Tony Butterworth
New Member
- Location
- Formby
This post could be in the wrong section, but i am a noob to CycleChat so please move if it is.
Basicly making this post to see if any one has bought cheap / old bikes and restored or customised them without spending a fortune.
I bought my first racing bike last October because I always rode mountain bikes. Because I wasn't sure if I would like a road/racing bike I bought a cheap one on eBay for £199 including shipping! Bargain!
I ended up with a Viking Sprint 2011 model.
The bike at first was great, but 4 months in i started getting problems.
First problem was the tyres went bald, to the point where bulges started showing and punctures where really common.
Next problem I noticed was 4 broken spokes on the back wheel, I took a little knock on the wheel which caused huge damage.
The last accident I had was I caught my bars on a post and ripped my bar tape.
My first reaction was, I was disappointed with the bike but I had paid for it so I decided to fix it up.
The old spokes on the back wheel where that rubbish they snapped if you bent them slightly so i ordered 36 new black Halo spokes of activesport.co.uk for just under £16.
Next was tyres. I always fancied coloured tyres so as I searched the best ones I found which where green and puncture resistant where the lime green Halo 700c tyres from EvansCycles.com costing £20 each.
The pedals where basic plastic that came with the bike so I got hold of a set of DMR's matching green for £15.
Replacing the old bar tape, I got lime green ITM padded handlebar tape from eBay seller customisedbikes for £6.45
The end result so far, and a healthier ride by miles for an extra £77.45
Total cost for bike £276.45
Looks great, rides great and is strong so it will last!
Basicly making this post to see if any one has bought cheap / old bikes and restored or customised them without spending a fortune.
I bought my first racing bike last October because I always rode mountain bikes. Because I wasn't sure if I would like a road/racing bike I bought a cheap one on eBay for £199 including shipping! Bargain!
I ended up with a Viking Sprint 2011 model.
The bike at first was great, but 4 months in i started getting problems.
First problem was the tyres went bald, to the point where bulges started showing and punctures where really common.
Next problem I noticed was 4 broken spokes on the back wheel, I took a little knock on the wheel which caused huge damage.
The last accident I had was I caught my bars on a post and ripped my bar tape.
My first reaction was, I was disappointed with the bike but I had paid for it so I decided to fix it up.
The old spokes on the back wheel where that rubbish they snapped if you bent them slightly so i ordered 36 new black Halo spokes of activesport.co.uk for just under £16.
Next was tyres. I always fancied coloured tyres so as I searched the best ones I found which where green and puncture resistant where the lime green Halo 700c tyres from EvansCycles.com costing £20 each.
The pedals where basic plastic that came with the bike so I got hold of a set of DMR's matching green for £15.
Replacing the old bar tape, I got lime green ITM padded handlebar tape from eBay seller customisedbikes for £6.45
The end result so far, and a healthier ride by miles for an extra £77.45
Total cost for bike £276.45
Looks great, rides great and is strong so it will last!
Not keen on the use of larger pedals myself, but aesthetically it looks awesome.
