Repair or replace

[bobsy852]

Hi guys,

A bit about me as I don't visit here often, just for the odd advice. I'm not a huge cycle fanatic, I just use an old Falcon hybrid bike to cycle 4 miles to the train and back each day. My bike's about 10-15years old now and weighs a LOT! It's served me quite well with only minor repairs needed every now and again.

Last night however cycling home the hub seems to have seized in the back wheel, so now when I pedal the pedals turn the chain but have no effect on the rear wheel. So now I'm at a dilema and I'm after some advice on...do I repair the bike (it also needs a new rear wheel in all honesty as it never runs quite stright, and could probably do with being stripped down as I never service it or anything) or do I buy a new bike? As I'd love something lighter.

I only use it for this short journey a day though, and can't see me using it for much more at the moment. I also know very little about servicing them, but may be willing to learn for a bike I'd forked out a lot of money on to buy new. But I would prefer a lighter bike.
I was thinking of picking up a nice cheap light road bike but it appears I was oblivious to the cost of road bikes! So don't know whether to buy another hybrid which would hopefully be lighter than my old one, or just spend a couple of hundered pounds on my old bike getting it patched up like new?

Was hoping I could get some advice from people on here as to what they'd recommend?

Many thanks,
Rob

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Guess it depends on how much you want to spend and how much more of a target you want your bike to be at a railway station..
a cheap road bike with set you back around £299 and look a lot more of a target.

A wheel not being true should be reasonably easy to fix - something I had to learn to do on tour very quickly after my OH broke 3 spokes on the rear wheel within days of each other and we had not spares. It is actually surprisingly easy if you slacken off the 2 opposite the 'bulge' rather than try to tighten the one that on the side of the bulge and a spoke tool is less than £5.

Do you have any local LBS's where you could take the bike for them to quote on repairs? It would give you an idea of the costs involved.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Where to start? The problem with your bike sounds like sticking pawls in the freewheel. It may be possible to free them up by running some oil inside the freewheel but this would only ever be a temporary solution.

As it's an old Falcon I'd hazard a guess that it will be a screw on freewheel rather than a freehub (more info about the bike needed to be certain), in which case replacement is relatively easy and a new screw on freewheel is fairly inexpensive.

Learning to maintain your bike yourself is quite a satisfying thing to do and there are books available to help. I get on alright with the Haynes bike manual. Many jobs on bikes do need special tools so you need to be prepared to build up a collection of those.

It doesn't sound like you have a particular attachment to this bike so if you do decide you'd prefer something new, the best value road bike currently available is the Triban 3 from Decathlon which has quite a few fans on here.

You could always keep the Falcon to practise working on.

 

[Biker Joe]

You said you would like something lighter.
I'd get a new bike. Perhaps then you might use it more than just going to work on.
I agree, the Triban 3 is worth a look at.

 

[bobsy852]

Thanks for the replies! I'm taking it to my LBS tomorrow morning to get a quote. It could do with a new rear wheel bearing too which I think was giving the rear wheel some added movement but that's been an issue for a while. Which is why I was thinking it may be cheaper just to buy a new rear wheel for it.
I then thought asking him to give it a full service while it's there may be a good idea so the gears and brakes could be stripped down, cleaned and redone. If this gets close to £300 though that Tirban 3 looks ideal for my needs!! I might just consider buying that instead!

In answer to your question though Phil, yes it is a screw on freewheel so hopefully won't be expensive to replace/repair.
I have no attatchment to the bike though, I simply use it to save me money over parking and fuel, and to allow me a little exercise morning and evening. Which is all I want from a bike really which leads me to want to keep it as it does do what I ask and all I want. I just wouldn't mind getting a bit quicker at it now, but I feel the huge weight of this bike slows me down a bit. lol

 

[sidevalve]

If you don't want to spend much but you want lightweight look out for a second hand bike of good quality. Remember £300 on a new bike is a nice machine but at the lower end of good, if you see what I mean. £250 on a used bike [leaving £50 or so for the LBS in case of any minor problems of a service] could get you a much better machine. Finally if you want light, unless your Falcon was a gas pipe job you may be surprised just how light it really is in comparison with some modern bikes [which can often be surprisingly "porky"]. Get a rough idea of it's weight [try the old bathroom scales]. You should be looking out for around 10 kg or less if you're lookig for light [easy enough to acieve as my old steel frame Dawes complete with Brooks saddle only weighs in at 10.5].

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi guys,
do I buy a new bike? As I'd love something lighter.
( ...)But I would prefer a lighter bike.
I was thinking of picking up a nice cheap light road bike
(...) buy another hybrid which would hopefully be lighter than my old one

I just wouldn't mind getting a bit quicker at it now, but I feel the huge weight of this bike slows me down a bit. lol

You have been bitten by the cycling bug, you want to go further faster.
Fix the old bike for the commute, get another one for adventure: you're a cyclist now

 

[Dirtlover2005]

I picked up my Trek 1000 for £150 as a dip of a toe into this cycling game It has been well looked after and, even though it was Trek's entry level bike back around 2007, it has carbon forks and rides really nicely. Its also light at 9.5kg and a massive difference to the old Mountain bike!
,

 

[RWright]

Get a Triban 3 and fix the old bike's wheel and use it for back up.

 

[Chris S]

If you buy a new bike there will be a good chance that it won't be there when you return to the station. I'd just get another wheel for the old one.

 

[vickster]

You'll end up spending £50-100 on good locks for any new bike if you don't already have a heavy duty D Lock or two (and you may want to insure it too). Bit depends on your finances

 

[smokeysmoo]

I can't add anything more really, but if you do decide to buy another bike I'd strongly advocate buying second hand. I appreciate your knowledge may be lacking in what to look for mechanically, but if you see something, (ebay for example), post a link on here for advice and I guarantee people will tell you what they think, and also what to look out for if you go to view a bike.

Example, a guy a work has recently bought a Kinesis Racelight with Campag 10 speed for £180, and after a quick clean the bike looked genuinely brand bew, he even got the original receipt with it showing the bike was built by a local reputable LBS 2 years ago and the guy had paid £899 for it, now that's the sort of bargain that can be had, the LBS still sells Kinesis, and the same frameset on it's own is £350!!!!!!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Turn it into a fixie, cheap as chips to do and needs very limited maintenance.