£36.00 hack.

[xerxes]

I bought a MTB the other day to use a cheap runabout that I wasn't too worried about leaving locked up an unattended. It was all working but a bit scruffy and needed a service.

Before:

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After a clean up and service:

I stripped the bike, re-greased all the bearings, hubs, headset and bottom bracket, degreased and cleaned all the components, chain, mechs and brakes. Trued the wheels, gave the frame a good clean, reassembled everything.

I replaced the ratty brake and gear inner cables with new ones, and got rid of the "comfort gel" saddle and put on an old Rolls I had kicking about, I also replaced the tyres with a pair of Schwalbe City Jets I already had.

The frame is very tidy, hardly a scratch on it and I think it's powdercoated, so it will hopefully survive the winter rain and road salt well. I'm not so confident about all the unsealed bearings, which will probably need replacing after the winter.

All up, including buying the bike, I spent about £36.00, about $53.00, plus the cost of the degreaser and lube I used.

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[Bill]

Hot dog that is clean enough to eat off of . I highly do not suggest eating off of it though lol. But Wow you want to clean up my ride????

[Jordan300]

Wh0a, that does look clean. Did you do a full tear down and rebuild?

[xerxes]

Quote:Wh0a, that does look clean. Did you do a full tear down and rebuild?

Yes, I removed all the components and cleaned everything up separately before I re-assembled it.

I've taken it out a couple of times and it rides OK, but the brakes seem a bit wooden compared to my other bikes, so I might try some different brake blocks.

[Jordan300]

Very nice job. I've always had a greater appreciation for my bikes after I've done a teardown. You fell a lot more connected to the bike.

[surreypete]

Thats a bargain for 36 quid, can't argue with that and it spruced up nicely.

Job well done.

[xerxes]

Quote:I've always had a greater appreciation for my bikes after I've done a teardown. You fell a lot more connected to the bike.

It's also a really good way of giving a bike a thorough check over. I found a chain link where one of the outer plates had a crack growing from the pin, so I got rid of it and just left the chain a link short.

If I'd left it would have snapped eventually and sods law says it would have been miles from home.

Next up, I want to sort out my Marin, I bought it new in 1990 and it's looking quite scruffy now.