OK, who can advise on doing up this old MTB?

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Cycleops

Legendary Member
Those shifters are likely gummed up which may be why they're not working, the pawls get caked and stop moving. A clean out with a spray cleaner may sort them out. Cables might have seized too.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
If I replace the current shifter/brake units, I will need both thumb shifters PLUS brake levers won't I? And are brake levers dedicated to either V or canti, or will they do both?
They are dedicated but the model I linked to is for Vs
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
The nest advice is above. Strip it all down, clean, lube, fit complete new brake and gear cables then you'll know if anything really needs replacing. The best investment you can make at this stage is a cable cutter, about 3m each of gear and brake cable outer, 4 new inners, plastic ferrules and four alloy cable end-caps. Whatever happens, new cables all round can only improve the bike.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Sorry, didn't have reading specs on, thought you had thumbies on it! Yeah, levers will work with cantis or v brakes, I'd still leave the cantis on though!
Those levers will not work properly with V brakes, different pull required.
 

gbb

Squire
Cro-Mo 4130 is pretty much gas pipe, low end but very durable so no reason you shouldn't be able to get a very use able bike out of it.
If it were me and I was planning to do the work on the next trip
I'd factor in a pair of cheap shifters anyway, even grip shifts if you were trying to minimise spend. You'll have time to find a cheap pair, whatever type you choose.
Cables...defiantly bether if you fit new ones but I've revived plenty of old bikes,some with terrible looking cables....strip and thoroughly clean with WD or similar...they usually work fine. Again...you appear to have time to find cheap replacements if you choose.

Wheels spin free ? any doubt find out which sized spanners you need for your intended return.

Good project....
 

roadrash

cycle chatterer
@jay clock , I think I have a set of 7 speed shifter/brake combo for those brakes in the shed, cant promise, but I will look, yours for postage costs if I can find them.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
If he'd said it had been made from 531 people would have been nodding sagely and chewing their beards. Say its made from another material with near identical mechanical properties and suddenly its something Isambard Brunel would reject as too crude.
 

Alan O

Über Member
Those shifters are likely gummed up which may be why they're not working, the pawls get caked and stop moving. A clean out with a spray cleaner may sort them out. Cables might have seized too.
I had exactly the same problem with a bike I got cheap - it was stuck in gear, small to small, and the shifters didn't work.

Thanks to suggestions here, I opened the shifters and indeed found them all gunked up and the pawls caked in crud and not moving. A thorough cleaning and relube did the trick, and no new shifters needed. (Cables were moving OK, but I replaced them at the same time.)
 
OP
OP
jay clock

jay clock

Massive member
I had exactly the same problem with a bike I got cheap - it was stuck in gear, small to small, and the shifters didn't work.

Thanks to suggestions here, I opened the shifters and indeed found them all gunked up and the pawls caked in crud and not moving. A thorough cleaning and relube did the trick, and no new shifters needed. (Cables were moving OK, but I replaced them at the same time.)
I had not consider that. And has had 10+ years by the seaside in a sandy and dusty siutation.
 

roadrash

cycle chatterer
@jay clock , found them, if I had been looking for something I needed then it would have took forever, yours for postage if you want them .they will need cleaning up , been in shed for yonks, but they do work....

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