This is an old race bike from my uncle. My brother used it to commute to school and eventually ended up breaking it. It’s been standing in our yard for a while now and I would like to get it back to working order.
My grandpa wants to throw it away because it would be too expensive to fix since the rear tire, derailleur, shifter/brake lever and chain would need to be replaced and it would be more cost effective to buy a new bike
Im wondering if I could maybe turn it into a single gear bike, since it would be cheaper and I only use one gear anyway.
Is there anything I should be aware of or something that might make this impossible. Also can this be done for under €150-200. (I live in Belgium)
I have no experience in bike repair but would definitely be able to pull this off with the help of my father.
I just don’t want to see this bike go to waste.
by SnooBeans9827
4 Comments
You won’t be able to single speed it unless you get very lucky with gearing and chain length, as the frame has vertical drop outs which make tensioning difficult. You could always use a chain tensioner though (like a rear derailleur but not used for shifting).
Old ‘dales are great though, and it’d be a shame to see it thrown away. I reckon you could get it back on the road for what you’re hoping to. It *may* just be that you need a new chain (and tubes/tyres if they’re perished) and everything else can be just cleaned and lubed. Do it!
https://www.sheldonbrown.com
This is a great bike, a Saeco Cannondale replica. It’s worth to be saved!
I don’t see anything too problematic to be honest, why do you say the rear derailleur and the lever need to be changed? All I see is a chain to be changed, so cables. A chain cost 10-14 euros, a kit of cables and cable tubes (I don’t know how they are called in english, sorry) even less. Tyres can be bought for cheap (Decathlon sells a kit with two 28′ Michelin for 30euros in Italy).
It’s definitely feasible and you can totally do it.
You could possibly ressurect that rusted chain for a few more miles of life with a lot of time, effort, and lubrication, but ultimately chains are consumable and you should just replace it for $20 or so?
With a new chain, you can check if the indexed gear levers and derailleurs work properly, going up and down through the gears as expected…
Having a Shimano 105 derailleur suggest this bike was not shit when new, but it could still need a bit of love and care to get it mobile and reliable… Do the tubes/tires hold air for a day or more after pumping them up?
That could be a simple fix, or a nightmare, depending on how far gone the bits we can’t evaluate from photos are?