Do you work on other people's bikes?

[sccruiser]

How many times have you been working on one of your rides when a neighbor or friend asks " do work on there people's bikes too?"
My landlord was doing painting in my complex and asked me just that question. He said his son gave him beach cruiser for his birthday 25 years ago and it has been neglected in the back yard for years. Living about two blocks from the ocean here , I already know its gonna be the usual 90's import Rusty surf heap. What have I got myself into. What I didn't realize till he came back later that day was his son gave him a bike that was built the same year he was born for his birthday ! Orig. Paint post war DX.
Turned into a fun little easy clean up and re grease weekend project.! Just goes to show, you never know what's out there right around the corner.

 

[Dave K]

That is rad. Do you have any before pictures?

 

[rollfaster]

I do complete cleanups and rebuilds, lots and lots of hub rebuilds. Heres a couple before and after. These are customer bikes.

 

[Rollo]

... One of my old car buddies knew that I worked on bikes and asked me if I could bring his cousin's old Schwinn Fastback back to life ...
...It seems the guy makes his living as a farmer in Wisconsin ... and he bought the used bike back in the 70's with his paper route money when he was a kid ...
... My buddy helps him harvest his crops every fall ... and decided to sneak the bike out of his barn to bring home with him for me to "work on" ...
... After a month of scrubbing rust (I didn't know about OA baths at the time) ... I told him to come over and pick it up ...
... The following spring he took it back and surprised him with it for his birthday ... Guess where the bike eventually ended up? ... Back in the barn ...

 

[Duchess]

I rebuilt my friend's wife's Gazelle that she brought back from her time going to school in Germany (kind of a POS, but it had sentimental value and ended up decent enough), modernized a Fuji mixte for my sister, rebuilt a Nishiki mixte for my best friend (and ex and I'd like to find a loop frame bike that would fit her better), and I work on my other sister and her family's bikes.

 

[sccruiser]

r

That is rad. Do you have any before pictures?

 

[catfish]

Work on other peoples bikes? I hardly have time to work on my own bikes....

 

[morton]

Occasionally especially if it is a specific problem with brakes, a wheel, etc. I don't do it for the money so I won't accept payment for my work if.......

............. you help, which usually means cleaning and repacking bearings, and you watch and help me reassemble so you can do it yourself next time. If they don't want to assist, I usually say no thanks, too busy. I think that anyone who won't get their hands dirty or take a little time to learn shows too little interest or concern for what I do and my time/materials, or has other motives (see below)

As for full on rehabs, I just don't have the time. If I went to all the trouble that Rollo did and I found out that the Fastback ended up back in the barn I would be quite upset unless I was paid a good deal of money. His work and that bike deserved much more than to be cast aside to a barn for use as a pigeon toilet.

Many moons ago I did a fair amount of work on someone's bike and mentioned that I would like to buy it if he ever decided to sell. Found out a few months later he sold the bike to someone else and asked him why he didn't give me a shot at it. "Didn't think you really wanted it" was the reply. Yeah, right! I think he had me rehab it just so he could get more money when he sold it. I didn't charge him a penny so I really played the fool in that venture.

 

[Jimmy V]

Occasionally especially if it is a specific problem with brakes, a wheel, etc. I don't do it for the money so I won't accept payment for my work if.......

............. you help, which usually means cleaning and repacking bearings, and you watch and help me reassemble so you can do it yourself next time. If they don't want to assist, I usually say no thanks, too busy. I think that anyone who won't get their hands dirty or take a little time to learn shows too little interest or concern for what I do and my time/materials, or has other motives (see below)

As for full on rehabs, I just don't have the time. If I went to all the trouble that Rollo did and I found out that the Fastback ended up back in the barn I would be quite upset unless I was paid a good deal of money. His work and that bike deserved much more than to be cast aside to a barn for use as a pigeon toilet.

Many moons ago I did a fair amount of work on someone's bike and mentioned that I would like to buy it if he ever decided to sell. Found out a few months later he sold the bike to someone else and asked him why he didn't give me a shot at it. "Didn't think you really wanted it" was the reply. Yeah, right! I think he had me rehab it just so he could get more money when he sold it. I didn't charge him a penny so I really played the fool in that venture.

I'm in total agreement on the Fastback. I was thinkin the same thing. Nice job on the clean up though! Too bad about the bike being sold out on you too. Recently I had a good friend offer me a bike that I agreed to buy. He's a picker but not a bike guy. Then he got into a conversation with another bike collector and sold it to him. So much for our agreement. At least I hadn't worked on it. As far as working on other peoples bikes, depends on how my time is at the moment and what it is. I've got enough of my own. Luckily my son works at a bike shop and during the slow months we get work done.

 

[vincev]

I have on occasion.I dont charge anything so it has to be easy things like truing wheels,changing tires and tubes,etc.Nothing too involved though.