Here's a bicycle I "un-abandoned" earlier this week, it's the most basic and most common model here in the Netherlands. There's not much to it, but I'd love to go all in and convert it into something more interesting.
It has back pedal brakes or whatever they're called and no gear shift mechanism, it really is the bare minimum.
Even the most stupid ideas are welcome! I've got a few bicycles to spare, if this one blows up it's no biggie. Any cosmetic upgrade is welcome, ones that boost the functionality too!
by randomphonecollector
5 Comments
In the first pic it looks like your steer tube might be bent. New fork if so.
Cushy tires are always a greatly appreciated upgrade. It looks like you’ve got some kind of Schwalbe commuter tires on it now and those are typically quite harsh due to the puncture resistant reinforcement.
If you’re riding with your lock on the bars like this it’s going to affect steering and ding up your paint.
Put a better seat then adjust it and the steering to fit your body, so that you feel comfortable on the bike. Other than that, you just have to re-grease the back pedal brake (aka Torpedo or coaster brake) once every 2 years or so. That’s pretty much it for one of these.
Depending on personal preference, you may change the gearing, i.e. a smaller chainring to make it easier to pedal, or a larger one to go faster.
You may also want to look into installing a front brake, for added safety, but that depends on whether the front rim has a braking surface. If it’s a ye olde Westwood rim, it won’t be possible without replacing it.
Cerveza?
Yeah new fork. I’d get the dynamo/drum brake combo for the front (lighting too, obviously) and multi speed coaster (could also do drum brake) hub for the rear. If there aren’t cable guides for the rear brake I’m p sure you could just use zip ties.
If you are going to use it as a city bike I would maybe change the rear rack for a front basket, or put a basket in the rear rack… And if you change the fork maybe one with a dynamo mount for powering a light (very common in NL) could be a nice addition imo also maybe bigger pedals or tape in the handlebar for adding more hand positions…