What do I need to know to improve

• If I wanted to make a paying hobby out of restoring and updating old bikes, what are some resources that would help me improve my skills, research the right bikes/components, and find the right places to buy them? In implementing some of the recommendations made in http://ask.metafilter.com/215629/What-do-I-need-to-turn-my-bike-into-a-reliable-form-of-practical-transportation, I came to the realization that I love working on bikes. There's something really satisfying about the process, about working on a machine that is simple enough to be comprehended, complex enough to be interesting, and which rewards a day's work with tangible, pleasing results. I really like everything about it -- doing maintenance and repairs on my bike and my fiance's is one of my favorite "chores". I've been toying with the idea of turning this into a paying hobby of sorts. The idea would be to buy a couple of old bikes with nice frames but which need some TLC, and restore/update/modify them to make them into awesome all-purpose street bikes for commuting, bar-hopping, and all the other stuff that the fashionable young things of this city like to do with their two-wheeled steeds. Then when I was done I'd turn around and sell the bike to make back my costs plus a bit extra. I'm not looking to make this a full-time thing, just basically a hobby that happens to make a little bit of money in the bargain. I think this would be a nice way to take my bike-mechanic skills to the next level. I'm not worried about being able to turn out bikes quickly or anything, I'm happy to learn as I go and take my time in order to get things done right. I do know how to do basic maintenance -- I can adjust a transmission and brake system, clean a chain, clean and repack a bottom bracket, true a wheel, etc. I have all my tools and I have a place to work. I know about http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ (RIP), and I know that you can find tutorials on YouTube for just about any procedure you'd care to name. (Although if anybody has links to other good resources about how to build and maintain bikes, I would absolutely love to see that here.) What I don't know is what I'm looking for. I know I like older road bikes, but I feel like I could be better at sorting the wheat from the chaff in the world of used bike purchasing. I'm mostly interested in road/touring/commuter bikes, rather than mountain bike, BMX, or cruiser styles. I know that a lugged frame is a sign of quality construction, that I like steel better than aluminum, and that serious rust is a deal-breaker. I don't really have a great concept of what brands are good/desirable, or what else to look for in selecting a serviceable frame that will form the foundation of a bike that somebody will eventually want to buy from me. I'd love to hear advice on this topic and/or get links to other forums or resources where I could research the subject. Also if anybody knows of some good frame-painting tutorials then I'm all ears (although I'm leaning toward keeping stock paint jobs and just cleaning up the frame or maybe giving it some protective laquer if it's missing significant paint.) Also, I expect to be buying some components for these bikes. I'd be replacing worn-out saddles, upgrading old brake systems, modernizing and modifying transmissions, swapping out handlebars and tires, putting on racks, that sort of thing. The problem here is that I haven't the foggiest idea how to go about effectively shopping for that sort of stuff. I mean, I know roughly what style of components I'd be looking for, but I don't know anything about brands or models or where to go to get a good price. This is probably the area in which I am most deficient and would welcome any and all wisdom that you can provide on the subject. Finally, any other relevant advice that you feel might be be of value is welcome. Thanks in advance to all of you for your gracious assistance. I will pop by periodically, as I'm sure there's plenty here that I'm not able to think of yet given my ignorance. I look forward to whatever edification you can provide. Oh, and please understand that I do intend to first try out this advice on my own stable of bikes before I go and sell somebody some haphazardly cobbled-together monstrosity. I wouldn't sell somebody a bike that I wasn't totally confident about and willing to stand behind. Nobody deserves to ride a crappy bike.

• Answer:

  A good era of bikes to look out for is 80s road bikes, esp. Japanese ones and later era Taiwanese bikes tend to be good for having all standard threads and parts. These bikes are sometimes looked over by the fixie crowd. 80s MTBs can be made into great commuter bikes with a few changes and they almost always have standard bottom brackets and stem sizes. French bicycles tend to sell well but have many quirks that can frustrate new mechanics. Personally I wouldn't bother trying to sell fixed gear conversions anymore, wal-mart sells cheap fixies for 150$ or something ridiculous like that and bikesdirect sells decent to good fixies for 300 or 400$. For a decent flip bike I'd get something with all the parts on it, wheels that spin and seem true. Bring a multi-tool and check that the seatpost can move up and down, same with the stem... these two things seize up a lot on bikes, so part of being a good flipper is to make sure you grease/anti-seize these parts, and all the other bolts on the bikes you sell. I don't really make a huge amount of money on the bikes I sell but I do enjoy it as a hobby and I get satisfaction on putting a good working bike on the road. I usually repack all the bearings and on a lot of bikes strip the parts off and give the frame a good polish and waxing with the car stuff, like meguirs scratch-x in bad cases or just a good coat of wax on cleaner frames. Usually new cables and housing will improve the braking and shifting a lot. Replacing crusty and cracked pads and tires is a safety issue so I usually do that too. The only way to make this money back is to start on frames that were cheap or free. I still dumpster dive sometimes and have found many bike parts. The other thing I watch out for is crashed frames, sometimes people will sell them for parts-only and they can be a profitable way to get a frame on the road. Even buying one to strip parts from would be a valuable learning experience. A used copy of a reference book from back in the day is handy too, I have an old copy of http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517500930/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ that is good for the basics and it was cheap too. Sutherland's is apparently the gold standard but I haven't seen it so IDK. http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/index.htm is a great resource by a fellow up in Thunder Bay that has rehab'd and sold many bikes. He has some great tips on acquiring bicycles for flipping purposes. I like some of his mechanical articles too... a good resource all around and lots of nice pictures. A lot of material on 70s and 80s road bikes. My workshop space isn't all that great, I lack a good table but I have an awesome cast-iron antique stand I found on kijiji for 30$. A bench vice is something I still go to the co-op to use. You can make your own (ideally 2 3/32" and 1 1/8") easily, as well as a http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/09/29/homemade-headset-installation-tools/. I acquired many of my tools over time but since I knew I wanted to maintain my own bike before I decided to try and recover some money from the hobby I bought a filzer tool kit and it's worked out well for my needs but I build and overhaul many bikes, often from the frame up. I'd acquire at least a good set of metric allen keys and wrenches, both these are often available used if you don't already own them. I'd also recommend a good socket too, they are so handy, esp. if they have allen sockets too. Wow, that was a long post... sorry if that's too much; feel free to memail me any followups if you want, I answer heaps of questions at the local co-op where I volunteer so I don't mind doing it here either (try to volunteer if you have a local place)