This is the 4th installment of an ∞ part series (if Murphy’s Law has anything to do with it) on upgrading an old Schwinn Collegiate to a practical and pleasing daily bicycle for transportation.

So … here is what we’ve got to work with:

• One stripped Schwinn Collegiate, with the exception of the “worthwhile” parts.
• A spendthrift budget of $375 as precisely calculated by the ((Option 1 + Option B) / 2) x Whoa There Moneybags Ratio x Didn’t See That Coming Expense Factor presented in the previous entry … The Murphy’s Law Project — Part $
• A few random used and cast-off parts that are probably typical of the average bike enthusiast’s stash.
• Some good quality shop tools and some experience with both commuter bikes and vintage bikes.
• A few good ideas.

And really, the focus of this entry is to examine the source of those ideas … what those fancy Industrial Artist types might call the “design phase.”

For the most part, building-up a custom bicycle is more of an art form than a step-by-step erector set.  Things change, parts are no longer / suddenly become available, components have [compatibility] issues, a good concept doesn’t play out, and small suggestion sparks a new insight … you get the idea.  The whole key to this art form is the ability to go with it.  While there is more direct decision making than pure Zen, allowing the project to take its own unique shape is what separates a luvstom bicycle (which is a contraction of “love” and “custom”) from one that is an obvious amalgamation of disjointed pieces.  In a word … Ohhmmmmm.

Anyway, here are some of the sources of inspiration from this project:

1. The long rake to the front fork would give a 700c wheel an almost “chopper” look.  Well, not like a real chopper, but it would hint at something a little bit unique.
2. Black looks good with everything … but a little more color would be a step in the right direction.  As discussed previously, it looks like our paint selection will be limited to what comes out of a can, but that might work to our advantage.  And since we will need to primer the bike anyway … a flat Rat Rod look might be just the ticket.  And if it doesn’t work, well the frame is already primed.  Perfect!
3. A singlespeed drivetrain is cost effective for daily transportation, but we don’t want to limit the versatility of the bike.  After all, it is meant to be ridden first and act as a fashion accessory second.  A simple internally geared 3-speed is a good compromise for cycling for transportation.  Plus, as long as we keep our wits about us, this will help keep the overall drivetrain cost low.
4. The “Collegiate” moniker on the downtube has always reminded us of the classic “College” image of John Belushi in National Lampoon’s Animal House.
5. What other “vintage” qualities should be retained? Obviously, the swept back bars and the chainguard.  The cranks definitely say “Schwinn” (as the hand grips do literally).  Fenders will be a must for real transportation riding, but the jury is out on the addition of a rack.

So with these initial design ideas at the front of our mind, and the $375 budget at the back of our wallet, the next installment will cover the selection of parts (and the inherent compromises) which will take a few baby steps towards completing this project … The Murphy’s Law Project — Part Parts.

And by the way, no sign of Murphy just yet, but surely he can’t be too far away.

This is the 3rd installment of a $375 series (if Murphy’s Law has anything to do with it) on upgrading an old Schwinn Collegiate to a practical and pleasing daily bicycle for transportation.

In terms of reaching a realistic budget, there are two separate (yet diverging) starting points:

1. Option 1: How much money should I spend on a mostly-for-fun commuter / recreation bike?
   • Translation: “How much money can I scrounge together for another toy?”
2. Option B: How much would a comparable (but more boring) mostly-for-fun new commuter / recreation bike cost?
   • Translation: “What is the price of a new commuter bike that is not totally lame?”

And a third larger point (which is outside the bounds of this project):

• How much money will I save if I use a bike for errands in place of my car on a regular basis?
  • Translation 1: “What is the dollar value of the pleasure from riding my bike?”
  • Translation 2: “How many dollars should I deduct for every Redneck that honks and yells out the window?”

So starting with Option 1:

Thankfully, we’ve started with a free bike.  However, the wheels and drivetrain are basically of no use to us.  Their repair cost is about equal to the replacement cost, so might as well go for the new (and more stylish) route.   Likewise, the saddle, brake pads, cables + housing, and other small bits simply need to go.

Some quick (highly speculative) estimates:

• New wheelset: $120 – $250
• New derailleur and shifter: $25 – $60
• New cassette and chain: $40 – $65
• New tires and tubes: $40 – $75
• New fenders: $25 – $50
• New saddle: $25 – $85 (’cause that Serfas saddle has got to go!)
• New miscellaneous other bits: $25 – $50
• New paint & decals: $20 – $300 (since we need to make this one “ours”.)

By this very rough estimation, we are looking anywhere from $300 – $635 (not including the high-end paint job).

And trying out Option B:

A brand new bike sure is nice.  While it doesn’t exactly have the new car smell, selecting and sizing a new bike is a pretty rewarding process.  Even if it takes a little time, and a few trips to the store coupled with some searching on the wwwInterweb, it is rare that a thoughtfully selected bike doesn’t get a good amount of use.

A few good commuter bikes (or bikes that could be used for that purpose) in no particular order:

• Breezer Freedom – $550
• Giant FCR 3 – $600
• Novara Buzz V – $450
• Raleigh Roadster – $500

And we could add another half-dozen bikes … but the purpose is just to get an estimate of a realistic price for an entry-level commuter bike that won’t get you completely ridiculed by Bike Snob NYC.  The average price is somewhere around $525.

So … doing some basic calculations based on the Option 1 + Option B divided by 2 method, we get our magic overall budget of $412.50. Now, reducing the total by the “I don’t want to go too overboard” factor of 0.77, we get a more bearable estimate of $317.63.  Then considering every project ever conceived always goes over budget, we will compensate with a 1.15 multiplier to get a grand total of $365.26.  Finally, knowing that we have an extra $10 tucked away in the glove compartment, we reach the grand master final total of $375.00.  Simple really.

That means that the next riveting segment of this project is to figure out exactly what to do with the $375 wad of cash.  Pinch pennys with bargain basement closeouts?  Scour eBay until the small hours of the night?  Blow the whole stash on flashy wheels?  You’ll see what we have in mind when we bring you the next entry: The Murphy’s Law Project — Part D[esign].

[Editor's Note:  All kidding aside, this segment is really meant to produce a general guestimate of the overall cost of this project ... sure you could buy everything online from the "Discount Direct Warehouse Fort", or from your crazy cousin Tony who sells parts from the back of his '86 Lincoln, or pick through the discards at your local community bike coop ... but we are looking for a good quality geared bikes with fenders and the ability to ride at will.  At the heart of it, we hope that you will consider first buying from the friendly folks at your local bike shop.]

With any cursory glance around a typical local bike shop — with all the carbon fiber and aluminum hanging about — you’ll quickly realize that Renaissance Bicycles is about 20 years behind in terms of technology.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, we would say that it is the one real difference between our business and your LBS (okay that and we don’t sell kid’s bikes, helmets, water bottles, floor pumps, or even do regular repair work.) Instead, we hold to the idea that steel is still the best all-around material for making, customizing, and long-term enjoyment of a bicycle.  And we recognize that steel has one inherent quality that the others lack … the ability to flex enough to accommodate a variety of drivetrains.

Furthermoreover, and this is where things get a little tricky, we do believe there have been some solid improvements in components and drivetrains in the last 20 years. This is why we mostly use new components on our custom bike builds. This provides the benefit of time-tested designs that have steadily evolved over the past decades.  Not only are the components lighter, they also improve the overall reliability of a bike, and make it more enjoyable to ride.

Sure, there are some aspects of modern components and accessories that have gone too far towards favoring the “club racer” where durability is sacrificed, but this just reiterates our original point … that classic steel (especially lugged steel) frames allow for us to have our cake and eat it too. Want a classic 3-cross wheelset on a Campy 11-speed drivetrain? How about bar-end shifters managing an all black compact drivetrain? Even a 650B setup on a “race” bike is possible.

In other words, we are blissfully unaware of the latest technique in carbon fiber lay-up or aluminum hydro-forming processes, and we hope to keep it that way for many years to come.

This is the 2nd installment of a 212 part series (if Murphy’s Law has anything to do with it) on upgrading an old Schwinn Collegiate to a practical and pleasing daily bicycle for transportation.

First things first. Before we get into the hands-on deconstruction, we need to take a bird’s eye view of the project and the overall objectives that we want to achieve.  We need to ask ourselves the important questions like, “Self, do we really need another bicycle?” (Ourself laughs at the obvious futility of this question.)  In other words, before any actual work begins, we need to make sure that our wants & needs meet our cans & haves.

Objective 1: A Good Rideable Bike
As you may have read in our Introduction to Murphy’s Law Project, this Schwinn Collegiate barely escaped the sharp teeth of the local crusher. We dashed in at the last second (not unlike the handsome hero on white horseback) and saved this neglected beauty. In reality, maybe we need to check our prescription:

• The frame of the bike is in pretty good shape.  Although there is some surface rust (and the paint is pretty faded), the foundation of the bike appears to be pretty solid.  We’ll find out more when we start taking things apart, but initially things are positive.
• There is a goodly amount of surface rust on the components and accessories … and by “goodly” we mean not good.  The fender (notice that word is not plural) is beyond repair, but the stem, cranks, and kickstand might be worth saving.  None of the parts will really shine again without re-chroming or serious polishing, but we can work that into the overall aesthetics of the bike.
• The wheel (again, not plural) and the drivetrain are pretty tired and not worth trying to resurrect.  However, the headset and bottom bracket seem to be in surprisingly good shape.  Basically, the fundamentals are in place.

Objective 2: Not to Break the Bank

We could simply throw money at this project and make a gold-plated, diamond encrusted piece of wall art (oh wait, that has already been done).  But instead, we want a realistic project that most cyclists can afford and appreciate.  In terms of setting a projected budget (which we will cover in more depth in the next segment of this series) we made a quick survey of comparable used and new bikes.  This gives a realistic scope of $200 to about $450 for a good dependable bike for transportation.

Objective 3: Have Fun with Murphy

It goes without saying that if this project is not enjoyable, then we are better served just buying a complete, ready-to-ride bike.  But as many a wise man has quipped, it is not the destination but the journey itself.  To keep the positive in perspective, here are a few reminders:

• Keep a realistic timeline. Like you, we are really just too busy to add another thing to the ever lengthening To-Do list.  However, if we can parse the tasks into realistic chunks, we can make this happen without upsetting the apple cart.  Simply put, there is no deadline.
• “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” As with any “specialty” project, there will be some unexpected speed bumps along the way that we simply cannot avoid.  But as long as we are not caught off-guard by these minor setbacks, then we will not be bested by Murphy’s Law.
• There is no spoon.

Alright … in the next installment we’ll address the dreaded Budget (with a capital “B”.)

More Photos of the Murphy’s Law Project →

We are proud to announce the 1st of a 147 part series (if Murphy’s Law has anything to do with it) on upgrading an old Schwinn Collegiate to a practical and pleasing daily bicycle for transportation.

When it comes to building and outfitting commuter bikes, we realize two important things:

1. Not everyone has the means to purchase their “dream bike” from Renaissance Bicycles.
2. Not everyone has the experience or knowledge to upgrade their old beater bike into something that can be useful as everyday transportation.

So we have created this little project to address point number 2.  (As for point number 1, please consult your financial advisor … and ask him / her for a personal loan.  They should recognize the value of a healthy and happy customer.)

Anyway, the title of the project is Murphy’s Law, as in “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”  Obviously, this is a little tongue-n-cheek, but it serves as a gentle reminder that that hiccups during a unique project are the norm, not the exception.  We would like to think as “professionals” we could take on any bicycle project and have it knocked-out without delay.  Realistically, there are always new challenges and obstacles to overcome, no matter how many times we build up a Betty Foy.

This story, like any good story, begins with the underdog. In this case, it is a vintage Schwinn Collegiate headed to the scrap pile.  We intercepted it before it made it all the way into the dumpster, and we were glad to get a project bike for the sum of $0.  Of course, there are a few issues to deal with (it wasn’t headed to the landfill for no reason), but there should be (remembering the previous paragraph) a pretty straight path towards making this bike road-worthy once again.

View the Murphy’s Law photo gallery →

Over the next few days, weeks, months (again as dictated by Murphy’s Law) we will chronicle our project.  Here are some of our basic goals / intentions:

• Be realistic about this project from a consumer perspective.  Sure, we could build a sub 20lbs. mountain bike for $12,000 instead, but it seems to make more sense to lose 20lbs. by riding this free bike.
• Provide examples of best practices for such a project. In other words, we would like to use our experience to help guide others so that they can lessen the Murphy Effect as much as possible.  In some sense, we can afford to make mistakes more than the average home mechanic.
• Document some of the technical challenges faced in upgrading an older bike, but without getting too bogged down in the details.  In other words, we want to show the selection and installation of a new chain, wheelset, shifter, etc. without without getting too “How-To”.
• Show both the challenges and rewards in trying something a little unusual. We don’t take ourselves too seriously … we just feel fortunate to classify such a project as “Work”.
• And when everything is said and done, we would like to find a deserving home for this project by donating the proceeds from this endeavor to a worthwhile cause.

So hang-on as we head down the bicycle path less traveled.  We are sure that our reward will be well worth the effort, we just need to make the effort.

And if you have any comments, questions, or cuss words along the way, feel free to make use of the Comments section of the Shop Talk blog.