Replacing 6 gear back set with an 8 set one
- Thread starter nigelb
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Good grief.
First 7 mile journey done, and I've discovered one or two inherited problems ...
Saddle is broken, front wheel buckled, back gear shift lever blocks where I want to hold the handlebars, back gears need adjusting (or its the wrong shifter - I know its not the original). Brake lever bodies are plastic/nylon/whatever, and bend if you apply the brakes!
I could also do with making the overall gear ratio faster (gets to the point where I'm peddling furiously on the flat in the "hardest" gear, want a harder one), will see what its like going up the hill this evening. Peddles are silly flat things, no grip, slipped a foot within seconds of starting out.
However, the overall riding position is ok, the top bar just low enough for comfort, and I don't feel all scrunched up, or indeed struggling to reach - so I guess its about the right size.
I'd forgotten how much I'd sorted out on my old bike!
Nige
First 7 mile journey done, and I've discovered one or two inherited problems ...
Saddle is broken, front wheel buckled, back gear shift lever blocks where I want to hold the handlebars, back gears need adjusting (or its the wrong shifter - I know its not the original). Brake lever bodies are plastic/nylon/whatever, and bend if you apply the brakes!
I could also do with making the overall gear ratio faster (gets to the point where I'm peddling furiously on the flat in the "hardest" gear, want a harder one), will see what its like going up the hill this evening. Peddles are silly flat things, no grip, slipped a foot within seconds of starting out.
However, the overall riding position is ok, the top bar just low enough for comfort, and I don't feel all scrunched up, or indeed struggling to reach - so I guess its about the right size.
I'd forgotten how much I'd sorted out on my old bike!
Nige
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Shee-it, sounds to me like what you just picked up there is a whole lotta trouble boy (schpit - petang!) Comes a point where the expression 'throwing good money after bad' hoves into view....
Have you considered getting a new old bike off ebay? Buy one that's badly listed (bad description, bad photo, bad close time, perhaps a minor fault or two...) and you could get a way better bike for less than it would cost you to sort out that one. And you'd end up with a good bike.
Have you considered getting a new old bike off ebay? Buy one that's badly listed (bad description, bad photo, bad close time, perhaps a minor fault or two...) and you could get a way better bike for less than it would cost you to sort out that one. And you'd end up with a good bike.
Its a fine line isn't it.
Chain and back set are £15 total (ordered), saddle maybe £20, front wheel maybe £30 (though I'm fairly sure I have a spare in the garage).
To be honest, the biggest problem I'm hitting is a non twist grip selector for sram 6 speed.
Got a spare pair of ali brake levers, so I'm down to maybe £60 of spares to get sorted, plus whatever a gear selector costs.
Thing is, I'll be riding this bike regularly, so being able to strip/maintain it is kind of important, lbs bills tend to mount up if you just book it in for service like you do a car, and there's no reason I can't maintain it myself (and that's actually easier for me than leaving at the lbs for the day while its done!).
Nige
Chain and back set are £15 total (ordered), saddle maybe £20, front wheel maybe £30 (though I'm fairly sure I have a spare in the garage).
To be honest, the biggest problem I'm hitting is a non twist grip selector for sram 6 speed.
Got a spare pair of ali brake levers, so I'm down to maybe £60 of spares to get sorted, plus whatever a gear selector costs.
Thing is, I'll be riding this bike regularly, so being able to strip/maintain it is kind of important, lbs bills tend to mount up if you just book it in for service like you do a car, and there's no reason I can't maintain it myself (and that's actually easier for me than leaving at the lbs for the day while its done!).
Nige
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Commuter-Ligh...ZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item1e5ad54e7b
With £20 in yer back pocket...(and it's just down the road!)
With £20 in yer back pocket...(and it's just down the road!)
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Or if yer a tall chap...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-carlt...ZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item53e030fffd
(This may actually go for a fair bit if it gets spotted - it's a really nice '60s bike, made by a 63 year old bloke called Les with a permanently-unlit rolly hanging out the corner of his mouth. It won't be super-lightweight - but it certainly won't be heavy either - and it'll be real quality, so very little fettling around. (They came with Campagnolo Super Record gears, which gives you some idea of the level of componentry. Also check the saddle...) It would be so much nicer to ride than that BSO you're wrestling with, would need very little faffing around, and would last forever.)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-carlt...ZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item53e030fffd
(This may actually go for a fair bit if it gets spotted - it's a really nice '60s bike, made by a 63 year old bloke called Les with a permanently-unlit rolly hanging out the corner of his mouth. It won't be super-lightweight - but it certainly won't be heavy either - and it'll be real quality, so very little fettling around. (They came with Campagnolo Super Record gears, which gives you some idea of the level of componentry. Also check the saddle...) It would be so much nicer to ride than that BSO you're wrestling with, would need very little faffing around, and would last forever.)
Well, I missed the "£20" one, went 6 minutes after you posted.
But, to be fair, it looks to be in a worse state that what I have?
I'm 5'8", and really looking for a comfortable commuter bike for 7 miles each way, rather than narrow tyres etc.
I will obviously keep looking (and I do really appreciate more pairs of eyes for better solutions), but meanwhile I can commute on the current pos. Will minimise expense on it, think the only thing I'll have to buy new immediately (apart from the chain and rear set) is a pedal.
(I've never seen a chain before where you can lift it on the back set, and see the links stretching and shrinking as you do so. When I take it off, I will measure it just for interest, to see how much stretch it actually has)
Thing is, whatever I go for, I'll prob end up wanting a decent set of no slip pedals, a comfy saddle, and prob a new chain, at least this one came with mudguards, rear pannier, and even happend to have mountings that fit my front and rear lights.
Nige
But, to be fair, it looks to be in a worse state that what I have?
I'm 5'8", and really looking for a comfortable commuter bike for 7 miles each way, rather than narrow tyres etc.
I will obviously keep looking (and I do really appreciate more pairs of eyes for better solutions), but meanwhile I can commute on the current pos. Will minimise expense on it, think the only thing I'll have to buy new immediately (apart from the chain and rear set) is a pedal.
(I've never seen a chain before where you can lift it on the back set, and see the links stretching and shrinking as you do so. When I take it off, I will measure it just for interest, to see how much stretch it actually has)
Thing is, whatever I go for, I'll prob end up wanting a decent set of no slip pedals, a comfy saddle, and prob a new chain, at least this one came with mudguards, rear pannier, and even happend to have mountings that fit my front and rear lights.
Nige
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
nigelb said:
Don't be fooled by a bit of surface rust. Think of it as scrote-repellent. That bike was in pretty good nick, and tho' it would have needed a bit of TLC to get it tickety boo, probably less than the one you have, and the end result would have been better by an order of magnitude. That kind of 'cosmetic' surface rust is exactly the kind of thing you want to look for if you want a bargain off ebay - it puts people off bidding, but it is in truth an irrelevance. If it worries you, scrunch up a bit of cooking foil, dip it in coca cola and rub gently - like this...
swee said:
This is the bulk of my problem - I can't tell the difference between a piece of worn out consumer/disposable kit (which I suspect is what I've got) and a rock solid bit of engineering that needs a little tlc.
Hence why I'm so grateful for any pointers (even if I don't sound it!), and making the comment about apparent condition, so I would learn some more.
Regards the front wheel, a quick play with a spoke key last night has eased the worst of the problems, still needs more though.
The front forks are more worrying. With the front brake on, there is play in the front forks when you rock the bike to forwards and backwards. Its not an a-head, its threaded, so I loosened the cap, tightened the ring underneath, then locked the top again. Still wobbles.
The stem won't come free (with the bolt in the top loosened) so I guess a spray of WD40 and tap the top of the bolt with a hammer. If its bearing trouble, I hope that they're still available, but do these setups use raced bearings, or is it a sleeve bearing?
In all, I happily accept that I've bought a pile of poo, I'll use it short term while I find something better, just the combination of small buckles in the front wheel (causing brake shuddering), with fork play, is rather worrying!
Nige
tyred
Legendary Member
1" threaded headsets are still available. To fit, you will need a large, old flat screwdriver to remove the old races from the frame and a hammer and a block of hard wood to tap the new ones into place (make sure they go in square).
To remove the handlebar stem, unscrew the binder bolt (probably 6mm allen key) by about 1/4" and tap it down into the frame to unstick the wedge. Jam the wheel up against something and twist and pull. If that doesn't work, tighten the bolt again, turn bike upside down and remove the wheel and mudguard and pour diesel or some other penetrating fluid down the steering tube and allow to sit for a few days.
To remove the handlebar stem, unscrew the binder bolt (probably 6mm allen key) by about 1/4" and tap it down into the frame to unstick the wedge. Jam the wheel up against something and twist and pull. If that doesn't work, tighten the bolt again, turn bike upside down and remove the wheel and mudguard and pour diesel or some other penetrating fluid down the steering tube and allow to sit for a few days.
Are you sure it'll be a 1" threaded headset I need?
I would much prefer to buy the bits, then do the swap, rather than gutting the bike, working out what I need, then waiting while I get the bits.
One like this then http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-Threaded-Bi...sure_cycling_bikeparts_SR?hash=item414d2d2807
There also seems to be 1 1/8" headsets about ...
Nige
I would much prefer to buy the bits, then do the swap, rather than gutting the bike, working out what I need, then waiting while I get the bits.
One like this then http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-Threaded-Bi...sure_cycling_bikeparts_SR?hash=item414d2d2807
There also seems to be 1 1/8" headsets about ...
Nige
tyred
Legendary Member
nigelb said:
That's the fellow. 1" is much more common but to be certain, if you measure the diameter of the quill stem where it goes into the steerer, it will be 7/8" (22.2mm) in diameter for a 1" steerer.
Have a look at this - http://www.sheldonbrown.com/headsets.html - Sheldon explains the differences better than I can.
Ta, have spent a while today reading the Sheldon site - very accessable info.
The bike frame size seems about right for me - comfy - and as I wanted to do my own maintenance, I guess I shouldn't complain, just didn't quite expect to have to pretty much strip the thing completely and rebuild it week 1.
Somehow I seem to be making a mountain out of "just" buying another bike.
Nige
The bike frame size seems about right for me - comfy - and as I wanted to do my own maintenance, I guess I shouldn't complain, just didn't quite expect to have to pretty much strip the thing completely and rebuild it week 1.
Somehow I seem to be making a mountain out of "just" buying another bike.
Nige
