Can you fix this for me mister?

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Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Unfortunately I’ve become known in the area by the kids as someone that can mend bikes. This was brought by some yesterday and is probably the worst one I’ve seen. I particularly like the body filler repair to the hinge.

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cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
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Location
London
Nice that you are approached and are keen to help but I would be wary of even touching it. Surely it's totally unsafe unless it's just going to be tootled round a yard, and any apparent fix you do, no matter how minor, might encourage someone to go for adventures on it mixing with traffic?
 

davidphilips

Veteran
Location
Onabike
Tbh think that bike is be on repair at a reasonable cost, might be a better idea just to make the owner a small offer saying you could use it for parts, not that you would use any parts of it but looks like it would need more spent on it than you could buy a second hand bike for?
Very good of you to repair bikes for locals etc, well done and keep up the good work but try not to give yourself to much work.
 
Stick it on the 'bay.

"Just pump up the tyres and she's ready to go!"
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Has filler actually been used as a structural repair? If so I'd guess it's toast unless you're handy with a welder.

I assume you have a far more "make do and mend" culture over there than in the UK's disgusting disposible attitude; so the threashold of what gets binned is a lot lower..? In addition I'd guess a bike's considered a much-more valued practial commodity than it is here..?

As such I suspect many of our boundaries as to what's worth repairing are probably a lot different to those you encounter.

Good luck - I guess some brake cables would be a good start :blink: 😄
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Here’s another one I got given for repair. It was a full sus BSO but the frame was toast due to failed rear suspension bearing. The replacement frame is steel and weighs a ton.

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lol - in steel that's got to be punishing :laugh:

What sort of bikes do you generally encounter over there; is it all cheap Chinese tat? Are there any domestic manufactureres? What sort of spec are new bikes (the one above appears to have both disc and rim brakes; at least in part!)?
 
OP
OP
Cycleops

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
We get all sorts here @wafter . From Chinese basic bikes to racers and mountain bikes which are the most popular due to the poor roads. Most are what is know as "home used" in other words sent from abroad, these are the most valued, even parts, you'll pay more for a home used chain than new Chinese one, same with tyres and most else. They come from Europe, the US and UK. There's one street in Accra that is lined with just bike sellers, haven for vintage bikes as well as newer ones.
I bought a nice Specialized AWOL adventure bike a couple of years back for little money which is my main bike. I've also got a Schwinn eighties racer and a nice 2007 aluminium frames Trek I rescued which you can see in this section.
There's no domestic manufacturers apart from some bamboo frame bikes. Decathlon have a shop here but prices are higher than in UK but you can get most new bike spares which is useful.

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