Hey there Bikewrench. I'm new to the whole bike scene and just bought a used bike. Initially the bike didn't come with peddles and brake calipers but I got those. So I have several issues that came up when bringing my bike to the mechanic
Mechanic said the shift levers are hydraulic and is not compatible with these brakes. So I'll need a new shift lever. Any idea on what's a good budget alternative for these levers? I'm thinking of browsing the used market for some decent ones. Also, do you think I could sell the Ultegra levers? Any idea on how much?
The derailer is not within the same groupset. The mechanic said it's not a big deal but I might want to switch it in the future. Any idea on what would be a good upgrade?
And finally, there are some paint chippings on the frame. The mechanic said it's just cosmetic but I should paint over it. Any suggestions on how I should approach this?
Several pictures are attached for reference. Thanks so much for any input!
by Mean2Children
6 Comments
Oof. You got hosed. Sorry.
First, don’t put any money into this bike. It looks like it was a parts bin build that the previous owner just used on the Trainer. All of the corrosion on that top tube is due to sweat sitting on there and the previous owner not wiping it off. I would not trust that frame.
I’m a little concerned that your mechanic said that was just cosmetic because the bubbling under the paint is I worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen aluminum bikes with less corrosion than this and they were toast.
I hope you did not pay a lot of money for this because the person who sold it to you made out like a bandit. I hope it wasn’t a close friend either because I would highly suggest finding a new friend in that situation.
Also, your mechanic said that the rear derailleur and shifter were not compatible, but that is also incorrect because they are both ultegra and appear to be the same generation of Ultegra. You do not have a front derailleur so you would have to dump even more money to have a fully functional bike. If I were you, I would see if you could maybe sell the parts individually off this bike and use the money to buy a new one from a reputable shop
park tools youtube channel is gonna be your best encyclopedia of everything bike! Highly recommend you watch a few vids on brakes and shifters so you know the different kinds, it’ll help drastically with shopping for new parts
The *brake* levers are hydraulic, not the shifters. You’ll need a combination shifter/ cable-brake lever for the right hand, but only a brake lever for the left, as it appears that the front derailleur has been removed and replaced with a chain watcher. I can’t imagine why. If you want to be able to use both chainrings, you’ll need a front derailleur and a brake/shift lever for the left hand as well.
I’m sure a few different models of Shimano shifter/brake levers will work, but I can’t weigh in on their compatibility other than to note that the rear shifter will need to match the number of cogs on the cassette.
You can definitely sell the Ultegra levers. Look up the same model on eBay and look at “sold listings” to see how much people are actually getting for them. If they’re unused, a generous shop might give you some credit towards the new levers you need.
As for paint, people use modeling enamel, nail polish, and good ol’ Krylon. None will give you especially good-looking results.
So this is an absolute hodgepodge of parts, to the point of being dangerous. It’s either been on a trainer as a spare parts indoor bike, or it’s stolen and been slapped together for a quick buck.
Either way, this could very easily become a triggers broom situation.
The shifter is probably buggered internally, at least on the hydraulics side from being sat empty as any seals may have perished.
Basically you’ve been had.
This is a mess of a Frankenbike and I hope you didn’t pay too much for it.
Your mechanic is correct, you have hydraulic levers and the frame is a rim brake frame (did the levers come with the bike? The previous owner had no idea what they were doing or wanted to offload parts on someone unsuspecting.) There is no possible way to make your levers compatible with any brake that fits on your frame. You would need any of Shimano’s 11-speed, mechanical shift, mechanical brake levers – that is, ST-5800/ST-6800/ST-9000/ST-R7000/ST-R8000/ST-R9100. Find whatever is cheapest.
I’ve seen single ST-R8020s (what you have right now) sold for around $80-$150, depending on your market nearby. If yours is in good condition, you’d probably get somewhere around that price for it.
Your derailleur *is* actually groupset-matched: both the derailleur and the shift/brake lever are part of the R8000 group. No need to upgrade it. However, I can’t easily count how many cogs are on your cassette but it doesn’t look like an 11-speed cassette, and R8000 is only compatible with 11-speed. You will need to change your cassette to make it work. Depending on what freehub body your wheel has, you may also need to change your hub or your entire wheel.
That rear cassette doesn’t look like 11 speed