My friend was having a lot of trouble with the durability of his 1980s Schwinn bike and needed new components badly. He didn't want to buy a new bike because he was very fond of the retro appearance and style of his current one, so he asked me what I thought was possible. Online bicycle configurator tools allowed me to validate my design concepts before embarking on component acquisition. The wine red frame was a little dinged up, but I thought the patina finish juxtaposed against the clean look of the black wheels with the machined aluminum sidewalls produces an intriguing and visually compelling final product. My friend agreed and I marched on with the build.
Finding a very affordable groupset was critical to this full refurbish project to remain cost effective. I was able to find a Shimano Claris groupset that included everything to do with the drivetrain and braking system at a low enough cost and high enough quality to allow me to keep this build at a similar price point and quality of mass built bikes. I encountered an issue with the reach of the new brake calipers upon installation - an issue that occurs when the diameter of the wheel shrinks when changing from a 27" to 700c wheelset. Fortunately, the pre-existing calipers had a long enough reach to match the braking surface of the 700c rim.
The performance upgrades of a new wheel and groupset fully justified the cost of the customization - proving out that upgrading an old steel frame bicycle is worth it to maintain style.