Vintage Bikes
Repairs & Restorations
Vintage Bike Repairs in Newcastle
Nobody knows vintage bikes better
Call them vintage or retro, these bikes existed before thru axles, press fit BBs, electronic gearing or hydraulic disc brakes.
A vintage bike and it’s components require a classic workshop and a mechanic with extensive knowledge and experience. The skills, techniques, tools and ‘know-how’ for building and repairing these bikes are disappearing just as fast as new materials, industry standards and technologies are introduced.
Mobile bike mechanic
Vintage bike repairs, restorations & builds
I use the tools and techniques from back in the day that can bring your dream vintage bike or family bike restoration alive.
- Decades of experience
- Vintage workshop and tools
- Perfect preparation, excellent results
- Ambitions & dreams fulfilled
Typical Frame & Fork Requests
Seized Parts
Dissimilar metals can cause galvanic corrosion. Patience, skill and experience are needed to rescue a situation without causing further damage.
Treating Paint
Paint fades over time, corrosion takes hold, transfers become fragile, chrome can lose it’s shine. Sympathetic treatment can slow down the deterioration and keep things original.
Thread Repair
Occasionally a thread can get damaged. Over tightening or other issues can cause a thread to fail.
1950s Flying Scot
“Finished the event Neil. The bike ran amazing other than the bad gearing choices..haha. What an awesome event. You should definately do it. Thanks so much for all your effort, it genuinely would not have come off without you”.
— Flying Scot owner | Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany l’eroica 2024
Thread Prep & Facing
Bearings work best when they’re fitted to clean and prepared surfaces. Decades of use (or abuse) can distort these important frame parts.
Restoring Components
Vintage bike parts have to receive sympathetic treatment, cleaning has to be done carefully. Good parts aren’t easy to find, and increasing in price, so being able to reuse what you have is essential.
Frame Alignment Checks
Checking the alignment of a frame or fork, setting the frame and hub dimension or ensuring the frame ends are correctly set parallel.
Experience Is Everything With Vintage Bikes
I learnt my trade from guys who had been fixing bikes through the 1940s, building frames in the 1950s, running a successful bike shop in the 1960s & racing professionally in the 1970s.
Starting my career in the 1980s, it felt like I already had 40 years of knowledge behind me thanks to their support and guidance. As a mechanic, you often have to think outside the box, use initiative, problem solve, and take risks, especially with older bikes. If you need help with a vintage bike, you need someone who can fall back on years of experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the questions I’m asked about my mobile bike repairs, bike servicing & vintage bike work.
Can you build my vintage bike?
Absolutely! Once I have your frame and fork and any components you have, I take over and build your bike to the highest professional standards, keeping in mind the setup, features and qualities or a period bike.
How much does your service cost?
I’m happy to give a quote on any vintage bike work, but there is no set price, each task is different.
Do you paint frames?
No, there are some wonderful companies in the UK with amazing heritage that will produce a fabulous result for you. Seek those out for paint, then I can take over the build.
Are you just an enthusiast and work on vintage bikes as a hobby?
No. I’m a professional bike mechanic currently running a successful mobile bike mechanic business. I also have decades of experience, working in bike shops and witnessing the emergence of so many different technologies, different frame materials and bike standards.
I am the ideal person to trust your vintage bike with.
Can you fix my dad’s old bike so I can ride it?
Yes, absolutely, I’d love to do that for you. Taking an old bike that hasn’t been ridden for some time but which holds many family memories, and making it work again, is a wonderful thing to be able to do for someone.
What about just a repair on my vintage bike?
I can consider any type of repair and assess if it is possible. I can perform a repair at your location if possible, or alternatively, carry it out in my workshop.
Why do you call it a vintage bike workshop?
Today’s components are dominated by only a couple of manufacturers and you can do lots with a 4mm or T25 key. But it was not always like that. Stronglight, TA, Weinmann, Shimano EX, C-Record, Mavic, Maillard to name just a few created some beautiful and different components, but these would often come with a unique tool to remove, adjust or service them.
So alongside my normal workshop where I can service the latest bikes and technologies, I have a collection of tools that I’ve used over the years on items such as headsets, hubs, bottom brackets, brake calipers, cranks, freewheels and a bunch of weird size allen keys.
Shouldn’t I just Go To a Traditional Bike Shop with my Vintage Bike?
Bike shops have several disadvantages relating to vintage bikes. The main focus for a traditional bike shop is to turnaround servicing and repairs in a timely commercially orientated manner. The hourly workshop rate will stop them from taking on a vintage repair or build as time and hours on such a build will accumulate quickly.
Unless you come across a shop mechanic who has been in the industry for many years, you are unlikely to find someone who understands, or has experience of your bike. Finally, they just might not be equipped with tooling to be able to repair or build your vintage bike.
What is the benefit of coming to you?
I can offer an educated estimate of how much it would cost to repair or build your vintage bike. My overheads are nowhere near that of a traditional shop and the commercial pressure is much lower, therefore I can offer a more competive price and a flexible timeframe for the work required to your bike.
I am also very good at what I do!
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