Summary of what I'm seeing. Slight rust on most cables.
Brakes with but not great.
Shifting it terrible. Not working at all. Haven't adjusted then yet.
Tires look ok? Seem like they are holding air.
Frame seems solid. Seat is ok.
The question is given the age what do I need to replace? All cables I'm assuming?
I've never tried cantilever and not sure what to do with that split.
Any tips?
Got it for 60 bucks.
by dirthurts
5 Comments
Tyres and tubes very likely need replacing, even if they still hold air. They’ve become brittle due to their age (they’re at least 26 years old, right?) and will fail at the most inopportune time.
Cables/housings can also be replaced if they’ve become rusty.
And another thing you should replace is the brake pads. Those have also hardened over time and they won’t stop you properly anymore, as well as eat at a faster rate into your rims.
If you’re feeling up to it, maybe the the hubs apart, clean and regrease them. Same goes for the headset. But that’s less of a problem if you feel things are running smoothly.
Try and adjust the derailleurs and brakes. Ultimately, if there’s rust on the cables and you say it shifts like crap I would do a full cable/housing replacement. Things I would check and aren’t too difficult or time consuming :
– Chain and cassette wear
– Brake pads wear and adjustments
– Check that nothing is rattling, seized or not torqued properly.
– Tires should not have cracks or dried rubber
– Checks for loose spokes and wobbly wheels
A good thing would also be to clean your bike, degrease and relube your chain.
Main thing in my view are the break pads. As mentioned above they can become brittle over time and then very quickly fall apart which is dangerous. Good thing is they’re cheap and easy to replace.
New tires and tubes are also often a good investment when buying a used bike. Makes your riding safer and you will less likely encounter a flat tire somewhere on the road. They look visually ok but the question is how old they are.
Everything those guys wrote.
Get a commuter tires with rain tread instead of knobs. These hard rubber knobs are not helping you with grip on the road and won’t be useful for off road either.
Moving up you want to replace the brakes especially the brake pads and cables.
You may want to adjust the derailleurs but it won’t be fantastic unless you replace the whole transmission.