Will do! Thanks for the advise. I love my bike and I don't want to mistreat her unknowingly!
Second hand bike problems!
- Thread starter Weejacko
- Start date
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12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
I felt your pain, Weejacko. Having some click or creak or another is damn irritating.
If you clean the chain, you need to oil it afterwards
Quick method is to clean chain with a rag, oil rag and then wipe over. The oil won’t then spray everywhere
The general feeling of being unsafe is unnerving, I imagine myself of something out of a Mr bean skit ending up with just a set of handlebars and one shoe
It's very unlikely you'll lose just the one shoe, I'd expect both at the same time and possibly your pants too 
.
The trick with a commuting bike is to have a regular maintenance routine - clean the bike and lubricate the chain reasonably often - I try for weekly but depending on your mileage it can be less often. If doing lots of miles for commuting in bad weather then replace the gear and brake cables sometime in spring - if you do that you'll keep on top of it no problem.
When oiling the chain remember that less is more, put a tiny drop on each of the links one by one then turn the cranks a few times to get the oil worked into the chain and then wipe off the excess a couple of times - it should be reasonably dry to the touch afterwards. That will help stop the chain from getting too dirty or collecting grit and wearing out sooner.
.The trick with a commuting bike is to have a regular maintenance routine - clean the bike and lubricate the chain reasonably often - I try for weekly but depending on your mileage it can be less often. If doing lots of miles for commuting in bad weather then replace the gear and brake cables sometime in spring - if you do that you'll keep on top of it no problem.
When oiling the chain remember that less is more, put a tiny drop on each of the links one by one then turn the cranks a few times to get the oil worked into the chain and then wipe off the excess a couple of times - it should be reasonably dry to the touch afterwards. That will help stop the chain from getting too dirty or collecting grit and wearing out sooner.
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
These are not just second hand bike issues but issues you could get on any bike
Alembicbassman
Confused.com
In 2008 I could just about fix a puncture and oil a a chain. With a basic tool kit (£30 ish), youtube videos, Park Tool website and Sheldon Brown's website I taught myself how to strip, clean, re-fit and adjust.
With a bit of patience you can do most things. Sometimes things get stuck and a trip to the bike shop is required, but you'll save yourself the price of the tool kit on your first couple of jobs.
My used bikes get a complete strip down now.
With a bit of patience you can do most things. Sometimes things get stuck and a trip to the bike shop is required, but you'll save yourself the price of the tool kit on your first couple of jobs.
My used bikes get a complete strip down now.
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Nice one thankyou! I do about 16 miles a day, 5 days a week, I don't know if that's alot or not much in the cycling world..It's very unlikely you'll lose just the one shoe, I'd expect both at the same time and possibly your pants too
The trick with a commuting bike is to have a regular maintenance routine - clean the bike and lubricate the chain reasonably often - I try for weekly but depending on your mileage it can be less often. If doing lots of miles for commuting in bad weather then replace the gear and brake cables sometime in spring - if you do that you'll keep on top of it no problem.
When oiling the chain remember that less is more, put a tiny drop on each of the links one by one then turn the cranks a few times to get the oil worked into the chain and then wipe off the excess a couple of times - it should be reasonably dry to the touch afterwards. That will help stop the chain from getting too dirty or collecting grit and wearing out sooner.
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
16 miles is good. Actually, whatever you like is good. Not all 16 miles are the same, either. I have some 20 plus routes that are easier than a 9 mile route which consists of 5 miles in whatever the lowest gear I have available and then coming down like a bat out of hell. I like to go on different rides as my fancy takes me. Some days short and hard and some days long and relaxed. It's all good.
BTW, 5x15x52 = 4160. In 6 years you will have ridden around the world.
BTW, 5x15x52 = 4160. In 6 years you will have ridden around the world.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Absolutely. I've had very little bother with my various secondhand purchases, all the more surprising considering I trawl the absolute bottom of the barrel, ultra value end of the market. Most of the time it's just a case of a few squirts of lube here and there, some air in the tyres, and maybe adjust up the brakes a bit. Nothing too difficult or dramatic.
On the other hand, I've heard no end of horror stories involving badly assembled and badly prepared brand new bikes that have given their owners no end of problems. Buying new doesn't automatically mean trouble-free, and secondhand doesn't automatically mean a load of repairs and expense. I generally budget for replacing tyres, and that's about it.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
There for a while, we had a spate of bikes sold at the Wal*Marts with the forks on backward. Still see them, from time to time, on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
Hopefully the saddles are pointing forward. I feel bad that through ignorance or financial embarassment people waste their doughon those kind of bikes when a serviceable used one would be in a similar range if only they knew about bikes and were able to fix simple things on the second hand bike.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I see loads of the backwards fork phenomenon, almost always on MTB's - obviously a lot of road bikes are too short wheelbase to be able to reverse the forks. What I can't get my head around is how the rider failed to notice anything amiss, like the distinctly odd handling and the brake & gear cables twisted round the head tube!
My neighbour had a reversed fork, which I pointed out to him when I first spotted it. I asked if the bike felt funny to ride and he said it seemed fine to him! After the forks were corrected I asked if it rode any better. He just said "it feels a bit different now"
Lovacott
Über Member
80 miles per week is enough to mean that if you are going to keep your bike going, you will need to either get to grips with maintenance or be prepared to pay out a lot of money to have your bike regularly serviced.
Watch Youtube for specific instructions on how to swap out chains, freewheels/cassettes, bottom brackets and wheel bearings etc.
Invest in some basic tools like cone spanners, freewheel/cassette tool, crank extractor, chain splitter. Buy yourself a simple chain checker tool for few quid off Amazon.
Some jobs may seem daunting, but once you've done it once, you will be an expert on doing that particular job on your particular bike and the next time will be a breeze.
