Fixing up an old bike is fun

Ok, so I can really relate to the joy of getting a spanking new bike, but there's nothing quite like fixing up an old favourite either :)

My faithful old Trek 6000 mtb has been my winter bike recently, but after developing a disturbing list to her pedals come spring I'm afraid I just stuck her in the back of the shed and forgot about her. Now that I have a road bike and have inherited a lighter and faster mtb from my dh she's no competition for my commuter of choice.

But I found out I could really use a "climber bike". Spring is prime rock climbing season in Oslo, and one of the best crags is in the woods near us, within easy cycling distance. But biking with a backpack is a literal pain in the neck, not to mention shoulders and back as well, so I needed something with a rack, and sturdy tires for the punchy gravel roads in there.

My dh helped me get started by taking off the crank arms and removing the wonky cartridge bottom bracket (he really wanted to know what it looked like in there :p). No going back now or giving up and riding to the LBS. Then he disappeared so I was on my own. Cracked the totally orange chain off and stuck it in a can full of motor oil. Cleaned up poor bike as best I could, installed a new cartridge bottom bracket (thank you Park Tool website for the correct name), attached the crank+pedals again, wiped the chain off and re-installed it with a link, cracked it off again and re-installed it again - correctly this time ;), put on new tubes and some decent knobbies I found in the shed (think they're my dh's, don't tell him), changed the brake pads, took the tires off again to adjust the brakes, put them back on... adjusted the front derailleur and put on a rack. Voila Climber Bike!

So now do I not only feel like the handywoman goddess, I also feel good about doing something nice for my beloved old bike. No, she doesn't look like new, she has seen 10 years of service, but I swear she looks kinda proud... :p
Just don't look too closely at the chain, it's still orange. But a very oily orange.