Mostly in great condition. Has new tires and rims. Front derailer needs work, thinking about swapping out the gearset with something newer.
My background with working on bikes has always been just getting old discarded ones up and running, not much else. I'm interested in a "project" to get me more familiar with working on bikes and this seems like a great opportunity.
Really fun bike to ride!
by FireKeeper09
11 Comments
I ride 3x and am happy enough. My plan is to have that as an adventure touring bike and the 22-34s give a pretty low ratio for climbing
After ripping around on it a bit more, I agree with changing up the gearing situation to suit your needs, if necessary. That drivetrain’s got a pretty decent range, but if you find yourself using one of the front rings more than the others, it might be worth your while to change to a 2x or 1x up front, and get a bigger gear range in the back. That’s definitely a popular thing to do, at least. I like to run 1x drivetrains because I have a lifelong vendetta against front derailleurs, but that’s just a me thing.
You should probably look into new fenders, or at least a new one in the front. That beat-up, bent-up section on the front fender looks like it could easily bend into the tire if you leaned it against a post or bike rack just wrong. Not a huge deal, but could be something to look into.
Otherwise, it’ll always be worth your while to replace all the cables and housing on a used bike. The insides of the housing and the cables themselves love to corrode, adding friction and generally making everything work worse. Personally, I like going to a bike shop and ask for some of the shop’s bulk cables and housing; I’ve found that they charge very little for those compared to buying pre-packaged kits.
Have you had any problems with the saddle? If not, no worries, but personally, that’s a shape that drives my nuts nuts, so if you find you have the same issue, that’s something to look into.
Do you have any opinions about the guard on the drive-side chainstay? That little bit that’s zip-tied on below the chain? They make pretty tough stickers for that, which tend to look sleeker, if looks are a concern for you.
Level the seat and ride it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a sucker for lugged frames.
Have no idea what it is, but looks like a great project. I would just make it look good by removing/replacing anything that is broken, bent or rusty. Make it mechanically sound and ride that bad boy into the sunset
Perfect. No notes.
If you want different pedals, I’m interested in some old bear traps like those haha
Those pedals are sick!
The parts that are on this bike are quite sought after. It looks like the first year Deore group nick named “deer head”
Even the pedals could be valuable, as some of the higher end bear traps from this Era can be worth a couple hundred bucks.
If you upgrade, and decide to sell the parts, make sure you look them up to get a fair price.
You’ll probably want to replace the cables and brake pads. I don’t recognize the brand, but that’s a pretty cool mountain bike. Those “bullhorn” bars and old MKS pedals are desirable parts, too.
Frankly, I’d replace the cables, housing, brake pads and saddle and just ride until I found something wrong with it.
Is that a 3×5 drivetrain?
I like the frame and the handlebars, it looks like a relaxed, touring posture. I agree about replacing the front fender. I’d ride the hell out of this, around the city and long distances.