Sunbeam Restoration

[BongoInTheCongo]

I would say maybe it's a job for the bike shop though, easy to make a mess of the frame if inexperienced

 

[bikeworkshop]

I would say maybe it's a job for the bike shop though, easy to make a mess of the frame if inexperienced

Although this bike is from an age and market segment expecting regular use of punch, hammer, pliers, heat, screwdrivers, whatever comes to hand, by the owner, unlike your modern carbon chainset with m4 torx bolts and a sticker stating min and max torque, pushfit bearings with no lip to remove

Quite honestly I doubt the halfords style shops would take the job on, (last count our local H, and E, didn't know what a square taper bb axle was) and the concept stores with the aprons and white gloves wouldn't know where to attach the data cable

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Although this bike is from an age and market segment expecting regular use of punch, hammer, pliers, heat, screwdrivers, whatever comes to hand, by the owner, unlike your modern carbon chainset with m4 torx bolts and a sticker stating min and max torque, pushfit bearings with no lip to remove

Quite honestly I doubt the halfords style shops would take the job on, (last count our local H, and E, didn't know what a square taper bb axle was) and the concept stores with the aprons and white gloves wouldn't know where to attach the data cable

That's a sad state of affairs

 

[BongoInTheCongo]

I would say maybe it's a job for the bike shop though, easy to make a mess of the frame if inexperienced

By bike shop, I mean a proper lbs, a guy with dirt under his fingernails and a permanent sarcastic expression!

 

[bikeworkshop]

At work i try to avoid the permanent sarcasm.
My younger colleagues are much more tolerant - it's hard to know whether it's age, experience or cultural mores.
I suspect the latter.

We can remove cotter pins.
We even have a period correct tool.
Although a brick and a hammer are more effective and cheaper, and often easier to find.

Seized bbs are quite a common repair, and many different methods are brought to bear.
About the only terminal case is where the steel bb removes the threads in an alloy bb
Can still be fixed though, and still cheaper than a repaint!!

 

[BongoInTheCongo]

Our local Halfords are actually pretty savvy: perhaps because the manager is a 100 mile a day guy at weekends! He's told me that at least one mechanic in the stores nationwide has been Shimano certified for disk brake maintenance and Di2 proficiency. That's a big step up from the Halfords of old when a hit it and hope for the best attitude was prevalent!

 

[BongoInTheCongo]

They took a properly stuck seat post out for me for 35 of your currency units, which was very decent as the lbs wanted 80... I've heard the local Decathlon is doing very comprehensive service for a very reasonable amount. I'm not doing down the lbs, but sometimes they can be a bit too greedy for their own good.

 

[bikeworkshop]

If the chain store has a good manager and staff who give a sh1t, there's nothing to stop them being great.
(Although they might need to bring their own tools and stock, cos it's not in head office's plan)

 

[BongoInTheCongo]

If the chain store has a good manager and staff who give a sh1t, there's nothing to stop them being great.
(Although they might need to bring their own tools and stock, cos it's not in head office's plan)

My local Decathlon has got a full wall of Park tools, and they know how to spanner 'em!

 

[bikeworkshop]

I don't think there's a decathlon in Bristol, just halfords and Evans