Bike's not in very good condition

[Deleted member 20519]

I bought a second hand mountain bike for next to nothing. It's in decent condition, it has rigid forks, shimano sis gears and cantilever brakes.

It needs a bit of work -

frame could do with a sand down and repaint
new brake pads
tyres are buckled
handlebars are slightly rusted
brake levers need replaced
pedals need replaced

I have no idea what to do, I bought this bike for commuting and I didn't want to spend any money on it but I guess I'll have to.

My LBS is charging:
£12 per wheel to be unbuckled - £24
£5 for four brake pads

I'd need to buy some:
paint (I wouldn't mind doing a nice black and white design)
pedals
brake levers

I'd also be considering some disc brakes in the long run (halfords have front/rear mech discs for £22.50 but I don't know if they would fit my bike) http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_783201_langId_-1_categoryId_165608

So, how much will this all cost - can a beginner do it - and how hard will it be?

 

[Globalti]

If you're confident with bodging bikes you can fix it up using parts from bike jumbles sales or from Ebay for a very small amount of money.

The fact that you've asked a bike shop to do some of the work tells me you're not. Was it wise to buy such a basket case if you're not confident? Trying to fit bits from other bikes or bought over the counter from Halfrauds is a recipe for even more expense, if you're not sure what will work, the older the bike the less likely the parts are to be compatible because manufacturers have been changing standards a lot in recent years. You say the tyres are buckled but you must mean the wheels, right?

Why not throw it in a skip and go to Decathlon or ask around local shops for a decent second-hand bike that you can ride straight away? I got a beautiful Peugeot racer for £150 from a bike shop.