Why does Bike City rebuild bicycles?

We want the bicycles we sell to be reliable, long-lasting, and fun to ride. An ounce of preventative maintenance is worth a pound of cure! If we only replaced what's obviously broken, more problems would quickly arise. Thank you for keeping old bicycles out of landfills!

How does Bike City refurbish a bicycle?

A volunteer mechanic chooses a bicycle or bicycle frame from our inventory of donations. Then we:

• put it in a repair stand
• inspect frame, fork, and derailleur hanger for any serious damage
• remove the wheels
• remove old cables and housing
• remove the derailleurs and brakes
• remove the crankset, stem, and handlebars
• remove all kick stands, reflectors, and other accessories
• remove headset and fork
• remove bottom bracket assembly
• wash and rinse frame and fork
• apply wax to frame and fork
• clean and polish all headset parts, replace anything damaged, pack in grease, reassemble, and adjust
• clean all bottom bracket parts, replace anything damaged, pack in grease, reassemble, and adjust
• disassemble chainrings, clean and polish rings, reassemble
• install crankset
• clean and inspect pedals, overhaul bearings when possible, reinstall
• overhaul rear derailleur and reinstall
• overhaul front derailleur and reinstall
• clean and inspect brakes and reinstall
• clean seatpost and binder bolt, grease, clean or replace saddle, and reinstall
• disassemble and inspect handlebars, stem, brake and shift levers, and grips or tape, and remove any rust
• grease wedge and quill of stem, and reinstall
• check chain for wear, soak, scrub, reinstall and lube, or replace chain
• remove tire, tube, and rimstrip from rear wheel
• remove cassette or freewheel and hub guard
• clamp in axle vice, and remove cone, locknut, and spacers from adjustable side
• remove bearings and dust covers
• clean and inspect cups, cones, bearings, and axle and replace if damaged
• clean and polish hub and flange
• pack bearings in grease, reinstall dustcovers
• reinstall and adjust axle, cone, spacers, and locknut
• put in truing stand, oil spoke nipples, correct spoke tension, and replace any rusty or damaged spokes
• clean and reinstall cassette or freewheel and hub guard
• reinstall wheel and clean/polish rim
• repeat for front wheel
• install new brake pads, install brake cables, housing, and ferrules, and adjust
• install shift cables, housing, and ferrules, and adjust
• trim all cables, and install cable tips
• remove wheels and replace rimstrips, tubes, and tires
• reinstall wheels and inflate tires
• apply extra layer of chain lube, and remove any excess
• wrap handlebars or install grips
• install any accessories, such as racks or fenders
• remove from repair stand
• straighten and adjust handlebars, stem, saddle, etc.
• test ride
• do any fine-tuning, record serial number on inspection sheet, clean off any greasy fingerprints, and put on a bike city sticker
• get a second test rider, and sign off inspection ticket
• fill out pricetag
• photograph and measure bike, and send adopt-a-bike email
• step back and admire the shiny machine

Anything irrepairable is replaced along the way, such as bent derailleurs, stripped bolts, or bent wheels. Recycled parts are used when possible. Sometimes components are upgraded, such as replacing old thumb shift levers with index trigger shifters.

Rebuilding a Vista Duchess

Which bikes get this treatment?

Every bike that leaves Bike City gets this treatment, whether it's a free kids' bike, a $30 mountain bike, or a fancy vintage road bike.

How long does it take?

10-40 hours on average.