Okay so I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to bikes. Been riding them since I was a kid but I don’t really know much about them or how to care from them outside of the very basics.
I was given this bike for free by a mate but I’ve not been using it lately bc the wheels are constantly deflating. I assumed it’s a slow puncture of some kind.
When he gave it to me he also said there some cracks in the frame, which I think are what’s shown in the last two pictures.
Now I only use this bike to commute to work nothing serious but given these problems I was wondering if it’s worth trying to get the wheels fixed (or even changed bc I rly dislike how thin they are), or if it’s worth looking around and spending a bit more money in a new bike entirely.
What are your thoughts?? Please bear in mind I’m working for minimum wage so money is tight. I’m UK based if this adds any context, so rain is definitely a factor 🙃
by Chalkyfingers11
3 Comments
change tubes and tires. the rest is fine.
New tires and tubes and you will be fine. The cracks look just like paint scratches. It actually isn’t very hard to replace tires and tubes, so you could save money doing them and watching a YouTube video.
The wheels look OK, but you should clean up those sharp burrs. Use a fingernail file to rub down the burrs.
The cracks near the BB may just be paint cracks or could be an actual frame crack. That is a flex point on the frame and cracks can occur there. Sand some paint away from the crack area, keeping the sanding marks perpendicular to the crack, otherwise the sanding marks will obscure the crack. If the paint is gone and the crack is still there, well now you know.