My new project

This is my new project: a mediocre road bike that I bought back in the late 1970s, with my paycheck from factory work. It has a lot of miles in it, almost all from long rides in rural Minnesota. I haven’t ridden it for a very long time, largely because of other commitments, physical issues, and laziness. But now it’s going to be reworked into something a little different: either a single speed or a 3-speed with an internal hub.

I have some knowledge of how bikes are put together, but haven’t ever done a complete rebuild. Most of the components will go, though I’ll hang onto the brakes and Silstar crank. Everything else is either rusty, not worth refurbishing, or won’t fit my purposes. Wheels? Gone. Gears and derailleur? Gone. Stem shifters? Gone. Rear wheel rack? Maybe. Rat trap pedals? Gone. Drop handlebars? Replaced, but no decisions yet.

The frame will need either a touch up or complete repainting, but it’s still solid. Steel, sturdy, with horizontal dropouts. Never in a serious accident.

Today I stripped all the smaller parts; later, seat post and fork. Learned two things: 1) Chains are very hard to break without a chain tool. 2) Do not leave metal tools in the sun.
More pictures here.