[joshk]

I have a 79 LRV that I want to restore. Raced it for quite a few years. Anybody know of any good sites for old school parts. Believe it or not there's not much on Ebay.

 

[Brian P]

OS BMX
VintageBMX.com
Welcome to BMXMUSEUM.com

josh, where in NJ are you? are you aware that the tracks in both howell and flemington are holding "old school" races?

good luck in finding your parts, PM me with any specifics you may need and ill see what i can do

 

[joshk]

I'm in Pitman,it's South Jersey, about an hour from Flemington. Thanks for the info. If I had a Bmx bike put together to ride I would love to do that.

 

[yewhi]

Be patient...

The parts are out there. Like restoring anything, you just have to be patient and be willing to pony up for the right part. Occasionally you get lucky but it's a rarity.

BTW... I'm currently restoring a pair of old LRV's. Their pictures are below. Great old bikes and just like the one I had as a kid.

Still trying to figure out what to do with this. Might just leave it as is and build it. One of the few examples of the Blue epoxy over chrome LRV's I have ever seen. The finish is rough and abused, and I'm tempted to powder coat it. However, given it is the only one I've ever seen that might be stupid regardless of how beat up it is.

The chrome LRV and the Parts to date. This one's in almost perfect condition aside from the dropouts where the wheel was mounted. There is no pitting, rust or flaking of the chrome. Easily a 9 out of 10.

And Finally my original LRV circa 1979

Great Bikes!

Would love to see what you're restoring...

 

[yewhi]

Completed...

 

[Industry_Hack]

I like the fact that you can still get Comp III tires.

 

[yewhi]

Number 2: Work in Progress...

Removed most of the surface rust via white vinegar bath.

Parts pick so far...
Tange TX-500b newly rechromed,
Dia Compe MX 1000 and NOS lever (prebent)
Tioga Bear Trap Head Set
Tuf Neck Pro Neck

Yes, I am bored...

 

[Industry_Hack]

Strangely enough, I've never heard of LRV. But then again, when I was a kid, I had Mongoose, Redline, Jag BMX, and PK Ripper pretty much right in my backyard.

 

[yewhi]

Well...

You've heard of Chuck Robinson, right?

There's a reason these frames look very similar to early Robinsons. LRV (Liesure Recreation Vehicles) formerly Moxie then LRV-Moxie. Chuck worked for LRV immediately prior to leaving to begin his own company. Then company ultimately failed in the early 80's.

More history regarding that relationship here:
Chuck Robinson

Cheers!

 

[TxCyclist]

The vinegar bath was really effective in removing surface rust? How rich was the mixture with vinegar?

 

[Industry_Hack]

Robinson BMX? Yes.

 

[yewhi]

Yeah, Vinegar (AKA Acetic Acid) works well

I used the vinegar bath for the really heavy oxidation behind the front triangle gussets. After 24 hours in undiluted white vinegar it comes clean with a tooth brush. I wouldn't soak it much longer than that as you run the risk of damaging the chrome.

For the surface rust on the welds and dropouts, I used a technique that requires a bit more elbow grease. That is Canola oil (yes canola oil for cooking) and aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is softer than even 000 steel wool so there is no risk of scratching the chrome in the process of removing the surface rust and it's pretty easy to get into the nooks and crannies.

Combination of the two techniques works pretty well.

TCN

 

[bermbuster]

LRV Rules

I have my original race bicycle from 1977.
It is an LRV (small bb), DG forks, Cook Bros Stem, Araya rims w Bullseye Hubs, Stronglight cranks, Beartrap pedals

I also have a pic of a Pre Mongoose bicycle. I got it in 1975. It is a Dirt Squirt. If you look at it you will see close similiarities to the mongoose.

I recently cleaned out my parents house and rediscovered them.....

 

[yewhi]

Great original bike! A real rarity and that stem alone could probably put my kids through college (Well, at a state school anyway).

I hope you hold onto these guys.

Again, Beautiful Bike!

 

[dirtsquirter]

nice!!!!!!!!!!! I had a dirt squirt frame. I bought it in 77

 

[Grape Ape]

I used the vinegar bath for the really heavy oxidation behind the front triangle gussets. After 24 hours in undiluted white vinegar it comes clean with a tooth brush. I wouldn't soak it much longer than that as you run the risk of damaging the chrome.

For the surface rust on the welds and dropouts, I used a technique that requires a bit more elbow grease. That is Canola oil (yes canola oil for cooking) and aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is softer than even 000 steel wool so there is no risk of scratching the chrome in the process of removing the surface rust and it's pretty easy to get into the nooks and crannies.

Combination of the two techniques works pretty well.

TCN

Good ideas. I used aluminum foil and lemon juice to clean up the chrome on the 72 Schwinn Breeze Deluxe I restored for my wife. I scoffed at it when I first heard of it but was a convert once I tried it.

 

[mikehernandez42]

Sweet looking LRV. Like the partner said before, I have never heard of LRV. Reason is i was born in 1982. That would explain the reason. Bring back your roots. Roots should never die out.

 

[Industry_Hack]

This reminded me - Last year, I wrote Bob Haro to tell him that he still owes me for buying his crappy plastic two-finger brake levers that broke if you looked at them wrong. Good luck finding one of those today.