Hi everyone, I’m very new to the world of cycling and new to this sub. I learned how to ride a bike as a kid and did it a lot until I was in my teens and then stopped for a good 8 years or more even so now I am trying to get back on track.
I got a used Raleigh Brazil road bike for 50€ and of course, as a cheap bike it is not in perfect condition.
There’s a couple of things I would like to ask your opinion on since I am unsure how severe these things are. I’ve never had such a bike before and so even trying to start riding it felt like an obstacle with the seat in a for me very high position. It was as if I had never been on a bike before! It’s since been lowered.
First of all I tried to pump up the tires and only got them to 6 bars which according to my research is not enough for 23mm tires knowing that I’m 1.94cm and about 120kg. Past 6 bars it felt like either my pump or the tire would explode and I tried my best to pump with all my body and a standing pump so I think I did it right.
Then as you can see the front tire is quite cracked as it hasn’t been renewed by the owner. According to him the one in back is newer and it seems fine to me.
I thought of getting either a new for the front if you say it does need to changed and even considered renewing both of them and have them be a bit wider. Again, due to my weight but also due to not having asphalt to drive on all the time but sometimes having to switch to dirt roads. Not super off road and it’s all dry earth too but to my understanding it’s really not recommended to go off the road with 23mm tires.
When shifting the chain sometimes seems to fall out? I think it’s because there is no plastic shield in the back that prevents the chain from going too far over the sprockets. Changing gears in general is a bit tricky for now and I have to get used to it still.
My biggest issue however is the rear wheel wobbling. I will have a link to a video of it in the comments. It’s also why I decided not to drive it until I know if this is something that could get worse or if I can fix it by myself possibly.
Somewhat connected to this issue are some small rings that should be attached to the rim as far as I know? Some of them wander up and down the spokes depending on the wheels position. It’s also on the rear wheel only so that’s where the wobble could come from too.
I also have some foot cages that I couldn’t figure out how to remove so for now I simply removed the strap to tighten down the shoes with.
I know 50€ is not a lot for a bike and I hope to be able to make it usable for not too much more. A cheap bike can turn into an expensive bike very easily and since I’m only starting this thing I would like to not spend a lot of money on it for now.
So please tell me your opinions and thoughts on what I can do and if this is a fixable job, I appreciate your insights a lot!
by Ilovecoolcars
3 Comments
[This is the rear wheel wobbling.](https://imgur.com/a/iuGejGY)
Honestly, you paid 50 for a frame and crank set. You need new tires, wheel needs truing, and I’m sure there’s a bunch of other maintenance to be done. I’d take it to a bike shop and get it professionally fixed.
Those wheels need to be “trued.” (Edit: actually they look toasted.) Are you at all handy? This bike is more or less ready to go once the wheel is fixed. But I live for this, finding oldie but goodies and cleaning them up. This bike deserves a deep clean. Take everything apart and remove every last speck of grime down to the grooves in the screws. This is a good bike for that because everything is out in the open. I like that about old bikes. But to do that you’ll need at least a multi-tool (might as well get one with a chain break, too), crank puller, 4-in-one screwdriver, spoke key and tire levers. A bike hand wouldn’t hurt to have either. Now, if all of that sounds insane to you, just take it to your local bike shop and show them what’s up. Personally I think anyone who rides a bike should be able to work on at least the basics of maintenance and adjustment. Maybe save truing and crank pulling for the professionals until you get the hang of it and find out you love cycling more than just about anything else. But think of it this way: that’s a great deal for a 50 credit bike. That bike mint and ready to fly could command prices as high as 150 or 200, depending on your market. So for the same price as a good, ready-to-go old bike, you either get all the tools and do it yourself, or take it to a shop and end up spending about the same. Long story short, essentially, bikes aren’t ridable for less than about 250 coins. The 50 dollar ones need 200 worth of work and the 200s probably need new tires anyway. Which all considering isn’t that bad for personal transport. And you’ll get strong and be one of the cool guys to boot! Now, as for tires: look for narrow gravels. That bike’ll take as large as 28cc and you’ll be cruisin in no time.
PS, the derailleurs need to be indexed, which just means adjusted to match the gears. Probably needs new cables while you’re at it.
Welcome to the world of cycling! It’s gonna be great. You’ll be fine. Go to the bike shop.