Checking the tires is the best first step in restoring a bicycle.
Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold started the Schwinn company on October 22, 1895. More than 100 years later, the Schwinn name still sparks a light in the hearts of seasoned and amateur collectors. Because of the high volume of production, old Schwinn bicycles and bike parts are abundant. This gives you plenty of options in finding original replacement parts if you so choose. Even though the original Schwinn company has been pulled out of bankruptcy a handful of times through mergers with other companies, the Schwinn name continues to produce high-quality bicycles and sponsor athletes.
Instructions
Checking the Tires
1. Flip the bike upside down so that it is balancing on the seat and handle bars.
2. To remove the back tire, find the appropriate socket size for the bolt holding the wheel to the bike. Unscrew each bolt just enough to push the tire forward off the fork. Take the chain off the back cog while slowly lifting the wheel off the fork.
3. Once you have completely deflated the tire, take the tire lever and push it in between the wheel well and the edge of the tire. When the edge of the tire pops over the wheel, slide the tire lever along the tire so that one half of the tire is sitting off the wheel.
4. Gently pull the inner tube out and reinflate it on its own. Be sure to overinflate the tube to make recognizing any holes easier.
5. Take the overinflated inner tube and slowly begin rotating it, part by part, in the bucket of water. If any bubbles start coming up from the tube, it has a hole. In this case replace the inner tube with a new one. Otherwise, deflate the inner tube again.
6. Make sure that one half of the tire is still sitting inside the wheel well. Take the inner tube, new or old, and put the nozzle inside the appropriate hole in the wheel. Begin lining the inside of the tire with the inner tube.
7. Inflate the inner tube just enough so that it begins to take its shape, but not enough to be firm.
8. Set the other half of the tire in place on the wheel and reinflate the tube.
9. Set the wheel back on the fork slowly while laying the chain over the back cog. Turn the pedals so that the chain sits back in place. Make sure the wheel is straight and tighten the bolts.
10. Repeat steps 1 through 9 for the front tire.
Chain, Breaks, and Rust
11. In the case of minor rust, coat the chain in a small amount of WD40 oil and wipe it clean.
12. Dribble a small amount of bike oil on a part of the chain and turn the pedals. The motion will relubricate the chain and the cogs.
13. If the bike has hand breaks, spin the wheel and pull on each hand break respectively to check how well it stops the wheel. If the break pads are poor, flip the bike back over to stand on its wheels and unscrew the break pads with the appropriate socket wrench.
14. Screw on the new break pads and repeat Step 3.
15. Remove any rust from the frame with a little bit of soap and the steel wool pad.
Tags: inner tube, break pads, half tire, appropriate socket, edge tire