Project is a success
The $30 used bike is a big hit.
It's still a Huffy, but it looks better than when it left the factory. I
took all the cheesy decals off with a bit of hair-dryer-fu. I tightened
some slack cables and crimped endcaps on some frayed ends. I adjusted the
brakes--the shoes were all the way down in the caliper slots--so far down,
in fact, that only about two-thirds of the pads were touching the rim.
I took the chain off, gave it a good cleaning, reinstalled it and lubed it
properly.
I cleaned everything up obsessively. I waxed the frame and buffed it. I
cleaned the rims, the spokes, the hub bodies until they blinged.
Three more bucks at my local bike part emporium got me a water bottle
cage, which mounted to the thoughtfully-provided braze-on.
I had it waiting on my workstand in the garage, door shut, lights out, and
waited for him to come back with mom & dad from their trip.
They got back late tonight and I got to surprise him with what looked like
a brand-new bike. He was jazzed, practically jumping up and down. He
wanted to ride it--no-go, since it was already pitch-black out. He'll get
to ride it tomorrow morning though.
Total cost: thirty-three bucks, and maybe an afternoon or two of fettling
and polishing. The look on his face when I turned on the lights?
Priceless.
It's still a Huffy, but it looks better than when it left the factory. I
took all the cheesy decals off with a bit of hair-dryer-fu. I tightened
some slack cables and crimped endcaps on some frayed ends. I adjusted the
brakes--the shoes were all the way down in the caliper slots--so far down,
in fact, that only about two-thirds of the pads were touching the rim.
I took the chain off, gave it a good cleaning, reinstalled it and lubed it
properly.
I cleaned everything up obsessively. I waxed the frame and buffed it. I
cleaned the rims, the spokes, the hub bodies until they blinged.
Three more bucks at my local bike part emporium got me a water bottle
cage, which mounted to the thoughtfully-provided braze-on.
I had it waiting on my workstand in the garage, door shut, lights out, and
waited for him to come back with mom & dad from their trip.
They got back late tonight and I got to surprise him with what looked like
a brand-new bike. He was jazzed, practically jumping up and down. He
wanted to ride it--no-go, since it was already pitch-black out. He'll get
to ride it tomorrow morning though.
Total cost: thirty-three bucks, and maybe an afternoon or two of fettling
and polishing. The look on his face when I turned on the lights?
Priceless.