The $11.00 Bike

Rebuilding a chrome Dyno Freestyle Bike On The Cheap

Some of the bikes we receive as donations at Bikes For Tykes have seen better, more fruitful days; this bike was one of them. It was picked up, along with four other bikes, in a rural part of the region. The bike had been sitting out in the weather and showed it. Covered with surface rust, mud and long grass, it took two days just to dry out the foam in the seat. The tires were rotten, the front tire tube would only hold 5lbs of pressure, the chain and rear cassette were seized up, and the brake lever barely moved. But it did have some redeeming qualities -- Complete Gyro brake assembly (which allows handlebars to turn full-circle without binding the brake cable), straight wheels, straight frame, acceptable seat and grips. Essentially this bike would need a lot of attention but was a good candidate for our work.
And work we did. Here's the list of tasks that brought this bike back to life:

• Removed stickers with box cutter blade.
• Removed sticker adhesive & surface rust with citrus cleaner and 000 Steel Wool.
• Lubed rear brake cable front and back with Tri-Flow.
• Lubed the rear hub to free it up and make it spin.
• Turned chain ring around to show clean backside instead of rusty front side.
• Adjusted, cleaned and repacked crank bearings with HD disc brake grease.
• Replaced one tire tube (used, from our tube inventory) and both tires.
• Adjusted rear brake.
• Total work time: 4 hours

While most of this renovation was elbow grease, we did have to buy some parts:

• Rear Tire (Used) -- $4.00
• Front Tire (New) -- $6.00
• Chain (New Closeout) -- $1.00
• Total Charges: -- $11.00

This bike is a testament to what we do. It was rebuilt for a minimum of money coupled with a lot of effort. Money was spent only where necessary to complete the project, and used parts were installed when possible. The result is a Chromed beauty that can make a kid smile from ear to ear.

Funding is as important as finding the safest parts for the build, and it is possible to be wise with both. While it is not possible to rebuild every bike for only $11.00, this one stands out as a good example of what can happen when everything falls into place. Effort, Funding, and Parts.

By the way, this bike was delivered soon after to a new rider -- free of charge!

Kurt Clark

Originally written December 12th 2003 Edited and updated for this blog