Hi guys!
I have been a lurker on this subreddit for a while. I LOVE bicycles and would like to learn how to put together a good one. No matter if it was pre-loved or built from skratch.
I bought this bike about 2 years ago, from a flee-market. I have no idea of the brand, found nothing. I managed to polish it up a little bit, with some help. You can see the AFTER photos on the second picture.
I rode with it for 2 years now, and would like to really upcycle it: i would like to buy new handlebars, some cool handles, aluminium pedals and most importantly: some new shifters. Currently, it has a basic 7×3 shimano shifter, which hardly ever works.
My questions are:
1. Do I need to buy a new gearset, or new changes would be enough?
2. The front wheel has a teeny-tiny 8 in it, barely visible. From the moment I got it too. Do I just leave it, or try to mend it?
3. Do you guys know any great YouTube channels, that explains throughoutly, how to repair or build everything on a bike? I would like to be self-sufficient.
Thank you in advance for the answers and have a nice weekend 🙂
by befruzsi
4 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/rbw90reeu7ue1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=119ca87a8e6b124c91d17fa91cd66e894f806cdd
Reddit doesn’t show, but this was my bike originally
“RJ the bike guy” is the go-to place for home mechanic YouTube tutorials.
I would: clean the bike, try to fix the 8, change everything you touch, e.g. new grips
Typically feels like a new bike after that – did the exact thing on my old Hardtail from the mid 2000s.
First of all great paint. Second, RIP your wallet. Third, you’re gonna have so much fun.
r/xbiking has build after build doing this. Here’s mine:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/xbiking/comments/mv424h/new_build_1997_sworks_team_edition_end_of_the_xc/](https://www.reddit.com/r/xbiking/comments/mv424h/new_build_1997_sworks_team_edition_end_of_the_xc/)
1. You’ll likely be changing several related components. This can be minimal or total depending on your destination. A tune up, new cable and new chain may be sufficient!
2. “truing” wheels is high skill but rewarding to learn. A bike shop can likely improve your wheel.
3. Park Tools channel is GOAT, although many others worth watching.
There’s a long list of things you can do. Do you have a budget in mind? For handlebars Nitto makes great retro bars, there’s Soma and Velo Orange as well. For pedals can’t go wrong with MKS. As I mentioned the list is endless just depends how far you want to take it.