Can you fix this for me mister?

[Cycleops]

Unfortunately I’ve become known in the area by the kids as someone that can mend bikes. This was brought by some yesterday and is probably the worst one I’ve seen. I particularly like the body filler repair to the hinge.

 

[cyberknight]

 

[newfhouse]

60 cm of tube and a couple of scaff clamps would see that right.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

That's awesome! 😄

Hang on, I think his derailleur might be bent. Not sure.

 

[Cycleops]

I have to a least try for them. Many of the kids around here don’t have much and having a bike , which they all share is one release for them.

 

[Blue Hills]

Nice that you are approached and are keen to help but I would be wary of even touching it. Surely it's totally unsafe unless it's just going to be tootled round a yard, and any apparent fix you do, no matter how minor, might encourage someone to go for adventures on it mixing with traffic?

 

[bikingdad90]

That filler might be some sort of smoothing out the original welds where the paintwork is such bad condition.

 

[davidphilips]

Tbh think that bike is be on repair at a reasonable cost, might be a better idea just to make the owner a small offer saying you could use it for parts, not that you would use any parts of it but looks like it would need more spent on it than you could buy a second hand bike for?
Very good of you to repair bikes for locals etc, well done and keep up the good work but try not to give yourself to much work.

 

[matticus]

Stick it on the 'bay.

"Just pump up the tyres and she's ready to go!"

 

[wafter]

Has filler actually been used as a structural repair? If so I'd guess it's toast unless you're handy with a welder.

I assume you have a far more "make do and mend" culture over there than in the UK's disgusting disposible attitude; so the threashold of what gets binned is a lot lower..? In addition I'd guess a bike's considered a much-more valued practial commodity than it is here..?

As such I suspect many of our boundaries as to what's worth repairing are probably a lot different to those you encounter.

Good luck - I guess some brake cables would be a good start 😄

 

[Cycleops]

Yes, that frame ‘repair’ is a bit of a worry but there’s a metal fabricator at the end of the road where I can get it welded. Might just do as @davidphilips suggests and give them some money or look for a replacement.
Thanks all for the input.

 

[Cycleops]

Here’s another one I got given for repair. It was a full sus BSO but the frame was toast due to failed rear suspension bearing. The replacement frame is steel and weighs a ton.

 

[wafter]

Here’s another one I got given for repair. It was a full sus BSO but the frame was toast due to failed rear suspension bearing. The replacement frame is steel and weighs a ton.

View attachment 539581

lol - in steel that's got to be punishing

What sort of bikes do you generally encounter over there; is it all cheap Chinese tat? Are there any domestic manufactureres? What sort of spec are new bikes (the one above appears to have both disc and rim brakes; at least in part!)?

 

[Cycleops]

We get all sorts here @wafter . From Chinese basic bikes to racers and mountain bikes which are the most popular due to the poor roads. Most are what is know as "home used" in other words sent from abroad, these are the most valued, even parts, you'll pay more for a home used chain than new Chinese one, same with tyres and most else. They come from Europe, the US and UK. There's one street in Accra that is lined with just bike sellers, haven for vintage bikes as well as newer ones.
I bought a nice Specialized AWOL adventure bike a couple of years back for little money which is my main bike. I've also got a Schwinn eighties racer and a nice 2007 aluminium frames Trek I rescued which you can see in this section.
There's no domestic manufacturers apart from some bamboo frame bikes. Decathlon have a shop here but prices are higher than in UK but you can get most new bike spares which is useful.

 

[matticus]

If you have a Decathlon, then you live in a civilised country. Fact.