This bike wasn’t always yellow. It was sitting in a garage in Zaporizhzhia, gathering dust. Half a day on the road—and it was mine. A quick check, a few adjustments, and I rode it to the bus station. Back in Dnipro, I got to work on a full overhaul.
It was a Soviet folding bike, a «Desna». I stripped the frame, removed the old paint, and modified the head tube for a modern 1+1/8" fork. The front fork and wheel were replaced, and I added a folding stem. The bottom bracket and crankset were upgraded to a sealed-bearing system with square taper cranks.
Folding bikes usually have a short wheelbase and a very upright position—not great for taller riders. To fix this, I extended the seat post and made an adapter to move the saddle further back. The steel frame handled it perfectly. The rear wheel was replaced with a 3-speed internal gear hub with a built-in brake.
One of the key upgrades was the custom rear rack—made from 10×1 mm steel tubing, with a long top platform and a vertical support at the back. Turns out, this was a great addition!
After testing, the bike got a fresh bright yellow paint job. It became a true workhorse—hauling cargo, commuting, and even carrying a child seat. Storage was easy too—it could be stored vertically, thanks to the sturdy rear rack.
Later, the bike helped my sister learn to ride. Then, I installed support wheels for an adult rider. It changed hands a few more times… until it disappeared from sight.
Where is it now? No idea. But I bet it’s still rolling somewhere!
by EstablishmentBorn261
1 Comment
Wow this is awesome that you put so much love and work into an old bike! That’s awesome that you got so much use out of it over the years 🙂