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Pocket bike upgrades.

What kind of upgrades could I make to this old road bike?

  • Well I have this old road bike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6208511809/ I only recently realized that the seatpost is far, far past its maximum height and there is very little post below the bolt. Also the rear brake cable goes through THIS THING which, every time I make a seat height adjustment it mis-aligns the rear brakes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6209025358/ The handlebars may be a bit narrow? Also it shifts fine but I would like different shift levers... http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6208511213/ This is the condition of the gears. Do they look fine? Possibly new ones? New crank arms? http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6208510837/ Rear brakes. Probably they are pretty good. http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6208510471/ There are no attachment for anything. Water bottles have to be put on like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/6208510155/ This is a picture before getting the new seat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/5940507583/ Also this is the rear gear set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64827684@N04/5902199370/ Now down to business I have ridden this bike a long way this summer and during the course I have dented the wheels 3 times, lost spokes in the rear wheel etc. I am thinking I want new wheels if I am going to ride this bike as hard as I do. I mean NEW, and some wheels you could drop off a cliff, retrieve them and then ride a few thousand miles on them. As long as there are new wheels, maybe a disk brake in the rear? Lost cause? I don't know. Garage sale bike if I ever saw one. Yes I do have a proper road bike, a Specialized Secteur: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=815014537556&l=f5ca48e3a3 But since the frame is still good on the old bike I want it to be the best it can be as well. Or maybe I should leave it as a beater so I can lock it up places and nobody will steal it. What do you think?

  • Answer:

    Well, ets go through each one of your points: 1) Yes, it is old, looks to be early 1970s; 2) The "thing" is called a cable hanger. This is exclusive to centerpull brakes and required for their operation; 3) Narrow bars are a signature of older road bikes. If you are thinking of ergo shifters, or any type of modern shifter forget it. The derailleurs are not indexable; 4) The condition of the drivetrain is easily checked by a mechanic with special measuring tools. This takes less than 5 minutes and should be free. If anything other then the freewheel or chain requires replacement, forget it. It is unlikely you'll find parts that will fit on the bike. You have a cottered crankset which is no longer made except in India, or maybe China, and not used on new bikes today; 5) If the brake pads haven't been replaced, they'll need it. Most likely they are hard and will self-destruct quickly; Yes, it is a lost cause. You'll spend lotsa cash getting the bike back up to snuff- much more than if you'd just buy a new bike. The frame isn't all that good despite being lugged steel.

Jake F at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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You have what looks to be a $100 bike. All the upgrades you want to do will cost you more than a $100. If you spend all that money and upgrade the bike, you would still have a $100 bike. So I would not bother. Sell the bike and then take your time finding a better bike that ifts your budget.

ca

i wouldn;t 'upgrade' it if the wheels are bent, i might scour ebay and CL for cheap repair replacements that;s it problem is, yuo can;t use them on any other newer bike they would be 27" maybe a longer seat post having a good frame is pointless you could not sell it at all $30 at most th e frame i mean bike maybe $85 worth of old 10 speed heavy cheap shifters wle

☼wle☆atlanta☼

I would sell it and get a hybrid that you can take on bike trails or around town. The way the saddle is adjusted the bike looks too small for you. I wouldn't put any money into it clean it up and sell it as is.

John M

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