Restoring vintage tandem
October 25, 2022 6:26 AM Subscribe
I have a 1970s tandem in bad shape. I've found a shop that might be able to restore it, but I'd like to know a bit more before I bring it in.
It's going to be a pain for me to get this to the shop, so I'd like to have at least some information before I bring it in. So I'd like to hear from anyone who is knowledgeable about restoring old bikes. Any information you can give me would be helpful.
I've tried searching online for info on restoring old bikes, and I can't find anything besides youtube videos showing the process, but not saying anything about it. I have no idea how much this might cost. The bike has sentimental value, so whether the cost will be more than the value of the bike is not relevant to me, but I'd like to have some idea of how much money I'm looking at. I'm in the US.
The bike is rusty, but there aren't actual holes in it. I don't know anything about restoring rusty metal. Some parts are missing - mostly screws that hold it together plus one set of handlebar grips - and I don't know how hard those are to find. I don't know whether some of the rusty parts might need to be replaced.
So basically, if you know anything about restoring vintage bikes, I'd love to hear whatever you'd care to tell me.
It's going to be a pain for me to get this to the shop, so I'd like to have at least some information before I bring it in. So I'd like to hear from anyone who is knowledgeable about restoring old bikes. Any information you can give me would be helpful.
I've tried searching online for info on restoring old bikes, and I can't find anything besides youtube videos showing the process, but not saying anything about it. I have no idea how much this might cost. The bike has sentimental value, so whether the cost will be more than the value of the bike is not relevant to me, but I'd like to have some idea of how much money I'm looking at. I'm in the US.
The bike is rusty, but there aren't actual holes in it. I don't know anything about restoring rusty metal. Some parts are missing - mostly screws that hold it together plus one set of handlebar grips - and I don't know how hard those are to find. I don't know whether some of the rusty parts might need to be replaced.
So basically, if you know anything about restoring vintage bikes, I'd love to hear whatever you'd care to tell me.
I would first send or take detailed, closeup photos to the shop to get their estimate. I live right next to a bicycle repairshop and sometimes we chat or i observe him with costumers and i also know a couple of his costumers. My observation is most people seem to vastly underestimate the many hours it takes to completely restore a bike and the price of materials involved.
posted by 15L06 at 9:04 AM on October 25, 2022
posted by 15L06 at 9:04 AM on October 25, 2022
The experts on restoring vintage bikes, if you have one near you, are the people who see them donated all the time. Here's an incomplete list. Most of these places have an educational component and want you to be involved, many of these places will do it for you (they range from cheapest in town to most expensive in town), most-to-all of these places will be delighted to give you all the details you need, especially if you get the right person on the right day. Many have a WTF (women trans femme) night or similar, too.
posted by aniola at 10:26 AM on October 25, 2022
posted by aniola at 10:26 AM on October 25, 2022
Best answer: I have a 1975 steel bike that I've been riding now for about ten years. It wasn't in terrible shape when I got it -- it was being sold by a bike shop and was rideable -- but I did a handful of things to fix it up and make it better. The rust isn't necessarily something that has to be scoured away. Mine has some bits of rust on it. Once it's clean, you could (for example) put some nail polish over those spots, or just leave them (I haven't done anything to the rust spots on my bike, and they haven't gotten any worse). If you bring it in to a bike shop, they'll look it over and let you know how much you might need to fix and replace. I also think you could find a shop and give them a call and maybe send some photos.
I highly recommend seeking out a bike shop that has experience working on old and beater bikes. This isn't necessarily the big shop with the fanciest race bikes. You want mechanics who are used to older parts and bike technologies. Folks on here might be able to help with that too.
In terms of money: it's hard to guess, but at the very least, you're looking at replacing the cables, getting it cleaned, etc. My local bike shop calls this a complete overhaul and charges $150 to disassemble the bike, clean it up, true the wheels, and give it fresh grease, bearings, brake pads, chain, etc. That's if the wheels and tires are in okay shape, which seems unlikely. So that could cost a few hundred right there in addition to the overhaul.
A comment above mentions $5000. That would be a complete and total restoration, with sandblasting and a whole new paint job, etc. You can definitely get it rideable for much less than that (as the comment makes clear), so don't be scared off by that.
Can you share a photo or two with us? I don't know if we can give you a price estimate, but it would be nice to see. We could also give you a sense of maybe just how bad it looks or if it's better shape than you might be thinking.
50 year old bikes are still plenty rideable. Good luck!
posted by bluedaisy at 11:24 AM on October 25, 2022
I highly recommend seeking out a bike shop that has experience working on old and beater bikes. This isn't necessarily the big shop with the fanciest race bikes. You want mechanics who are used to older parts and bike technologies. Folks on here might be able to help with that too.
In terms of money: it's hard to guess, but at the very least, you're looking at replacing the cables, getting it cleaned, etc. My local bike shop calls this a complete overhaul and charges $150 to disassemble the bike, clean it up, true the wheels, and give it fresh grease, bearings, brake pads, chain, etc. That's if the wheels and tires are in okay shape, which seems unlikely. So that could cost a few hundred right there in addition to the overhaul.
A comment above mentions $5000. That would be a complete and total restoration, with sandblasting and a whole new paint job, etc. You can definitely get it rideable for much less than that (as the comment makes clear), so don't be scared off by that.
Can you share a photo or two with us? I don't know if we can give you a price estimate, but it would be nice to see. We could also give you a sense of maybe just how bad it looks or if it's better shape than you might be thinking.
50 year old bikes are still plenty rideable. Good luck!
posted by bluedaisy at 11:24 AM on October 25, 2022
Response by poster: Sorry, I don't have a way to post pics. Also, the frame is currently hanging from my garage ceiling and I can't get it down by myself. It's a brown Schwinn, so it's basically this one.
This is all very helpful - I knew this was a very vague question. I could see spending $500 on this - not $5000 though.
posted by FencingGal at 1:03 PM on October 25, 2022
This is all very helpful - I knew this was a very vague question. I could see spending $500 on this - not $5000 though.
posted by FencingGal at 1:03 PM on October 25, 2022
Someone in a local Facebook group just restored a very similar bike. I think this is a public post you can see without a Facebook account, but if you do have one you could drop them a message to ask about the full story. Look mostly like new rims and tires, new cables (maybe?), new handlebar grips, new brakes. But the frame is still old and beat up, which honestly looks fun.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/139524959426348/posts/5858802540831866
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 1:20 PM on October 25, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/groups/139524959426348/posts/5858802540831866
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 1:20 PM on October 25, 2022
Restoring Schwinns is a special art, because they made so many parts themselves to their own dimensions. So lots of standard parts don't fit older Schwinn bikes
posted by scruss at 2:18 PM on October 25, 2022
posted by scruss at 2:18 PM on October 25, 2022
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If the rust is just superficial, maybe scouring is all it needs. If the tubes are rusted through, a framebuilder would need to replace those tubes (or sections of tubes). Or you might just decide to live with it.
If you remedy the rust, you need to repaint it, and the sky's the limit on the expense of paint jobs. A single-color paint job will be cheaper than one with masks or fades; every color transition will jack up the price. You could do it at home with Spray.bike. For a single color, you could go to a local powdercoat shop, and that would be relatively inexpensive, but if you're aiming for showroom-original condition, you'd need to go with a bike-painting specialist like Joe Bell, which gets very expensive. You can order replacement decals (and even have them custom designed).
Depending on what kind of parts are on the bike, you may have trouble locating compatible replacements for any that are worn out. If you want to restore it to original condition with the exact same parts it had when it was new, you may need to spend a lot of time on eBay.
In short, you might be able to get this into rideable condition for $500 dollars, but making it showroom new could easily cost $5,000 and be a years-long project.'
I'll also point out that tandems are, obviously, loaded more heavily than single bikes. I know of one tandem framebuilder that recommends replacing the fork at regular intervals. Structural damage to a tandem may put it closer to failure than equivalent damage on a single bike.
posted by adamrice at 6:55 AM on October 25, 2022 [3 favorites]