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Polishing Pitted Old Road Bike Rims

I need to know where to start when polishing bicycle rims. I have a Medalist Series 2 Road bike from the 1970's. I have polished the back rim and removed all surface rust, it has come out great. However, I've got the front rim and it is terribly pitted, I was wondering, how should I proceed to grind it down to the metal and get almost as good a shine? The rim is original to the Supercycle Medalist Series 2 bike. Does anyone know what the factory had initially plated on it, or if it has been anodized underneath? It has been chromed and I know I have gotten through to the nickel plating (yellow tinge). Should I just polish it down to the metal with 80 sandpaper until it's there. Then proceed to finer grades? Where do I start for this extreme tarnishing and pitting. It's only about a 5 inch section of the rim, so I only need to remove that spot of pitting.

Matt Fabrizio
Restore Bikes, And Repaints - Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
September 25, 2008

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hi , I would suggest taking it to a proper metal polisher .

they have high power polisher machines , and various mops and polishing compounds .

it wouldn't take too long and I doubt it would be too expensive .

Your own method seems to work , but if you use sandpaper , you will probably leave scratches.

Hope this helps

Jay Smith
- Essex, UK
October 9, 2008