Cleaning Rusty Handle Bars - Raleigh Dawn Tourist

Saturday was cold and rainy, so I got a chance to work on the Raleigh Dawn a bit more. My first task was to clean the handle bars. It seems the shiny, chrome handlebars are the first thing people notice on a bicycle. These bars are not in bad shape, but could use a little cleaning.

My method this time was basic: a Dremel metal rotary brush to knock off the rust, then bronze wool with a coating of WD-40 to get the pits taken care of, and finally Simichrome polish to polish off the bars (yes, I am actually using Simichrome for its original purpose for once). I also used Simichrome on the rubber hand grips, and cleaned those up a bit as well. I don't recommend hitting them hard with polish, since the polish spirits may dry them a bit. However, a modest cleaning did well.

I also began working on the insides of the rims. I removed the old tires and tubes. I then used the Dremel rotary brush and some medium grit sandpaper to clean up the insides of the rims. They were rustier than I expected, so will need some more cleaning this week. 

Sunday was warm and sunny, so I brought out the Columbia Three Star Deluxe. I swapped on a better period 1940s reflector. I took it for a brief ride to knock the dust off it.

I took a longer ride with the 1947 Schwinn New World Roadster.