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I got this Electra Hawaii last year for $30 from a seller on facebook mkpl to use as a parts bike and it was only when I got it home I realized it was a 24”. The chainwheel and headset went on my Speedliner and I put the bike in the step thru bike graveyard with the intention of cleaning it up later for my 7 year old daughter. The front wheel came in useful during the last BO for my muscle bike wannabe Lazarus.
This week I went for a ride with her and she looked uncomfortable on her 20” bike. When we got home I had a look to see if I could raise the seat any more and discovered it was at the maximum height. The next day i began work on the 24” Electra.
The bike lived near the beach and had been stored outside and most of the chrome parts were rusted. It is an older Taiwan built Electra with the pedal forward frame with a nice quality frame and pearl paint finish.
First I removed the fenders, serviced the bottom bracket and fitted a new headset. I pulled an alloy handlebar, seat post and shorter stem from my parts pile as well as a new Tektro front caliper and lever. I reused the grey pads from her old bike which were still like new. The chrome metal seat frame was heavily rusted so I fitted another Electra seat from my pile as well as a set of clean bow pedals, Serfas grips and lights.
I had already blacked out the front whitewall tire for Lazarus and did the same for the rear. The wheels were in excellent condition so I just cleaned them. Surprisingly the coaster brake is a Shimano CB110. Before fitting the rear wheel I swapped in a bigger rear sprocket to make it easier for her to pedal.
Before taking it home I took it for a spin around the car park at work and knew instantly she would love it. It rode super smooth and being a pedal forward frame it felt really easy to ride and did way better skids than her old bike.
I got home, pulled it out the van and the second she saw it she gave me a massive hug. However it needed a couple of things to finish it off, the streamers and ding dong bell off her old bike. That night she did more than 50 laps of the driveway at home while I pondered how I would rebuild Lazarus for the 8th or 9th time for another comeback.
This week I went for a ride with her and she looked uncomfortable on her 20” bike. When we got home I had a look to see if I could raise the seat any more and discovered it was at the maximum height. The next day i began work on the 24” Electra.
The bike lived near the beach and had been stored outside and most of the chrome parts were rusted. It is an older Taiwan built Electra with the pedal forward frame with a nice quality frame and pearl paint finish.
First I removed the fenders, serviced the bottom bracket and fitted a new headset. I pulled an alloy handlebar, seat post and shorter stem from my parts pile as well as a new Tektro front caliper and lever. I reused the grey pads from her old bike which were still like new. The chrome metal seat frame was heavily rusted so I fitted another Electra seat from my pile as well as a set of clean bow pedals, Serfas grips and lights.
I had already blacked out the front whitewall tire for Lazarus and did the same for the rear. The wheels were in excellent condition so I just cleaned them. Surprisingly the coaster brake is a Shimano CB110. Before fitting the rear wheel I swapped in a bigger rear sprocket to make it easier for her to pedal.
Before taking it home I took it for a spin around the car park at work and knew instantly she would love it. It rode super smooth and being a pedal forward frame it felt really easy to ride and did way better skids than her old bike.
I got home, pulled it out the van and the second she saw it she gave me a massive hug. However it needed a couple of things to finish it off, the streamers and ding dong bell off her old bike. That night she did more than 50 laps of the driveway at home while I pondered how I would rebuild Lazarus for the 8th or 9th time for another comeback.
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