Had a customer bring in a 1990s mountain bike with a seized bottom bracket that took me a full Friday to free.

One side says it's a waste of time and parts, but I think saving a classic frame is always worth the fight. What's your cutoff for a project like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly1mo ago

Honestly a full Friday on one seized bracket is crazy. That's time that could have been spent on jobs that actually pay the bills. Some old frames just aren't worth the fight when you factor in labor cost. Sentiment doesn't keep the lights on, you know? There's a point where it stops being a restoration and becomes a money pit.

the_logan1mo ago

I mean, my cutoff is basically when I run out of swear words. If I'm still coming up with new combos, the bike is still in the fight. A full Friday is rough, but I've definitely lost whole weekends to worse ideas, like trying to build my own wheel once. Sometimes you just get stuck on proving the stupid thing won't beat you.

kelly.nora18d ago

Would you have walked away if it was a generic frame, or did the brand name alone make the fight worth it for you? I get the appeal of saving something old and solid, but there's a difference between a classic frame and a random 90s bike that was never special to begin with. Where do you personally draw that line between honoring a classic and just feeding a lost cause?