I am in need of a new bike and my parents have this one in their garage likely from one my older siblings. It has been unused for 15 years or so but I know very little else about it. I put air in the tires today and rode it around, brakes still work but it feels a bit small. For context I am 6’1”, maybe that could just be fixed with a new taller seat. Anyway, this would be for short commutes several times a week. I would be taking it to a local shop for a tune-up and some QoL upgrades. Is this worth it, or should I just invest in a new bike? I had Tori le finding useful information about this particular model online. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
by Romanianness
5 Comments
Very cheap older Royce Union. A bike you buy from department stores. Not worth putting much money into. Maybe put some new tubes in the tires. If it is shifting fine then I wouldn’t do anything to it. A tune up would cost more than the bike is really worth so if you don’t need to put any money into it don’t. Save money for a better bike that fits you.
These were made in the early 2000s by the millions under a slew of department store brand names — apparently including Royce union — that all white-labeled the same bike, mimicking the Y-frame designs that were catchy in the 90s (but left behind for incredibly good reasons). I remember one at Costco being like $85. They were not good for mountain biking then, nor are they now.
Don’t put money into this. If your commute is less than three miles, ride it until the wheels fall off.
My local bike shop has a sign saying they won’t repair these bikes because it would be expensive / impossible to make them safe (for off road riding).
You will have much better experience if you find a used bike that fits you properly.
Maybe just oil the chain if it squeaks, 😂 then ride it until it falls apart.
It is a pretty basic department store bike – a slightly dated version of what you will pick up in Walmart for a couple hundred dollars.
I would probably put as little into it as possible (oil the chain and patch any punctures, but don’t bother trying to upgrade it) while you save for a more suitable bike.
This is especially true if you are a taller person riding a smaller bike. It will be ridable, but it won’t be optimal for you. You will have some leeway to raise the seat (though do pay attention to the minimum required insertion if you are going really high), but that won’t fix the drop from the seat to the handlebars you will have created, or the fact the bars are too close horizontally to the seat. Fine for a few miles, increasingly uncomfortable riding further.