Trash or repair?

[_JPN_]

I have a 10-year old Trek 7.3 FX with approximately 7,000 miles that is in need of a lot of repairs. I recently went to a repair shop and the mechanic thought the repairs would add up to the price of a new bike.

It's true that almost everything but the frame and handle bar need to be replaced. It's also true that a large part of the repair cost comes down to the mechanic's labor. I am comfortable replacing cables, brakes, tires. I've never had to replace cranksets, casettes or shift mechanisms, but I might be able to learn.

On the other hand, perhaps a new bike with hydraulic disc brakes would be a nice upgrade.

Any thoughts on whether I should fix up my bike or ditch it for a new one?

Thanks!

[CharleyFarley]

(05-07-2019, 04:26 PM)_JPN_ Wrote:  I have a 10-year old Trek 7.3 FX with approximately 7,000 miles that is in need of a lot of repairs. I recently went to a repair shop and the mechanic thought the repairs would add up to the price of a new bike.

It's true that almost everything but the frame and handle bar need to be replaced. It's also true that a large part of the repair cost comes down to the mechanic's labor. I am comfortable replacing cables, brakes, tires. I've never had to replace cranksets, casettes or shift mechanisms, but I might be able to learn.

On the other hand, perhaps a new bike with hydraulic disc brakes would be a nice upgrade.

Any thoughts on whether I should fix up my bike or ditch it for a new one?

Thanks!

Having suffered from five botch jobs in two years, over three new bikes from my LBS, I decided to learn to do my own wrenching. I'm mechanically inclined, so I was confident that I could do whatever needed to be done. I've worked on my own vehicles for many years so a bike would seem easier. And it is!

A few tools are needed such as a freewheel removal tool and/or a cassette removal tool and chain whip. You'll also need some combination wrenches, hex wrenches, cone wrenches, and tools to remove the crank arm and BB. With that lot, you are set to do just about anything. It might sound frightening but it's not as bad as it may seem.

I went as far as getting a wheel truing stand and spoke tension gauge, and I trued the wheels on my el cheapo Schwinn. I didn't learn bike mechanics overnight, but there is a ton of information and videos to learn from. I have two bikes and stripped them right down and rebuilt them. Recently, I replaced the headset bearings on my fat bike. And if I say it myself, I do better work than those who call themselves 'mechanics' at the LBS. Sure, I made a few mistakes along the way, and had to find out how to correct them, but learning is a lot of fun. And you don't have to keep running to the bike shop for every little thing. For me that was a 14-miles round trip each time. The money I've saved in gas and wear and tear on the car, has paid for the tools I bought.

Oh, one tool you'll need is a bike work stand. I paid around $200 for mine, and it's been worth every penny. It's a good thing to have just for servicing the chain. And even if you decide to get another bike, it will still need occasional mechanical work done on it. There's little more satisfying than doing your own repairs and maintenance.

[Papa Dom]

(07-10-2019, 06:36 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Oh, one tool you'll need is a bike work stand. I paid around $200 for mine, and it's been worth every penny. It's a good thing to have just for servicing the chain. And even if you decide to get another bike, it will still need occasional mechanical work done on it. There's little more satisfying than doing your own repairs and maintenance.

out of curiosity, what bike stand do you have and where did you get/buy it? i consider getting one for my hobby repairs

[CharleyFarley]

(07-17-2019, 06:50 PM)Papa Dom Wrote:  

(07-10-2019, 06:36 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Oh, one tool you'll need is a bike work stand. I paid around $200 for mine, and it's been worth every penny. It's a good thing to have just for servicing the chain. And even if you decide to get another bike, it will still need occasional mechanical work done on it. There's little more satisfying than doing your own repairs and maintenance.

out of curiosity, what bike stand do you have and where did you get/buy it? i consider getting one for my hobby repairs

I bought the Park Tool PCS 9, and I believe I bought it from Amazon. It's actually about $160. I've had mine about four years, and it's indispensable when working on a chain or adjusting the derailleurs. It's pretty heavy, but it folds away, easily.

Park Tool PCS 9

[Papa Dom]

(07-18-2019, 08:12 AM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  

(07-17-2019, 06:50 PM)Papa Dom Wrote:  

(07-10-2019, 06:36 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  Oh, one tool you'll need is a bike work stand. I paid around $200 for mine, and it's been worth every penny. It's a good thing to have just for servicing the chain. And even if you decide to get another bike, it will still need occasional mechanical work done on it. There's little more satisfying than doing your own repairs and maintenance.

out of curiosity, what bike stand do you have and where did you get/buy it? i consider getting one for my hobby repairs

I bought the Park Tool PCS 9, and I believe I bought it from Amazon. It's actually about $160. I've had mine about four years, and it's indispensable when working on a chain or adjusting the derailleurs. It's pretty heavy, but it folds away, easily.

Park Tool PCS 9

oh nice, thanks. i had written down this name before, another plus in its account. must be nice and sturdy?

[CharleyFarley]

(07-18-2019, 11:14 AM)Papa Dom Wrote:  out of curiosity, what bike stand do you have and where did you get/buy it? i consider getting one for my hobby repairs

I bought the Park Tool PCS 9, and I believe I bought it from Amazon. It's actually about $160. I've had mine about four years, and it's indispensable when working on a chain or adjusting the derailleurs. It's pretty heavy, but it folds away, easily.

Park Tool PCS 9

Quote: oh nice, thanks. i had written down this name before, another plus in its account. must be nice and sturdy?

It's very sturdy, and mine doesn't have the two black braces at the bottom as shown in Amazon's photo. I was actually surprised how solid and sturdy it is when it arrived. It's obviously not a professional tool but it's plenty good enough for home use. I believe professional models have a small table on them to hold tools, but I never had a need for a table.

What turned me on to buying one was when I had a problem with a rear derailleur. I needed to get the back wheel up off the ground, so I tied a rope over a beam in my shed, then tied it under the saddle, so the back wheel was about a foot off the floor. The bike wobbled all over the place, and in the end I took the bike to the bike shop. For me, that's a 14-miles round trip. My work stand has probably paid for itself by now, having two bikes to service.

When I bought my fat bike, I was 15 miles from home when the chain came off the big sprocket and got jammed between the sprocket and pie plate. I was ticked off because it was a new bike. I managed to get the chain back on and ride home. I got it up on the work stand and found the limit screws way out. The low limit screw allowed the chain to come off the large sprocket, and the high limit screw wouldn't let the chain go on to the smallest sprocket. That was how the bike shop - in business for 39 years - sends a new bike out. And because of four other botch jobs from that same shop, I now do all my own work. I might be bragging but I know the jobs are done right.

[xuanvinh88]

I think you should buy a new bike. The old bike can be left as a souvenir, later it could become an antique

[Papa Dom]

(07-18-2019, 06:11 PM)CharleyFarley Wrote:  It's very sturdy, and mine doesn't have the two black braces at the bottom as shown in Amazon's photo. I was actually surprised how solid and sturdy it is when it arrived. It's obviously not a professional tool but it's plenty good enough for home use. I believe professional models have a small table on them to hold tools, but I never had a need for a table.

What turned me on to buying one was when I had a problem with a rear derailleur. I needed to get the back wheel up off the ground, so I tied a rope over a beam in my shed, then tied it under the saddle, so the back wheel was about a foot off the floor. The bike wobbled all over the place, and in the end I took the bike to the bike shop. For me, that's a 14-miles round trip. My work stand has probably paid for itself by now, having two bikes to service.

When I bought my fat bike, I was 15 miles from home when the chain came off the big sprocket and got jammed between the sprocket and pie plate. I was ticked off because it was a new bike. I managed to get the chain back on and ride home. I got it up on the work stand and found the limit screws way out. The low limit screw allowed the chain to come off the large sprocket, and the high limit screw wouldn't let the chain go on to the smallest sprocket. That was how the bike shop - in business for 39 years - sends a new bike out. And because of four other botch jobs from that same shop, I now do all my own work. I might be bragging but I know the jobs are done right.

thanks again for the feedback and tip, and that is one shittty service! i hope you have left that 1* review, recently i have started to leave more feedback on google and other sites, both positive and negative, about my experiences. others have to know!

back to the subject, repair stands come in handy and should be in every cyclists home & they are worth the price. otherwise i end up all angry because of the bike moving around just like you said luckily I have had a simply 'tacx' stand for few months given by a good friend, but soon have to give it back as he's returning from a long journey.

[CharleyFarley]

(07-22-2019, 05:34 PM)Papa Dom Wrote:  thanks again for the feedback and tip, and that is one shittty service! i hope you have left that 1* review, recently i have started to leave more feedback on google and other sites, both positive and negative, about my experiences. others have to know!

I haven't left any reviews of that lousy bike shop but I did remove my positive review on their Facebook page from when I bought my first bike from them. And I haven't left any reviews anywhere else because they can sue you for a bad review even if it's true, and they could identify me if I described all the problems in the review.

A year had gone by after I quit dealing with them. Then a woman bought a bike and gave them a great review. Facebook notified me of the new review. That's when I realized that mine was still up there, and a bunch of photos, too. So I deleted all of them. About a month after that, I went to their page to see what they were up to, and I saw that the woman had removed her positive review. I wonder why!

Both of our reviews said almost the same thing, about the mechanic who was "a great guy and very helpful and knowledgeable." That mechanic has mental problems because on two occasions he snapped at me, leaving me dumbfounded and wondering what it was all about. I decided that if I have one more incident like that, I will rip him a new ass; better to stay away from the shop than get into a tussle with him.

I bought a lot of tools and accessories from that shop, apart from three bikes, and I had ordered a set of rim brakes with replaceable pads. They only had the one set, and said they would call me as soon as the other set came in. That was in February 2017. In May, I was riding by the shop and stopped to ask if there was any news on the brakes. The mechanic turned his back on me and walked away, waving one hand in the air, and snapping at me that he'd call me when they came in. He then disappeared into the work shop, leaving me stunned. So I decided I would wait until they called. October came around and still no call so I bought them online.

He also was full of BS when it came to information. My first bike was having problems with the derailleur, so he said the chain was shot. At only 1,000 miles? He said I was lucky because a chain is only good for 800 miles. That was nonsense.

That first bike - a cruiser - had a problem with the front wheel. There was a spot on the rim where the brakes would suddenly grab. I did all that they told me to do, clean the rim with alcohol, and if that doesn't work, use 400 grit sandpaper. That didn't work, either, so I went into the shop to order a new, and better quality wheelset. That mechanic said, "All rim brakes grab! You don't need new wheels. You'll have the same problem with new ones." I told the shop owner to order them, anyway. They cured the problem! I'd had other bikes with rim brakes and none of them snatched at one spot. So much for him being a professional.

Since I quit using that shop in 2017, I found another Specialized dealer just a bit further away, and they make the first bike shop look shabby and amateurish. When I look back at the things I tolerated from that first shop, I wonder where my head was. I was new to the world of cycling and to me they were bike gods. Then as I learned about bikes I realized they didn't know much of anything. The shop owner has no idea of the lousy quality of work that leaves his shop, both on new bikes and on repairs.

Quote:back to the subject, repair stands come in handy and should be in every cyclists home & they are worth the price. otherwise i end up all angry because of the bike moving around just like you said luckily I have had a simply 'tacx' stand for few months given by a good friend, but soon have to give it back as he's returning from a long journey.

Where there's a will, there's a way. One guy made his own stand from wood, but it takes up a lot of room (which I don't have). My Park Tool folds up and sits on top of a paint cabinet.