Sometimes Less is More, Sometimes More is More

No new pictures of the 1967 Raleigh Sprite project, or of the 1949 Schwinn New World project... sorry to say. I've been busy working on both, a little at a time on each. I don't normally like to do that, but they're very different in terms of what is needed.

First, on some bikes "less is more" in terms of repairing or restoring the bike. Sometimes the project arrives in such a good condition, that you don't need to take everything apart. Certainly you should clean and lubricate mechanical portions, but if a bike comes in good condition, you may not need to take absolutely everything off. In other words, if something is clean and not rusty, or is not broken, then don't try to pull it all apart and fix what isn't broken. 

Second, on some bikes, you need to go down to the frame, disassembling just about everything for cleaning and re-building. These tend to be older bicycles that have a lot of use on them. So they benefit from cleaning and a total re-build.

The 1967 Sprite falls into the first category, and the 1949 New World falls into the second. The Sprite came in very good condition, such that I'll clean and lubricate the mechanical portions, but I'm not taking the bike down to just the frame. It doesn't need it. This is kind of a "clean and refurbish" type thing rather than a frame-up job.

The 1949 New World has required extensive work, including fork straightening, frame straightening, and rebuild all mechanical areas, pounding out dents in fenders, and extensive filling of lost paint areas. This is a true frame-up job, where even the frame itself has to undergo extensive work to get straight (sent away for commercial repair, then some additional work with frame tools and blocks to get back on track) and ready to ride again. 

The lesson is that you should tune your work to the project at hand. Don't automatically go to a full frame-up repair when you don't need it, and don't be afraid to dig into the project and do more where more is required. Take each bike as an individual case and adjust your approach accordingly.