Bloody punks stole my 2006 Specialized Epic a few months ago and apparently tried to turn it into a ghetto BMX. They swapped my rims and handlebar for these embarrassing parts- a BMX handlebar and crappy white rims. By lucky happenstance I was able to recover it today when I saw it on FB marketplace.
I know many will say just forget about it and get a new bike. But I love this frame and since I’ve had it nearly 20 years it would be meaningful to restore it. I would like to be very economical here- this bike was stolen from me after all and it pisses me off that I have to spend a dime on it just to get it back to the way it was. I’m looking for suggestions on the various repairs I need to make.
First thing is it has been stored outside. There is rust in various places, mostly in the heads of bolts and the like. While there are a lot of scrapes that aren’t there anymore, I don’t see any cracks in the frame.
The original specs can be found here:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/epic-rim/p/20378
Here is what is damaged/missing:
I had replaced the brakes with Tektro hydraulic brakes. Unfortunately, I will need new front brakes entirely as those have been removed by the thief. The rear brakes will need a new lever as this one is damaged.
Both hubs, the cassette and skewers are present but the rims, spokes and tires had been swapped by the thief and will need to be replaced. I’m not afraid to attempt to build a wheel but I suspect I would need a professional to true it up after my attempt. BTW I have no idea why they bothered to keep my hubs and rebuild two new wheels with crappy white rims. The stock rims were Mavic X317 26s.
The handlebar has been swapped for this stupid-ass BMX handlebar. I ripped that thing off so fast when I got it home.
The punk ruined the seat, so will need a new seat.
The suspension and derailleurs look fine, however it looks like I will need some new lines
by TreeBeardofIsengard