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  1. Realistic-Hotel5454 on

    Oil the cables and pivot points. Pump the tires and see if it rides

  2. A_PCMR_member on

    New brake shoes for the front (Maybe the rear too while you are at it)

    New tyres and potentially tubes : Tyres are likely toast due to dry rot

    Maybe, that is if movement is too hard, new cables for brakes and shifter

    If you are really fancy, new front hub / wheel with a Dynamo in it to feed lights

    Most importantly : Lube

    GET OUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, CHAIN LUBE

  3. I’d change the tires, tubes as well. They may still hold air, but who knows how good they really are without examining. I’d also grease/lube everything, and then go for a ride. You may need to do a little more TLC, but riding will tell you everything.

  4. bikegeezerkc on

    I just worked on one of these exact bikes last week. Even if the tubes/tires hold air and it shifts gears ok, the biggest issue is going to be the brakes and the excess of stock brake housing and stock brake pads. The rear brake in particular will feel like a big mushy mess because of the full length of brake housing running to the back of the bike. The best thing you can do for it would be replace the brake cable, and replace the housing with compressionless brake housing. The rims also may be a painted braking surface and not provide much purchase for the old stock brake pads. Replace them with Kool Stop salmon compound linear pull brake pads and you’ll get the best possible rear brake for this bike. Parts for all that should come to about $30 conservatively.

  5. Spray the chain and gears with a chain cleaner/degreaser, scrub it all with plastic brush like a vegetable brush, rinse with water, do all that again, the dry it off and lubricate it. Clean the rest of it with soft cloth and furniture polish.

  6. Where to start…

    I use this general checklist whenever I’m checking out a bike for purchase.

    It also applies to inspecting and maintaining a bike you’ve already own.

    It will encourage you to go through and become familiar with the major systems on the bicycle.

    I recommend viewing Park Tools videos on bicycle maintenance for details on some of this stuff.

    GCN also has a lot of good videos on things like bike fit and riding techniques.

    Start here:

    1) Tires inflated.

    2) Rims are true.

    3) Spokes aren’t loose.

    4) Brakes adjusted and inspected (cables, pads, braking surfaces)

    5) Chain clean, lubed and measured for wear.

    6) Shifting adjusted properly.

    7) Wheel bearings checked for play and friction.

    8) Bottom bracket/crank/pedals checked for play and friction.

    9) Headset checked for play/friction/indexing.

    10) Is the seat post stuck?

    11) Is the stem stuck?

    12) Is the frame intact and is it true?

    13) Does it fit the intended rider?

    Good luck.

    If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to follow up.

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