Repair the bike or buy a new bike?

[LemonJuice]

The wheel is sitting properly in the dropouts. I think the brake pads are off centre because they appear to be on an angle. I’ll take a photo tomorrow morning.

I’ll definitely be phoning up a few shots tomorrow.

How does it work when you take in your bike to get repaired? Will the guy ask for my name and mobile number or just tell me to go back to the shop on a certain date and time? Do I pay once I pick for the repairs when I go to pick up the bike?

 

[LemonJuice]

.

 

[LemonJuice]

I had a thorough look at the bike and I noticed two things:

The back wheel is not in the centre of the frame (as the photos show).

The front wheel has two spokes missing from it.

Does the former indicate something wrong with the wheel or the frame?

Do you think it’s best to buy a new pair of wheels?

 

[Globalti]

No it's not best to buy a new set of wheels. It's best to get a proper bike mechanic to look at the wheels and give you an estimate for repairing them. If the cost is too high or the mechanic says the wheels are beyond economic repair, buy new ones. Repair is a much more satisfactory and environmentally-sound solution than just throwing them away and buying new.

If the axles are seated properly in the dropouts the back wheel needs some adjustment to get the rim re-centred. The fact that the front wheel has broken spokes tells me the bike has been abused or neglected and the generally dirty condition seems to support that.

When are you going to start phoning some bike shops?

 

[jay clock]

It looks tired and with your level of bike knowledge find a bike shop, ask for a quote, get it fixed. Don't go to Halfords they employ spotty youths with ltd skills. One tried to tell me that I could use a gear cable as a brake cable

 

[DSK]

The above is why I said either just take it to a shop or start off again with a new bike at it only cost £350 and no point in spending so much time fixing it, with all due respect, where the quality of the repair may not be upto standard thus, leaving you with a bike that isn't enjoyable to ride.

Fair play for having a go but, an independent bike shop or specialist (there are mobile ones too) would be the best place to start.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Phone one or more shops. This is your checklist (so far as I can tell):
Make and model of bike.
Front wheel needs 2 spokes replacing.
Rear wheel needs trueing.
Adjust brakes.
Check rear mech alignment (@screenman )
Install new rear gear cable (including outer) and index gears (front and rear).
'How much'? If more than £100. Ask brother if he wants to pay.
With free labour (such as some of the contributors on here) this would cost about £7 in parts and maybe an hour's work. To counter-echo @DSK above, there's every "point in spending [so much] time fixing it" - your brother has a perfectly good bike which is just overdue some tlc. The risk is that you'll put effort into getting it sorted and either he'll scarcely ride it or he might ride it a bit and neglect it. Will you feel his thanks? Probably not. How are you getting of with Zinn's book btw? What bike did you ride today?

 

[Globalti]

Actually Ajax Bay makes a good point. Is the OP's brother really going to appreciate the effort? He has neglected the bike and is expecting somebody else to put it right for him so that he can neglect it again.

 

[vickster]

Is there a reason why the brother isn’t doing all the leg work to get his own bike sorted?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Owner brother is working so furloughed (maybe) OP has said he'd try and sort it out: fraternal love.
"I’m not clued up on fixing/repairing bikes and I have always just bought bikes. I don’t think my brother has ever fixed/repaired a bike before. He wants to start cycling again."
Please keep up, @vickster

 

[vickster]

Fair do, and post #8 does actually imply that the brother may be doing all the work himself (and paying).

Most importantly , has he actually called any LBS‘s yet if the brother isn’t doing the fixing?

It looks like one of these, link has the specs so the LBS can be informed
https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/boardman/road-sport-2013

 

[Ajax Bay]

Nobody knows!

 

[jay clock]

it is like watching someone asking for open heart surgery instructions over the internet.

JUST HAND TO A SPECIALIST

 

[LemonJuice]

I have booked an appointment for tomorrow with a local bike shop. I explained that the bike needs new gear cables and the gears to be indexed properly. I also mentioned that when checking the bike that the rear wheel needs to be aligned and the front wheel is missing two spokes.

I think my brother rode the bike and then just put it away. I really have no idea.

The only reason I am doing this is because of the current situation and the fact that he is still at work (I am not able to at the moment), but he will pay for the repairs.

The bike someone posted looks to be the same bike. Do people still think it’s worth getting fixed or should my brother just buy a new bike for £350 as someone else has stated? Are the problems going to be really expensive to fix?

Also, I ordered the book from Amazon so I have no idea when it is going to arrive at my house.

 

[LemonJuice]

Phone one or more shops. This is your checklist (so far as I can tell):
Make and model of bike.
Front wheel needs 2 spokes replacing.
Rear wheel needs trueing.
Adjust brakes.
Check rear mech alignment (@screenman )
Install new rear gear cable (including outer) and index gears (front and rear).
'How much'? If more than £100. Ask brother if he wants to pay.
With free labour (such as some of the contributors on here) this would cost about £7 in parts and maybe an hour's work. To counter-echo @DSK above, there's every "point in spending [so much] time fixing it" - your brother has a perfectly good bike which is just overdue some tlc. The risk is that you'll put effort into getting it sorted and either he'll scarcely ride it or he might ride it a bit and neglect it. Will you feel his thanks? Probably not. How are you getting of with Zinn's book btw? What bike did you ride today?

Thank you for the friendly advice.

I have shown my brother this thread and he told me that he doesn’t mind paying £100 to get it fixed. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - he stopped bothering with it and it needs some things to be fixed before it’s rideable again. This time, I would not let him neglect it and I would start riding the bike myself.

Do you think the guy at the local bike shop will charge more than the price of a new bike to get my brother’s current bike up and running again?

As soon as the book arrives then I’ll be reading it straightaway.