Hey all,
Absolute beginner and recreational cyclist here. I recently bought a bike 2ndhand (Giant/Liv Rove 2014 model) to help with my health goals this year.
When I brought it home, I noticed how rusty the chain and cassette were. I was initially planning on restoring both the chain and cassette but I'm not so sure now. The largest gear isn't giving me much confidence considering how rusted it is.
I was hoping to not spend more money on this bike (currently unemployed for health reasons) but it seems like I might have to.
What do you guys think?
by amishraveparty
8 Comments
honestly it might not be too bad to clean it off. i’ve seen similar damage be nothing more than surface rust where like 80% of it will scrub right off with degreaser and a brush!
Wire brush it and run it. Its surface
Honestly, it just looks like surface rust. I’d hit it with a wire brush, some chain lube and ride it. It won’t look pretty but your stated aim is to not spend any money.
The teeth look ok. It’s pretty typical of bikes like this. People buy them with the intention of riding, then don’t.
If you ride it the rust will mix with the oil . Keep cleaning that muck off and it should come good.
Edit: I dare say the chain will be the same . No need for wire brush, just lube it and ride it. Try to keep it clean and lubed.
Surface rust on the cassette doesn’t really affect how it rides. On the chain it can affect it. I would probably replace the chain and leave the cassette. You can also try oiling the chain first, it might work good enough.
Cheers, everyone. I’m gonna give it a go with removing the surface rust. I’m looking at YouTube tutorials now on how to remove the cassette lol.
I don’t really care much about how it looks- just wanted to be sure that it’s safe to ride. I’m just keen to go on a ride!
Congrats, you got a new to you bike, and care enough to. look it over! Get a new chain, they are cheap and not worth effort of restoring. This bike probably sat outside in weather for some time. But not terrible. Take the cassette off, wire brush that rust, hit it with some degreaser and a toothbrush and get it looking pretty. Rub some grease lightly on the hub, then put it back on and torque it down nicely. Use that degreaser on the new chain to get rid of factory grease, then cut the chain to the old one length, put it back on. Add chain lube, let it work in, then wipe off any excess with a rag. Now sit back and think what age next project should be!
Just use a soft brush and kerosene/parafin. Aĺlow to drain. Lubricate. Same with chain. No need for aggressive wire brush
CS-HG20. A replacement cassette is inexpensive ($20 ~ $30), but doesn’t hurt to try to clean it up and save the bit of money. I would not recommend using something like C.L.R. as the acidic nature will damage whatever surface coating/finish is left. The largest cog is black-painted, and that actually protected it, while the others have a brown-ish finish to it from factory.
https://preview.redd.it/j9ph41754zng1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d617796eee27ac16bbe6aafc9f3fd3be3f5aaa6
If that’s the chain in the background, that *might* be salvageable. Fully getting rust out of the individual links/pivots/bearings may be difficult. Again, don’t use any aggressive cleaners on it.