastic ring on the rear wheel can be tossed IMO. So long as everything is adjusted properly not needed.

That's just a few ideas. I am sure many more will post to help you along with this project. Good luck.
Dave
 
Originally Posted by davereo .

Welcome aboard the forum Zach,

You have taken on a wonderful project to honor your fathers memory.

Check on Amazon for Tektro dual pivot brakes. They will function well with your Sora components and can be purchased for around 30.00 a pair. With that said you will need to take a measurement from the mounting hole on the frame to the center of the rim braking surface to figure out the reach of the calipers. If in doubt you can have the LBS you are dealing with spec them out for you
.
IMO handlebar wrap in contrasting color to the frame looks best. I tend to match the decal color instead of the frame to me it gives a little more flare. Bike Nashbar has a good selection and they may have some that match you rim color.

If you really need to replace the cassette try to stick with the same gear range as the original. If not and you go to a gear combination that is to great for the original rear derailleur you will end up having to replace that also.

Speed Cassette guard. The plastic ring on the rear wheel can be tossed IMO. So long as everything is adjusted properly not needed.

That's just a few ideas. I am sure many more will post to help you along with this project. Good luck.
Dave
thanks Dave! yeah this project has been fun from the get-go. i've always loved bikes and bike riding, just never really had much time for it, and all the bikes i've ever had weren't really the greatest. i'd like to make this one halfway decent. haha.

yeah the guy at one of the LBS told me that if i don't get the caliper set up right or a caliper that will work with my frame then it will pinch the tires instead of the rim, and obviously that's not very effective. i've been trying to figure out if i can switch to 700c rims or not, but it sounds like i'll run into some problems with the brakes, although all of the brake calipers i've seen so far have PLENTY of adjustment, so i don't really know that it would be effected tooooo much.

and yeah i'm not totally sure what i wanna do for the wrap yet, i might buy a couple colors and choose when the time comes, haha. or maybe splurge and purchase some leather and make my own. haha. :p

yeah i've already looked at my freewheel and determined in order for this to work IF i can't change my chainring/crank configuration (which it looks like i won't be able to) i'm going to need a 14-28T 6 spd freewheel (the man at the LBS told me my frame is actually a 6spd frame but someone stuck a 5spd wheel on it at some point, turning it into a 10 speed bike)

yeah, if i keep that cassette guard i'll get a lime green one or black one.
 
Originally Posted by 64Paramount .

Welcome Zach! Sounds like a cool project. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif

thanks man! i plan on having as many pictures as possible, although i don't have a camera, the only camera i have is my phone.
 
also, i had a few questions if anyone could answer them?

-will most decent brake calipers have the adjustment i need to fit 700c rims? i have 27" rims now. EDIT: found a brake caliper that i think should work. Tektro R737's.
-are the Shimano Sora brake lever/shifter combo levers index shift? EDIT: found that yes it is....
-and would i be able to make that setup work on this old frame? i should think i can it may just be a lot of fine tuning?
-are there any brake lever/shift lever combos that are friction style?
-if the 700c rims are hard to make work on a 27" frame.... can anyone tell me where to get some 27" deep v rims with a machined lip? i want some in lime green with black spokes/hub.

also, someone on youtube had said they think the Shimano Sora levers feel "clunky"....is this true? i don't know that i'm gonna go with those anyway, i don't like how the cables go out of the sides. i'd rather have a more clean look and have them come out the back of the hoods, or just get friction shifters.
 
Originally Posted by 64Paramount .

Welcome Zach! Sounds like a cool project. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif

thanks a lot! it will really be neat when i'm done, at least in my opinion :)
nice avatar picture. what kinda car?
 
Originally Posted by RoadBikeGerman .

-will most decent brake calipers have the adjustment i need to fit 700c rims? i have 27" rims now. EDIT: found a brake caliper that i think should work. Tektro R737's.
-are the Shimano Sora brake lever/shifter combo levers index shift? EDIT: found that yes it is....
-and would i be able to make that setup work on this old frame? i should think i can it may just be a lot of fine tuning?
-are there any brake lever/shift lever combos that are friction style?
-if the 700c rims are hard to make work on a 27" frame.... can anyone tell me where to get some 27" deep v rims with a machined lip? i want some in lime green with black spokes/hub.

also, someone on youtube had said they think the Shimano Sora levers feel "clunky"....is this true? i don't know that i'm gonna go with those anyway, i don't like how the cables go out of the sides. i'd rather have a more clean look and have them come out the back of the hoods, or just get friction shifters.
FYI. If you can find brake calipers with the appropriate reach, then you'll be good to go ... TEKTRO a makes a pair whose reach is in the 73mm range ... a BMX caliper is in the 95mm (!) range.

FWIW. Here is a frame which is currently fitted with 700c wheels whose original wheelset used 27" tires ...


I may refit "gears" & shifters on the bike at some point in time.

FYI. Sight unseen, your biggest obstacle is probably going to be the frame's rear triangle spacing ...

  • if your father's bike was a 5-speed, then it probably has 120mm rear spacing
  • if it was a 6-speed, then it probably has 126mm rear spacing

You can change the rear spacing on a bike which has a steel frame. This requires a modest amount of upper body strength ... with the rear wheel removed, you will want to grab the dropouts & pull apart ... exert whatever you perceive to be about 30 lbs of force ... measure ... repeat until you achieve 130mm spacing between the dropouts ... this may take a while, but if you opt to use additional leverage then you introduce the possibility of needing to CENTER the dropouts whereas if you are pulling on both dropouts simultaneously then ([COLOR= #808080]presuming they are centered to begin with![/COLOR]) they will stay centered.

The dropouts subsequently need to be aligned so that they are parallel with one another ... you can either use a standard sized pipe wrench whose jaws are sandwiched by some scrap plywood-or-equivalent OR a large ([COLOR= #808080]e.g., 11"[/COLOR]) adjustable wrench. Apply whatever you estimate to be about 5 lbs. of force .... check, tweak as necessary, repeat.

BTW. I strongly recommend you get a set of non-QS, 10-speed Campagnolo shifters ... with little-or-zero effort they can be indexed to almost anything from a 7-speed to 10-speed drivetrain. Cost is between $100-to-$200 on eBay.

If your bike has a Freewheel and you don't want to respace the rear triangle, then a 7-speed SUNRACE Freewheel should work ...

  • A 10-speed Campagnolo shifter + your Sora rear derailleur == 8-speed indexing (7-speed spacing is close enough that it should work)


Campagnolo shifters work with almost any front derailleur, regardless of vintage.

BTW2. Before you buy a new crankset, you want to ensure that your Roadmaster frame has an ENGLISH threaded BB and not an Ashtabula (aka "American") BB. If the latter case & you still want to replace the crankset, then you can get an Ashtabula-to-Euro BB adapter OR you can replace the chainwheels on an Ashtabula crankset with a 110BCD BMX spider + chainrings.
 
Originally Posted by alfeng .



FYI. If you can find brake calipers with the appropriate reach, then you'll be good to go ... TEKTRO a makes a pair whose reach is in the 73mm range ... a BMX caliper is in the 95mm (!) range.

FWIW. Here is a frame which is currently fitted with 700c wheels whose original wheelset used 27" tires ...


I may refit "gears" & shifters on the bike at some point in time.

FYI. Sight unseen, your biggest obstacle is probably going to be the frame's rear triangle spacing ...

  • if your father's bike was a 5-speed, then it probably has 120mm rear spacing
  • if it was a 6-speed, then it probably has 126mm rear spacing

You can change the rear spacing on a bike which has a steel frame. This requires a modest amount of upper body strength ... with the rear wheel removed, you will want to grab the dropouts & pull apart ... exert whatever you perceive to be about 30 lbs of force ... measure ... repeat until you achieve 130mm spacing between the dropouts ... this may take a while, but if you opt to use additional leverage then you introduce the possibility of needing to CENTER the dropouts whereas if you are pulling on both dropouts simultaneously then ([COLOR= #808080]presuming they are centered to begin with![/COLOR]) they will stay centered.

The dropouts subsequently need to be aligned so that they are parallel with one another ... you can either use a standard sized pipe wrench whose jaws are sandwiched by some scrap plywood-or-equivalent OR a large ([COLOR= #808080]e.g., 11"[/COLOR]) adjustable wrench. Apply whatever you estimate to be about 5 lbs. of force .... check, tweak as necessary, repeat.

BTW. I strongly recommend you get a set of non-QS, 10-speed Campagnolo shifters ... with little-or-zero effort they can be indexed to almost anything from a 7-speed to 10-speed drivetrain. Cost is between $100-to-$200 on eBay.

If your bike has a Freewheel and you don't want to respace the rear triangle, then a 7-speed SUNRACE Freewheel should work ...

  • A 10-speed Campagnolo shifter + your Sora rear derailleur == 8-speed indexing (7-speed spacing is close enough that it should work)


Campagnolo shifters work with almost any front derailleur, regardless of vintage.

BTW2. Before you buy a new crankset, you want to ensure that your Roadmaster frame has an ENGLISH threaded BB and not an Ashtabula (aka "American") BB. If the latter case & you still want to replace the crankset, then you can get an Ashtabula-to-Euro BB adapter OR you can replace the chainwheels on an Ashtabula crankset with a 110BCD BMX spider + chainrings.
yeah those calipers i listed aren't the right ones. i want R559 i think is what the Tektro 55-73mm calipers are. the guy at the LBS said i should also be aware of possibly breaking the caliper arms going with smaller wheels. he also said, being a centerbolt configuration, the caliper may want to swing out away from the frame when i stop (on the rear) causing it to possibly break.

i'm just gonna stick with the 27" wheels for now.
---the bike is a 12 speed (6 speed spaced dropouts) so i am going with a Shimano Hyperglide 6spd freewheel. already on its way to my doorstep. haha.


i've also ordered some Shimano topmount SIS shifters.... i have a way i want to try and make them work, but i don't know if it's going to work. haha. so i guess worst comes to worst i have a set of $13 shifters i don't need and can put on someone's mountain bike or sell on here. haha.

and i do believe my BB is ENGLISH. i talked to a fella on eBay that seems to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to bikes, and based on my dimensions alone he said it's most likely english thread. i'm going to take it apart soon to find out, because i need to take it apart to have it painted, and to redo the BB if i can't use the Sora crankset anyway.


my other issue though is the spindle length, according to the guy on eBay, because this affects the chain angle and all that. which i'm going to research more and see what i can come up with, i may even call Shimano and ask them.


uploading pictures of what i have so far guys! so sorry for the delay!
 
hey all, sorry about not posting anything yet.
it's been really busy with me getting a new apartment and working a lot trying to make money for projects too.

i've got almost all the components i need so far to mock up the bike!!!

here's some pictures for you all, since i've slacked on it, haha.

bad picture of what i started with... old, some tired parts....some broken parts....overall the bike functioned. if it had good tires and tubes. lol.

bad picture of the crank, the chainguard is bent a little i'm gonna hafta fix it when it comes off for paint.

Shimano SORA rear derailleur mounted up. lookin good.

i love the look of new school against old school. its a GREAT combination if you do it right. i just love the way the derailleur looks against the open vintage spokes. call me weird. idc. haha :)

the frame stripped down

bought a new roof rack (i didn't have the attachment on for this picture) for my Jetta.
this rack came off of a Jetta TREK edition, which included this roof rack with bike attachment and a TREK mountain bike. didn't get the bike with the rack, but it's 100% complete, and nothing is broken, all for a good price. :)

all the stuff i've bought so far.
-Tektro RL520 brake levers in black
-SRAM handlebar wrap
-i've bought WAY too many cables.... i bought a bicycle cable kit from Wal-Mart that i'm gonna use the shifter cables out of, because they're bigger. i'm ditching the Wal-Mart casing though
-teflon-lined casing from the local bike shop. very nice stuff.
-Redline BMX platform pedals in black. i don't like the idea of the clip-ins.
-Shimano 6 spd freewheel hub. hyperglide
-Shimano SIS mountain bike shifters
-Z Chain
-Bell slim seat



i'm not using the Wal-Mart cable casings or the SIS cable casings.... if anyone wants them, just shoot me some shipping money on PayPal and they're yours. i'm using all teflon lined casings.

hopefully the HyperGlide freewheel works with my system, if not i guess i'll just buy a SunRace.

I tested out the SIS shifter on the rear derailleur, and it works GREAT. the freewheel i have on there now is a 5 speed freewheel but i can adjust the system and it all lines up great every time. this should work out great. :)


parts i have on the way:
- Shimano SORA front derailleur
-Origin 8 cable stop
-"VOLKSWAGEN" emblems from a Type 1 Beetle (brand new)

i need to pick up some more teflon-lined cable casing on Monday, as well as possibly some new bearings for the headset and BB.

anyone have any suggestions as to what bearing grease/lube i should use? i want some really, really good stuff. i don't even care if it's $20 a bottle. haha.