I thought it didn't come off after I read a reply on another post saying to take a pin out of the chain.
I'm gonna try and save the chain and if doesn't work. I'll buy new.
Hi guys, just got a free bike off back street (ask home owner for permission) it needs fixing up but looks in decent enough condition
- Thread starter Drencrom
- Start date
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I thought it didn't come off after I read a reply on another post saying to take a pin out of the chain.
I'm gonna try and save the chain and if doesn't work. I'll buy new.
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Nipples. not really. The rust will not affect their function - I can't see you trueing these wheels.
As said the tyres (well the section showing in the image you shared suggested) look OK. The inner tube comment was just that the valve had skewed right over, Expect the tyres and tubes will all be fine (think Webbo is being unduly pessimistic).
I would though pull them off and check the rim tape is satisfactory.
Finding a seat which suits you is tricky. I doubt Amazon reviews will add value (because anyone who buys a seat off Amazon will likely lack the knowledge to add value). Cycling sites will offer more knowledgeable reviews, written by people who have ridden many differtent saddles, but even then your backside is individual and it sounds as if you have scarcely ridden and don't know what sort of riding you're going to do on this bike.
My recommendation is to leave any seat replacement till after you've ridden the bike a bit.
This does not supersede my primary response which is not to waste money on this and find a better one to rescue. I've rescued maybe a dozen over the last few years and have learnt to be picky before parting with my cash at the recycling shop. Others' MMV.
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classic33
Leg End Member
Howabout checking your local library, see of they have a copy in their system.
Have you split a chain before?
You're going to need to invest in some tools. If you haven't any to start with, a bicycle tool kit for about £40 will be a good asset.
You need a chain splitter to take the old one off and to resize the new one and if it doesn't come with a quick link, the change splitter can be used to rejoin a chain.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Thing is, saddles are a very personal thing, and dependent on the shape of your body and the width of your sit bones. What's comfy for one person isn't necessarily comfy for someone else, and yes, padding is lousy, because you sink into it and then the stuff pinches you in places where you don't want to get pinched.
But before you start spending money on a new saddle, make sure the one currently on the bike is at the correct height and distance from the bars - because a badly-positioned saddle can cause you a whole world of discomfort. A lot are set too low. It's a tweak that takes you just a few minutes and costs you nothing to try.
For height, you want your leg fully extended while sat on the bike, with your heel on one of the pedals while it's at the bottom of its stroke. Using a chair back or wall to help support you works well. You may need to tweak a bit, but that will give you a good ballpark.
For distance to bars, you want the tip of your elbow to be against the saddle nose, with your middle finger on what is effectively the top of the forks (steerer). Again, that's a ballpark and may want some tweakage.
The last thing you might want to check is the saddle tilt. Ideally you want the saddle to be level, but some people prefer a little nose down. For instance, for me, it depends which bike I'm riding. On my road bike, I like my saddle to be nose down, but on my hybrid and mountain bikes, I like the saddle to be level.
I should add, I have the same saddle on all four bikes because it suits me.
I wouldn't buy a whole tool kit as has been suggested tbh. If you've a set of allen keys, a flat and phillips head screwdriver and spanners in the more common sizes, you should be able to do most of the jobs in hand. The exception is the chain splitter, and, if needed (it may not be) a crank extractor. But just buy the tool you need when you need it if you are intending on sticking to a tight budget. That said, good tools are never wasted.
For cost-effective tools and parts, if there's a Decathlon near you, they're definitely worth a visit. They're competitive in terms of pricing, and their own brand stuff pretty decent. You'll probably need to factor in a new chain, new brake blocks and new inner cables at the minimum if the bike's been neglected for a long time. And yes, twist shifters are non-serviceable, so if you do need new gear cables, you will need to buy the whole units.
But start with the simple things. A good thorough clean of the bike will tell you if there's anything major that needs doing. A wire brush, a can of WD40 or GT85 and a supply of rags are your friends here. And an old shoelace is great for getting the muck out of the rear gears.
FYI, my two mountain bikes were rescues from the sales area at the local tip. They both looked OK visually, but one needed a complete strip down and rebuild, and I ended up chucking about £400-worth of parts at it. The other just needed a clean and service.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Welcome to Cycle Chat! 
In my experience, most libraries will have at least one book on bicycle maintenance in their catalogue.
There's also plenty of good tutorials on youtube.
Sheldon Brown's website is also a good (if somewhat nerdy) resource.
In my experience, most libraries will have at least one book on bicycle maintenance in their catalogue.
There's also plenty of good tutorials on youtube.
Sheldon Brown's website is also a good (if somewhat nerdy) resource.
fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
If you have dabbled in chains before, check to be sure you don’t have a master link or split link in the chain to ease removal.
time for some “you tube” research me thinks.
( and for those of you who minds went straight to the gutter when I mentioned “ dabbling in chains”… good for you! )
Punkawallah
Veteran
Scrub the rust with baking foil dipped in full-fat cola. Clean off the residue and use an (old) toothbrush to brush any type of oil on them. Don’t get the oil on the braking surfaces :-)
It is possible to replace the cables on twist shifts. As long as they click through the gears ok there is no need to replace them.
If you are replacing the inners then it is worth replacing the outers as well.
If you don't have chain gauge to check for wear then it either buy one or just replace the chain (and cassette/freewheel).
You also need to check the hubs, bottom bracket and headset for wear/play.
Parktool has plenty of video showing you how to do this.
Brilliant, thanks.
The chain and cassette are salvageable. A really good clean and lube is needed.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
It is, when the bike's previous owner has cut the cable as it exits the bolt on the derailleur, and so there's NO adjustment
But I'll hold my hands up if the more mainstream twist shifters are servicable - thing is, I ride junior bikes due to being somewhat, umm, undertall, and the cheap tat they fit to the smaller bikes definitely aren't. DAMHIKT. I've upgraded to trigger shifters on one, and have the parts waiting to be fitted for the other.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Punkawallah
Veteran
Or a bottle of "Barkeep's Help"
Quite possibly. Does it have acid as an ‘active ingredient’? The foil acts as an abrasive, the phosphoric acid in the cola acts to neutralise rust.
