Ride2Work Day Bike

[OzBroz]

October 16 is the 2013 "National Ride2Work Day" in Australia, and this is the bike I am fixing up to ride to work.

Well... not the 20 km (14 Miles) to work and 20km back home, that's why I'm fixing up a folding bike, so I can ride 6km to the railway station, take my folder on the train and then rider the 4km from the station to work (only folding bikes are allowed on the trains during peak hour)

Don't know much about this rusty brown and blue bike, what I do know is that it was part of a lot of 5 bikes I bought on eBay for $30, I bought it because of the 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub, the stickers say "Compact" and everything is stamped as manufactured in 1983.

Started pulling it apart on October 3rd, so it will be a 13 day build.

Oil and grease is removed with kerosene,
Chrome is thrown i a bucket of Oxalic acid to remove the rust
lemon juice is used to bring the shine back to what is not chrome
bench grinder with a polishing wheel shines up the alloy and stainless.

Lemon juice is amazing.... and so safe you can drink it :wink:

Stripped the frame and gave it a light coat of etch primer

...and that's when I stopped taking photos.

As of October 15, all the parts are pretty much ready to go, but tonight I need to finish the paint and assemble the bike so I can ride to work tomorrow.
Hope everything goes to plan.

Thanks for looking.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Cool work so far! Looking forward to seeing how it comes out!

Luke.

 

[Gdcast]

Great!! Take lots of pics and post em!!!

 

[Carbon]

Hope nobody laughs at you when you roll up on that thing.----------------------------------------------> Just kidding OzBroz, looks like fun!!! :lol:






Jokin with ya!! :mrgreen:

 

[OzBroz]

Last night was a LONG night, but I rode it to work!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Hotrod folder!

Luke.

 

[Carbon]

Sweet!! That thing looks like a wheelie machine!! Super nice job!! :shock:

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

Great job. You should post the captured bearings soaking in lemon halves in the How To section. Great idea.

 

[Gdcast]

Awesome bike, turned out great!
Thats exactly like my first bike, I ripped my jaw trying my first ever wheelie with it, still have the mark and my beard does not grow there :lol: :lol: :lol:
I´m gonna have to get me one and restore it like that first one.

Thanks for bringing back those memories!!!

 

[rubsterob]

can some one please explain oxalic acid to me? i have a bike that has a bit of rust on it and trying to find the best way to remove it off the chrome (cranks, bars, wheels) i tried to google oxalic acid and the only thing that came up was for wood. couldnt find anything about metal

 

[OzBroz]

can some one please explain oxalic acid to me? i have a bike that has a bit of rust on it and trying to find the best way to remove it off the chrome (cranks, bars, wheels) i tried to google oxalic acid and the only thing that came up was for wood. couldnt find anything about metal

Oxalic acid is a common wood cleaner, but is usually sold as a liquid and already reduced to less than 10% concentration, better (cheaper) to buy it as crystals, I found mine in the trades section of the hardware store labelled as a rust stain remover.

It dissolves rust on chrome beautifully (especially old-fashioned quality chrome, not so much the crappy new chinse chrome).
Don't make it too strong a mix, better to start weak and make it stronger if needed. I usually throw the chrome bits in the bucket and check it every hour, the worst pieced would take no more than 3 hours in my mix.
Just remember, it's not magic, it will dissolve rust but it does not repair physical damage to the chrome, and if you throw in something that is not chromed, be prepared for it to come out discoloured.