So I was tightening up my saddle when...

[Arch]

The only reason I got this bike was that I had literally no money. I have no money to spend doing up bikes and I don't even know how

Money is not always a huge issue. My mate who did his is very careful with his cash. Also, he took his time. There's no need to strip your bike down and do it all in one go. Just try and replace parts with better ones as and when they wear out or break. Better bolts could be a few pence at a time.

As for know how, no one is born knowing how to fettle a bike. No one is born knowing anything except how to scream and wet themselves. You've done the first, most important part of any project - asked for advice and help. Keep asking.

Also, there are lot of good instructional videos on youtube, or websites with advice.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

OK, looking at your profile you had it listed as an 'Apollo Decoy 07'.

Apollo is typically a Halfords brand and not nice.
I have recently scrapped two for a neighbour. The first lasted 11 months from new and the second only 9 months from new before they were completely unrideable.

Best not spend too much money on it.

You can replace the bolt with one from a proper hardware shop Make sure it is a high tensile nut and bolt, the bolt should have 8.8 stamped on the end.
Do not get one from B&Q as their bolts are made of zinc plated mild cheddar.

Read up on wheel truing and have a go at it.
Check the wheel bearing and bottom bracket bearings for play and read up on how to adjust them. May be worth checking if they have any grease in them too.

The Apollo Decoy was an old BMX that I bought in 2009, the frames lying in my shed. That was the bike I was using for a while until I got a proper one.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Money is not always a huge issue. My mate who did his is very careful with his cash. Also, he took his time. There's no need to strip your bike down and do it all in one go. Just try and replace parts with better ones as and when they wear out or break. Better bolts could be a few pence at a time.

As for know how, no one is born knowing how to fettle a bike. No one is born knowing anything except how to scream and wet themselves. You've done the first, most important part of any project - asked for advice and help. Keep asking.

Also, there are lot of good instructional videos on youtube, or websites with advice.

What are the main things to upgrade on a bike? What would you recommend be upgraded first in order of importance?

 

[Night Train]

Use it as a learning curve. You will improve your riding and bike knowledge with this and be better prepared to maintain your next bike.

As arch says, bit by bit and it will be ok.
Preventative maintenance is a good idea and regular checking for wear and play in places where there shouldn't be any.

 

[Arch]

OK, looking at your profile you had it listed as an 'Apollo Decoy 07'.

Apollo is typically a Halfords brand and not nice.
I have recently scrapped two for a neighbour. The first lasted 11 months from new and the second only 9 months from new before they were completely unrideable.

Best not spend too much money on it.

Those were full-sussers though - I suspect components are even lower grade to get the sus bit in under a price.

My first grown up bike was an Apollo Javelin, ladies frame normal bike. I just used it to get about for a couple of years. Brought it to Uni, and my knowledgeable new best mate gave it a look over and made a few relatively cheap adjustments, and it served me very well for a further three years, until it was nicked. I still miss it a bit.

I think a little investment, done wisely, is worth it. After all, if it's a choice between a little investment, and not having a bike, then a little investment is worth it. And it's a good way to learn the nuts and bolts () of maintenance.

 

[Night Train]

OK, so maybe not a Halfords special then.

What are the main things to upgrade on a bike? What would you recommend be upgraded first in order of importance?

Depends on what's on there. Fix the seat bolt first and ride it again.
Listen for noises and loose wobbly bits and ask advice sooner rather then later.

Brakes, saddle and steering are important. You have started on improving the fixing of the saddle already.
Make sure the brakes are good. Are any of the brake components made of plastic? That would be another good place to look at improvements over time.

 

[Night Train]

Those were full-sussers though - I suspect components are even lower grade to get the sus bit in under a price.

The first one was. The second one is front suss only and that bit seems ok, the rest is knackered though.
It is the Apollo Slant as featured at the end of the current TV advert.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

OK, so maybe not a Halfords special then.


Depends on what's on there. Fix the seat bolt first and ride it again.
Listen for noises and loose wobbly bits and ask advice sooner rather then later.

Brakes, saddle and steering are important. You have started on improving the fixing of the saddle already.
Make sure the brakes are good. Are any of the brake components made of plastic? That would be another good place to look at improvements over time.

OK, so maybe not a Halfords special then.


Depends on what's on there. Fix the seat bolt first and ride it again.
Listen for noises and loose wobbly bits and ask advice sooner rather then later.

Brakes, saddle and steering are important. You have started on improving the fixing of the saddle already.
Make sure the brakes are good. Are any of the brake components made of plastic? That would be another good place to look at improvements over time.

I'll tell you a little about the bike:

Wheels aren't true
Handlebars are slightly rusty
Frame's scratched
Brake caliper arms are made out of plastic
Brake pads are worn due to rubbing against rim due to untrue wheel
Brake levers are made of plastic
Plastic pedals
Annoying handlebar grips

But hey, that can all be upgraded, right? It doesn't sound cheap.

 

[Norm]

What are the main things to upgrade on a bike? What would you recommend be upgraded first in order of importance?

It looks like it's got a Charge Spoon saddle, so that's a pretty good start. For the rest of it, I wouldn't upgrade anything, especially if money is an issue, unless it shows signs of breaking or wearing out. As NT says, keep a good eye on all the moving bits and, when something starts to feel loose or baggy, then either sort it (like wheel bearings which only need tightening) or plan on sorting it's replacement (like the chain or brake pads). Also as NT says, get a decent high tensile bolt to stick in there. A good hardware store should sell you a single bolt for under a quid.

Anything else, well, you can keep an eye out at the tip or your local freecycle site or something like that, and replace with better stuff when you have some money. However, keep riding and keep enjoying the ride.

 

[Night Train]

I'll tell you a little about the bike:

Wheels aren't true
Handlebars are slightly rusty
Frame's scratched
Brake caliper arms are made out of plastic
Brake pads are worn due to rubbing against rim due to untrue wheel
Brake levers are made of plastic
Plastic pedals
Annoying handlebar grips

But hey, that can all be upgraded, right? It doesn't sound cheap.

Wheel truing instructions are in Know How. It is worth a try with a spoke key. The key is about £4 from a bike shop. A good one will be with you for life.
Scratches and rust, don't worry about for now.
Plastic brake parts can be upgraded using second hand parts.
Brake pads can be replaced when the wheels are true.
Pedals are fine, replace if they become loose or wobbly.
Bar grips can be replaced in due course. However, replace if the ends are split allowing the metal of the bars to show through.

Main cost, if any, will be the brake parts.
Ebay? Bike Rescue? A wanted advert in the Forum Classifieds?
Fix the front first if you only get one set of parts.

 

[Night Train]

It looks like it's got a Charge Spoon saddle, so that's a pretty good start.

So wassat then?

Anything else, well, you can keep an eye out at the tip or your local freecycle site or something like that, and replace with better stuff when you have some money. However, keep riding and keep enjoying the ride.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

It looks like it's got a Charge Spoon saddle, so that's a pretty good start. For the rest of it, I wouldn't upgrade anything, especially if money is an issue, unless it shows signs of breaking or wearing out. As NT says, keep a good eye on all the moving bits and, when something starts to feel loose or baggy, then either sort it (like wheel bearings which only need tightening) or plan on sorting it's replacement (like the chain or brake pads). Also as NT says, get a decent high tensile bolt to stick in there. A good hardware store should sell you a single bolt for under a quid.

Anything else, well, you can keep an eye out at the tip or your local freecycle site or something like that, and replace with better stuff when you have some money. However, keep riding and keep enjoying the ride.

I bought the Spoon a few days ago, nice saddle. I'll see if I can get a decent bolt for my seat.

Wheel truing instructions are in Know How. It is worth a try with a spoke key. The key is about £4 from a bike shop. A good one will be with you for life.
Scratches and rust, don't worry about for now.
Plastic brake parts can be upgraded using second hand parts.
Brake pads can be replaced when the wheels are true.
Pedals are fine, replace if they become loose or wobbly.
Bar grips can be replaced in due course. However, replace if the ends are split allowing the metal of the bars to show through.

Main cost, if any, will be the brake parts.
Ebay? Bike Rescue? A wanted advert in the Forum Classifieds?
Fix the front first if you only get one set of parts.

Where would I get a spoke key on a Sunday? I'm wanting to start ASAP Halfords don't sell them any more and my LBS is shut.

 

[Arch]

What are the main things to upgrade on a bike? What would you recommend be upgraded first in order of importance?

Hard to say, the bike will dictate that!

Like NT says, regular maintenance is a good thing, and checking for wear and tear. A slightly loose bolt will wiggle, wearing away at the nut, or the bit it's bolted through, making itself worse.

You could start by giving your bike a really good over all health check - think of the letter M.

If it's possible, get the bike lifted up off the floor - easier on your back, and lets the wheels turn.

Start at the front wheel. Check for loose spokes - squeeze them in pairs to feel how tight they are. Turn the wheel by hand, look for wobbles. Grasp it by each side of the rim and try to wobble it on the hub, to check for loose bearings there. Then go up to the headset. Can the whole fork/handlebar set move in any dimension other than the way it should (to steer)? Check all the stuff fitted on the handlebars - gear shifters, brake levers etc. Are all the bolts done up properly? Do any bits wobble even when everything is tight?

Then down, to the bottom bracket and pedals. Same things, does anything wobble in a direction except the way it should move, and are all bolts tight. Grasp the pedals and see if they'll rock to and fro, may indicate bottom bracket wear.

Then up again, to the saddle - you've already had a go here - bolts all tight, so unwanted wiggling.

And finally, down to the back wheel. Same checks as the front, plus checking over the gear mechanism.

If you're keen, you could use the opportunity to clean everything as well, get any gunk out of the cogs etc. And while you're at it, follow the lines of the cables and see what happens at the business end when you pull the lever. It'll all help you understand HOW it all works, which makes fixing it easier.

If you find a bolt that's loose, tighten it gently. If it does't seem to be curing it, don't overdo the force, think about replacing the blot. When doing any reassembly, use a little grease on the thread to prevent it rusting up and being impossible to get off next time.

There are lots of books out there that show you how to do basic takes, and some more complex ones. But the internet is free, and often you can target your searches to just the jobs you need, without getting pages on jobs you'll never need to tackle.

The main thing is, don't get too worried. Bikes can actually go on and on, it's not ideal but they can take a lot of punishment. Try and keep it relatively clean around the chain, give it a good look over everyso often, and it'll probably serve you well.

 

[Saddle bum]

I believe I am right in saying that most seat pin screws are 7mm. M7 threads are "non-prefered" and therefore difficult to source.

Have one made out of hi-tensile steel.

 

[Arch]

Wheel truing instructions are in Know How. It is worth a try with a spoke key. The key is about £4 from a bike shop. A good one will be with you for life.
Scratches and rust, don't worry about for now.
Plastic brake parts can be upgraded using second hand parts.
Brake pads can be replaced when the wheels are true.
Pedals are fine, replace if they become loose or wobbly.
Bar grips can be replaced in due course. However, replace if the ends are split allowing the metal of the bars to show through.

Main cost, if any, will be the brake parts.
Ebay? Bike Rescue? A wanted advert in the Forum Classifieds?
Fix the front first if you only get one set of parts.

Yes, I reckon the brakes are your best upgrade, and like NT says, there are ways to get parts at much lower cost than buying new.

Where do you live? It's possible that there's some sort of bike recycling scheme near you - here in York we have Bike Rescue, who rescue bikes to do up, or strip for good parts. A local bike shop might know of something, although of course they want to sell you new bits really. If there's any kind of local cycling community or campaign group, they might know. Otherwise, a wanted ad in the classified forum is a good idea - many of us have old parts kicking about and you might even find a local forummer willing to come round and lend a hand showing how to fit stuff.