Second hand bike problems!

[SkipdiverJohn]

80 miles per week is enough to mean that if you are going to keep your bike going, you will need to either get to grips with maintenance or be prepared to pay out a lot of money to have your bike regularly serviced.

The other option is to ditch derailleur gears and run a hub geared 3-speed roadster. I reckon I did at least 5,000 miles as a teenager riding a 3-speed to and from work, plus local utility use on top. Lets say 6,000 miles over 3 years. The only things I replaced was a couple of tyres and tubes. Everything else was just lubrication & adjustment, which cost nothing. i never replaced the chain or any sprockets, in fact the bike still has it's original chain fitted after 36 years. I expect the total mileage is now getting on for 10,000.

 

[12boy]

I like SA 3 speed wheels. I fill them with synthetic motor oil which slowly seeps out and when it does a few ccs does the trick. Other than that 0 maintenance. And they work when it is very cold i.e. -18 C.

 

[Gravity Aided]

80 miles per week is enough to mean that if you are going to keep your bike going, you will need to either get to grips with maintenance or be prepared to pay out a lot of money to have your bike regularly serviced.

Watch Youtube for specific instructions on how to swap out chains, freewheels/cassettes, bottom brackets and wheels etc.

Invest in some basic tools like cone spanners, freewheel/cassette tool, crank extractor, chain splitter. Buy yourself a simple chain checker tool for few quid off Amazon.

Some jobs may seem daunting, but once you've done it once, you will be an expert on doing that particular job on your particular bike and the next time will be a breeze.

Aldi sometimes has a decent set of bicycle tool set, I bought one some years ago when I was commuting and it was quite good, as well as inexpensive.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I like SA 3 speed wheels. I fill them with synthetic motor oil which slowly seeps out and when it does a few ccs does the trick. Other than that 0 maintenance. And they work when it is very cold i.e. -18 C.

Chain saw oil, also known as bar and chain oil, works well, although I have used synthetic 2-cycle oil as well.

 

[Lovacott]

Aldi sometimes has a decent set of bicycle tool set, I bought one some years ago when I was commuting and it was quite good, as well as inexpensive.

Aldi do some good kit. I picked up an Allen wrench set there a few months back for £2.50.

I can do most stuff on my bike with a bike multi tool, cone spanner and a dumbell spanner.

Add in a freewheel tool (£9.80), crank extractor (£6.50), bottom bracket tool (£6.50), chain splitter (£8.99), chain wear checker (£4.99) and tyre levers (£5.00) and you have a toolset which will let you fix anything at all on your bike.

Fifty or so quid total outlay and you can save that much in labour costs with your first repair.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Aldis had a rather complete tool set, with cone spanners, multi tool, BB tool, Rear cog remover, crank extractor and a few other things, icluding a spoke wrench, for 20USD. But in The States, such stuff is spotty, offered only a week or two per year, and not in the range offered overseas. But it is still a good place for it. I get sent for Limoncello or a mango or something, and this stuff can "accidentally" fall in the cart.
http://britwise.blogspot.com/2013/12/aldi-bikemate-bicycle-toolkit.html

 

[Gravity Aided]

Like the bicycle repair stand did, as well.

 

[Lovacott]

Like the bicycle repair stand did, as well.

I could do with one of those. I currently use a sling suspended from the shed roof to get the back wheel off the ground for indexing etc.

A stand would be better.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I think they were around 40USD when I got mine. 5 legs, not as nice as the Park Tool ones, but serviceable for the home/hobby market. Keep am eye on the pads , though. They can slip off and go missing. Plastic knobs to tighten the jaws as well. But careful treatment has lead to some fine results.

 

[12boy]

Another cheap and useful tool is multisize spoke wrench. While it's to have a truing stand, you can do a lot on an upside down bike if you are patient. If you keep em true when they are just a bit out of true it's not too hard.

 

[roadrash]

@Weejacko where abouts are you ?

 

[DCBassman]

I think they were around 40USD when I got mine. 5 legs, not as nice as the Park Tool ones, but serviceable for the home/hobby market. Keep am eye on the pads , though. They can slip off and go missing. Plastic knobs to tighten the jaws as well. But careful treatment has lead to some fine results.

Have the same one, paid £24.99 delivered. Yeah, lots of legs, but it's not falling over any time soon!

 

[Weejacko]

@Weejacko where abouts are you ?

Doncaster

 

[roadrash]

ahh , a bit too far from wigan then.....

 

[icowden]

I have emailed many bike shops in my area, all of which are useless to me or just not replying to emails or calls.

You are probably better off just going to your local bike shop. It's easy to ignore / miss emails and calls (many shops are not the best at responding to emails), but hard to ignore someone standing in the shop.