Workshop · 5 min
How we restore an old frame
From a find to a working bicycle. We take you through the work each frame goes through before it gets a new life on the street.
By Reride · From the workshop in Valby
In brief
A good frame is the starting point. We assess the rest part by part.
Assessment comes first
A frame rarely arrives looking neat. It comes with rust in the seams, worn bearings and a history nobody knows any more. Our work begins by finding out whether the frame is worth building on — we check the geometry, welds and threads before deciding.
Everything comes off
Next, the bicycle is completely dismantled. Every bearing, every bolt and every cable comes off so we can assess the parts individually. Anything that can be cleaned and reused is cleaned and reused. Anything worn out is replaced with parts we would ride ourselves.
Parts are assessed individually — anything that can be reused is reused.
Cleaning and paint
Then comes the time-consuming work: cleaning, dealing with rust and — if the frame deserves it — new paint in a colour that respects the bicycle’s original character. We are not chasing a factory-new look. We are chasing a bicycle that looks as though it has lived, but rides well.
Assembly and test ride
Finally, the bicycle is rebuilt: bearing by bearing, cable by cable. It is adjusted, test-ridden and adjusted again. Only when it rides the way we want do we put it up for sale.
From the workshop
Do you have a frame you are unsure about? Drop by the workshop in Valby and we will look at it together.
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