Okay, so I decided to tackle this little project, something I started calling ‘jalabert’ in my head, mostly ’cause it reminded me of that era of cycling. Wasn’t anything official, just a personal thing I wanted to get done.
Getting Started – The Idea
It really began when I stumbled across an old, dusty bike frame someone was getting rid of. Looked pretty rough, honestly. But the shape, the style, it just took me back. Reminded me of those bikes guys like Jalabert used to ride back in the day. Not the exact model, mind you, but it had that vibe. So, I thought, why not try and bring it back to life? Make something rideable out of it.
The Messy Part – Teardown and Cleaning
First thing was stripping it down. Whatever components were left on it were mostly junk. Rusted bolts, seized cables, you name it. Getting the old bottom bracket out was a real fight, seriously thought I was gonna wreck the frame. Spent a good few hours just wrestling with that one part. Once everything was off, the real cleaning started. Lots of degreaser, scrubbing, tackling patches of rust. It wasn’t about making it look brand new, more like getting rid of the years of neglect. My hands were filthy for days afterwards.
Hunting for Bits and Pieces
With the frame cleaned up okay, I needed parts. This turned out to be trickier than I thought. I wanted to keep that older feel, but finding decent condition parts from that specific time, without spending a fortune, was tough. I spent a lot of time checking online marketplaces, local bike swaps, asking around.
- Needed wheels, obviously. Found a used pair that looked about right.
- Drivetrain parts – cranks, derailleurs, shifters. This was a mix-and-match job.
- Brakes. Went for something reliable over perfectly period-correct here.
- Cockpit stuff – handlebars, stem, saddle.
Ended up compromising quite a bit. Some parts are newer, just because finding old stuff that actually works well is hard. It’s not a museum piece, it’s meant to be ridden.
Putting It Back Together
Assembly time. This is usually the fun part, seeing it take shape. Started with the headset and bottom bracket – thankfully the new ones went in easier than the old ones came out. Then mounting the drivetrain parts. Getting the derailleurs lined up and shifting smoothly took some fiddling. Always does. Cable routing was a bit messy, had to redo it a couple of times to get it neat. Then the wheels went on, brakes connected and adjusted. Finally, wrapped the handlebars with some fresh tape. Step by step, it started looking like a proper bike again.
The Result – First Ride
After tightening the last bolt and checking everything over, it was ready. Took it out for a short spin around the neighborhood. Felt pretty good! A bit different from modern bikes, obviously, but solid. It shifted gears, it stopped, it rolled. There was this sense of satisfaction, you know? Taking that forgotten frame and turning it back into something functional. It’s not the fanciest bike, and maybe only I get the ‘jalabert’ connection in my head, but the whole process of bringing it together, that was the real point. Got my hands dirty, solved a few problems, and ended up with a bike I built myself. Pretty cool.
