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  • I love a challenge I guess...

    I was randomly browsing Marktplaats, when this size 54 Batavus Verona came up for 25 bucks, which is an absolute bargain for something that works. This one, well... I did ride it for 5 km and I'm still alive.

    We have 2 bikes at my workplace for shared use, 1 of which is unusable and pretty much unrepairable, completely rusted through. This should be a nice replacement.

    Fun list:
    Shifter doesn't work
    Brakes barely work
    Lighting doesn't work
    One spoke missing from the rear, several spokes bent and loose
    Tyres are long gone
    Chain is ridiculously worn and rusty
    Brake levers are loose, mismatched and terribly weathered
    Grips need to be replaced too

    But! Seatpost ain't stuck. QR stem works too. Headset and BB have no play and aren't too scratchy either. No huge rust patches. Definitely salvageable.

    Found new tyres tubes at work. Ordered the rest of the replacement parts for 30 bucks. Will source spokes and spoke nipples from the lbs.
    I might also replace the chain guard later on.

    I absolutely love these Dutch city bikes by the way. They have a lot of quirky features, but all in all they are extremely functional. Pity that a lot of people don't take care of them.

  • With bent spokes in the rear like this, my bet is that someone tried to steal the bike while it was locked.

    With a bit of maintenance, these kind of bikes can be used for 30+ years.

  • Could very well be! And indeed I guess this has at least 10 more to go, unless the rust eats through it earlier haha.

    Finished today. Boy, what a ride. Was a lot more challenging than anticipated. Couldn't salvage the rear mudguard, entire thing's bent to hell and rubs on the wheel no matter what.
    Brakes are crap. I've read a Sheldon article that if you use these roller brakes dry, without their special grease, they are instantaneously toast. Well this one didn't have either of the plugs on the grease ports, and there was absolutely no sign of grease anywhere, so go figure.
    The rear wheel has a lot of wobble, the rim itself must be quite bent and I couldn't true it unfortunately.

    But anyways, it is now an actual, rideable bicycle, so I'll count the project as a success.

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