Check list for reviving an old bike?

[JamesM]

My wife's been given an old mountain bike that hadn't been used in a while.

I had a quick ride around on a flat bit of road and it seems OK. I think there was a bit of rust on the the brake cables so I'll replace them. Anything in particular I should be looking out for or should I take it to the LBS for a once over? (Bearing in mind I've never done much fiddling with bikes' equipment etc particularly...)

 

[swee'pea99]

A bit of surface rust is nothing to worry about. Get a can of 3-in-1 and dribble a little wherever something rubs against something else - eg, down cable housings (the 'tube' the cables run thru'), pivots on brakes and gears, into pedals. Wipe off any excess with a rag. (Be careful not to get any on the rims.) Pump up the tyres as hard as you can get them. Adjust the saddle height (your leg should *just* break at the knee with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of its turn). Keep an ear open for any nasty grindy or clunky noises - there probably won't be any, but if there are, have 'em checked out. That's about it.

 

[accountantpete]

Personally I'd

a) get the cranks off and give the B/B spindle a turn by hand to see if its ok.
get the chain off and see if the links are moving freely.
c) grease the hubs and the headset.

these all need a bit of kit though.

 

[Arch]

[quote name='swee'pea99'] (your leg should *just* break at the knee with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of its turn). [/QUOTE]

That sounds painful, I hope you mean 'bend'

Take hold of the cranks and try to move them side to side to see if there's any play in the bottom bracket, and then try and wobble the pedals (IE twist up and down instead of round) to make sure they don't have bent axles. Wobbles in teh crankset can play havoc with your ankle joints. Might be worth just going over the various nuts and bolts all over the bike, to make sure none are loose. Stand in front of the bike, grip the front wheel in your legs and try to turn the handlebars to make sure they are still firmly fixed. Have a look to see if the brake blocks are worn - if they are, it might be worth replacing while you replace the cables, do it all in one job.

Lube the chain of course. Don't use 3-in-1 for this, get some proper bike chain lubricant if you don't already have it. (Finishline or similar).

 

[swee'pea99]

Ooh you peeps are such perfectionists. Always want to make sure nothing's lethal...

 

[Arch]

Well, I say all that, but my bikes don't get nearly that much attention! I rode with one bent pedal for a whole winter.

I was doing Bike Maintenance Tips at a festival the last two days, so I've got a lot of stuff in my head....