Some may have seen this bike a few weeks back, and it's now considered "decently roadworthy"!
Since that little time here is what was fixed:
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Deraileur now fully works! Just a matter of reseating the friction shifter tension screw and tweaking settings on the deraileur (DIY, 0€ spent)
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Brake cables were halway seized (bunch of WD-40, Also 0€)
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Wiring for front light was broken and too short to route it (soldered some extra wire, also 0€ as I have everything)
So far, still 50€ (I already had that folding lock mounted on the bike)
However, it won't be 50€ for much longer:
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Brakes are a bit squeaky (whatever) and are beyond useless in the rain (!!!) So about 10€ in new brake pads, front and rear.
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Tyres are not exactly seated well, and have some very surface level micro cracks. Probably dry rot, probably new tires soon. Bummer as I didn't notice when I bought it. It also causes the dynamo to jump around, causing light flickering at low speeds and no lights in the rain at it just slips on the wheel constantly.
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Probably new bar? Angled grips are nice but these cruiser bars are a bit much. Any suggestions?
Again I don't want to spend TOO much on it, as it'll probably be stolen. (last bike was gone in a month, although here I have a better lock and a locked bike storage facility)
by DarkGaming09ytr
2 Comments
Well done. Have you read Sheldon Brown’s method for preventing bike theft? I think it would work well here.
Just a heads up that if those rims are chromed steel, there really are no great brake pad options for riding in the rain. Even Kool Stop pads that people like to recommend will severely degrade in stopping power in the rain (as I learned from personal experience). If the current pads have hardened from age, you can get improved (but still awful) performance for now by grinding them across a piece of sandpaper or emery cloth on a flat surface until you get to softer rubber. After reinstalling the brake pads, you’ll need to get the brake pads closer to the rim by letting out the brake cable adjuster barrel; test the brake levers can really clamp the pads to the rim before your first ride.