Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and repair

DIY bike repair?

zardoz — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:04:27 -0800

I just bought a mountain bike on the cheap and want to make some changes, namely adjust the shifters (or perhaps change them altogether), and replace the handlebars. Is this a rookie-doable project or should I take it to a shop? The bike has a full suspension, a lightweight frame, 18 speed, grip shift. I wish I had a pic to show you, but that's part of the problem--I can't find the brand Lejune anywhere on the interwebs. (It's possibly a Chinese knockoff of a different brand's design..or something). Anyway, the derailleur is Shimano, but the shifters are some weird no-name brand (Logan? Anyone heard of them?) There is considerable rust with the brake cables (which are otherwise in great shape), and the shifters (which ain't in such great shape; half the time there is a very delayed reaction when I change gears, and sometimes nothing happens at all.)

The other issue is that I think the frame might be a bit too small for me, but I think I can solve that by getting a different set of handlebars. I've already raised them the inch or so they can move up, but it's not quite comfy yet. The handlebars now are rather narrow and don't rise up at all--just a straight line. I want to get some that raise up a bit more, with U-shape bend in them. As of now I have to hunch over and my wrists get sore with the current setup.

I have some hex wrenches, a ratchet set, plyers, and a Leatherman. Your basic tool set. I'm pretty comfortable with the idea of taking my bike apart, but I wonder if I'll get in over my head before I know it.

Would it be a gargantuan task to 1) adjust--or replace--the shifters, and 2) replace the handlebars?

bicycle repair - DIY or get an expert?

sarahj — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:12:29 -0800

Should I take my cheap bike in for a professional tune up, or try to do it myself? I bought a Ross 'Adventurer' road bike on Craigslist in April for $40. I have no idea how old it is, but the guy who sold it to me had found it in his basement and was selling it for some extra money. I steel wool-ed off what rust I could and changed the grip tape and it's been great except a few problems - for example, the seat creaks and wobbles a little bit when riding due to a missing screw, and as of about a week ago the back brake lever won't depress at all (not that it worked all that well before...).

I love this bike though and have been riding around town constantly. I was able to fix the front brake's problems myself but can't figure out what's wrong with the back one. I don't know how much a bike tune-up would cost me, but I'm guessing it would probably cost the same or more than I paid for the bike. I would definitely prefer to fix things myself, but this brake thing seems to be way over my skill level, and an expert would most likely find other problems I can't identify (but which might cost me even more to get fixed?) I'm also not sure because it's getting late in the season (even though I plan on riding it as much as possible into the fall/winter) - and (this is silly) I'm slightly concerned about not having it for a few days (i might have to walk somewhere!) Would it be worth it to take this bike in to a shop for a tune-up? Or should I persevere in attempting to do it myself (and how?)?
Thanks!!

Have I ruined my rim?

SirNovember — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:59:56 -0800

Hit a big pot hole with my new (to me) Raleigh 3-speed. Cleared the front wheel okay, but the rear rim has a dent from the impact. Still seems ride-able. How worried do I need to be? When I apply the rear break, there’s a knocking sound as the dent passes through. I’ve gone abour 24 miles since then, and it seems fine. I'm going on a 50 mile trip in a few weeks, though.

I know you’re not my bike mechanic!

He ain't heavy, he's my single speed.

monocultured — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:56:06 -0800

I've bought a frankenstein bicycle and want to fix it up. Need help with identification and suggestions. Long story short, I've been asking around here in Gothenburg about what kind of bike it might be and suggestions for repairs, but I haven't gotten much in way of answers. There are pictures of the bike and some details on the Swedish forum happymtb if you'd care to take a look.

I got new crank wedges the other day, and the repair guy loosed the bottom bracket while at it, since it was too tight and the cranks didn't rotate freely. Well, the bottom bracket was prolly wound that tight since it's old and busted up inside - one of the pedals now pulsate and skip ever so slightly on each revolution, and there's a creaking noise on the gear side of the bracket.

So, it looks like I have to disassemble and repair or replace the bottom bracket. In order to do that I'd have to know what kind of tools I require, what type of bracket it is, what kind of wear and tear to look for, etc.

Part of the problem is that I know too little about the mechanics to ask the right questions. Pointing at the bike and drawling "it's brokened" isn't winning me any friends in the bike community here.

Here is a picture of the bottom bracket. FWIW the pedals are French, (Stamped with "Moillard C×Ↄ France" – althought it's hard to make out) and might help with identification. (Some people have suggested that this is of French make, perhaps a Peugeot or some such, but most certainly it's a cheap 70's or 80's road bike that's been remade into a single speed.)

An image of me throwing good money after bad might come to mind, but I don't want to give up on this thing; I reccon that I'll have to score used parts for this project, but if I can learn something while at it it might be worth it. Or will this all end in tears?

Touching up a relic bicycle

backseatpilot — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:58:14 -0800

I bought a bicycle that's twice as old as I am and it needs some cosmetic work. The beauty in question is a 1966 Raleigh Superbe, in the green color. It's in incredibly good condition for its age (even has the original Brooks saddle with very little damage), but there are a few corrosion spots on the fenders and chainguard.

I would like to remove the corrosion as well as possible and fix the paint on those spots, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. I'm not interested in repainting the entire bicycle; I'd like to keep it as original as possible. So, I think I need to know a few things:

-the best way to remove light rust off the steel bits
-what type of paint to use (I was thinking of the acrylic paint I used to use for building models when I was a kid, and I've also seen suggestions to use nail polish. Thoughts?)
-how to repaint it. Primer coat? Brush type? I'm pretty bad at painting things, so use small words.
-any other suggestions or cautions you've got, or any other tips for keeping this bike looking in tip-top shape

Thanks!

Can I Fix My Indexed Shifter?

Alterscape — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:37:23 -0800

My new-to-me Schwinn Frontier mountain bike's indexed shifter for the rear gears is unwell. Help me nurse it back to health. I got a great price on a used Schwinn Frontier mtb, in part because the shifter doesn't want to downshift below 5th gear on the rear. It's a Shimano indexed "pull with index finger to shift up, press with thumb to shift down" sort of shifter, integrated with the brake lever. When you press the "shift down" lever in 5th gear, there's no tension/resistance on the lever (as in the higher gears) and nothing happens on the rear end. I suspect something inside is mucked up.

I'm not horribly concerned because I plan to use the bike mainly for short-range commuting and my commute is 100% flat (so high-gear appropriate) but I'd really like to fix it so I can take the bike off-road with friends. Google shows a lot of depressing Shimano repair attempt stories. Should I take it to a bike shop, try and fix it myself, or just give up and live with a 12-speed instead of a 21-speed?

Bike Repair

LoopyG — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:38:13 -0800

Help me fix my classic Schwinn beach cruiser bike! I have a classic scwinn beach cruiser, for those who dont remember, it looks something like this (but without the chain guard). But it has been having some problems lately, and I dont know how to fix it, and my google-fu isnt turning up any good how-tos on fixing these kinds of bikes. First, I should note that in case you cant tell from the picture, it is a single-speed bike, and it has the kind of brakes that you activate by pushing the pedals backwards. Anyways, the problems are as follows:

-For awhile, the chain would slip off. I tightened everything on the wheel, and that problem seems to have stopped.
-The back tire wobbled side to side quite a bit, often rubbing against the frame of the bike
-The brakes do a most annoying thing, I will push the pedals backwards, and the pedals will forcibly lurch forward. In other words, I cant rely on my brakes to work! It seems to happen everytime I try to apply the brakes quickly, and only sometimes when I apply them gradually.

Any advice, or good websites, on how I can fix my bike would be greatly appreciated! I contacted a bike repair shop, and they gave me a $110 estimate (plus tax). Considering I have put about $100 into the bike so far (to replace tires, chain, and initial purchase), I'd like to avoid paying another $110 just for the back wheel! Especially since I can buy a new beach cruiser for just under $200.

Bicycle Needs Repair, Badly

god particle — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:01:05 -0800

After riding today, a couple things started going wrong with my bike, and I'd like to fix the problems myself, if possible. I ride a somewhat old Trek mountain bike and use it as my main form of transportation. Today I took it on an relatively long ride and started running into some problems.
When I pedal, there is a very loud creaking noise; it can be felt throughout the entire bike. I usually pedal standing up, so I'm thinking this is probably a result of me putting too much pressure on it. However, sometimes the creaking noise comes up even if I am just coasting. Can anyone diagnose exactly what is wrong with it? Could I fix this problem myself, and if so, how?
The second problem is that the back wheel has started to become wobbly. If I lift up the bike, I can shake it back and forth a bit. How do I go about tightening the wheel (or doing whatever needs to be done)?
If possible, please direct me to some online repository of bike repair information so I know where to start in the future.

Any Bike Repair Classes in the S.F. Bay Area Peninsula?

Pasa la bola chetu — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:30:57 -0800

Any Bike Repair Classes in the S.F. Bay Area Peninsula? I wanted to attend Bike Kitchen but it soon became apparent that the ride there was too far for me.

Are there any available within riding distance in the S.F. Bay Peninsula (Palo Alto to San Mateo)

What's wrong with my bike- the chain or the gears?

paul_smatatoes — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:48:22 -0800

What's wrong with my bike- the chain or the gears? Or me? My three-year-old bike has always had, to one degree or another, a problem with slippage, in which the chain momentarily loses the gear teeth when I'm pushing especially hard on the pedals. Finally, this Sunday, the chain broke, after acting up especially bad and frequently going very slack when I was coasting. The question is, do I just need a nice new chain to fix my slippage problem, or is the problem with my gears? Do I need to replace them? Or am I just riding it too rough?

What's a good substitute for rim tape?

cusack — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 08:02:47 -0800

What's a good substitute for rim tape? So I went to fix a flat tire this morning and realized the giant rubber band inside my wheel was snapped... not knowing what else to use, I wound some electrical tape around in there and remounted the tire... is this good enough? if not, is there anything that would be a suitable substitute for rim tape? or will I have to break down and go to the bike store?

thanks!

You Said You Wouldn't Let go 'Til I Was Ready!!!

Alvy Ampersand — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:15:50 -0800

Gots me a bike, and now I gots me some questions(Repair cost estimates and what kind of freakin' bike it is, to be precise). I got the bike over 5 years ago, and have ridden it a handful of times. I'd like to change that, but it needs some work. Unfortunately, any inquiries I've made have been complicated by my general ignorance of all thing velo-related and local bike shops' lack of patience with n00bs(Understandable, but still frustrating).

The Bike: I have no idea what this monstrosity is. It looks like a mountain bike, but is fairly heavy. Googling the various decals and brand names hasn't helped: Rialto Peak, 3354, Hi-Ten, MTB Series. I got the thing as a gift, which I think may have been Frankensteined or refurbished before I got it. Knowing what it is, or at least how to classify it would probably help make it easieri to deal with the cycle store people.

The Repairs: The three most pressing issues are the tires, both of which are fried(Tires[26 x 2.10] and tubes), a loose chain, and the left-side crank and pedal need to be replaced.
I have no idea what a fair price for material and work would be, and my past encounters have made me wary of getting ripped off.

My price range is somewhere in the middle; eventually I intend to ride the bike to work(Via bike paths, not in traffic, 14 miles round trip), so I want it to be safe and reliable. However, I'm not planning on doing any off-roading or Le Tour anytime soon, so I'd like to keep things simple and economical.
Also, if anyone can reccomend a good, professional bike shop in Winnipeg, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

Fat Chance bottom brackets

RockyChrysler — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:27:03 -0800

LongshotFilter: Anyone know anything about removal and replacement of the old-style, press-fit sealed-bearing bottom brackets installed in the Wicked and Yo Eddy Fat Chance mountain bike frames by Fat City Cycles in the late 1980s-mid 1990s? fwiw, i scored a rough but solid mid-90s Wicked the other day and i would like to get it stripped and powder-coated but i've never had to deal with this kinda BB before... even the old-timer at my local shop's inexperienced as far as getting this part out and putting it back in goes.

Why does my back wheel sound like it is rubbing when it is not?

teg — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 21:26:13 -0800

Mysterious bicycle problem: When I'm on my road bike it sounds like the rear brakes are rubbing, but if I get off the bike and spin the wheel, I can see there is plenty of clearance, the wheel is true, and there's no sound. What is going on? This bike is a Giant OCR 3, only a few months old. I could take it into the shop, but they're quite out of the way, so I'd prefer to fix this myself if I can.

The sound seems to occur with every revolution of the rear wheel, not just when I'm pedaling. I don't feel a major drag on the bike, but it's new so I don't have much to compare to. Things I've checked: The brake pads are well clear of the rubber of the tire. If I flip the lever to give the brakes more clearance, there is still a sound. Tire pressure is as recommended. I removed and re-seated the tube and tire in case there was something there, but they look fine.