Restoring a rusted bike

[blackbird]

I aplogize in advance if this is an easy question. I'm a total noobie with bike repair and have been overwhelemed by too much data when searching for answers online.

I live and work in Japan, and a friend who recently had to move out of the country gave me a 2012 Giant Defy 3 which was left out in the elements for about a year. The body and tires are in great shape, but the gear sets, brakes, chain and derailers are rusted and seized and will require replacment.
I took the bike because I want to use it for my ~20 km commute to work and I think it will be a fun project to fix.

The problem is that the owners manual is in Japanese which I'm not nearly good enough to understand, so I'm having a hard time figuring out what parts I will need to order. I'm afraid of ordering parts that are the wrong size or incompatible with each other.

The original set, from what I can tell from the parts that are in English, was a Shimano ST-2200 or a ST-2203:


Do you have any recommendations? Should I just buy a replacement ST-2200 set? What measurements/specs should I look at when buying? I plan on using this as a commuter bike and the area I live is hilly but not mountainous.

Thank you for your time.

[Painkiller]

lets see some close up pics of what you have. the parts should be available and a easy fix. just takes cash. i would replace the chain for sure. have you tried soaking the derailluers with anything to try an free them? are the shifters still okay?
i would go with what was on it already or as close as possible, the rd-2300 is a decent rear derailluer and not to costly

[blackbird]

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback.

Here are some photos of my bike:

General view:


Gears:


Rear Derailer(?):


Brake cable connection:


Gears, another angle:



Pedal:



The chain definitely needs to go. I haven't tried soaking anything, and I am not sure how to test the gear shifters since I can't get the chain in gear.

[haykong]

The rusty on the bike doesn't seem to bad...but what a shame since it's only a 2012 bike. Anyway most of the stuff should be more likely rescue-able.. I wouldn't bother with the chain since it's cheap enough to pick up a 9 Speed SRAM chain. .. It's possible you can rescue the chain... but it's a lot of effort to remove the rust off the chain especially if you don't have the right stuff....

For the areas that have rust, you can use fine steel wood and light oil such as chain oil to remove the rust.

If you want to test the gears just to make sure the shifters are fine...

You can put the bike on a bike stand or have something that can work as a bike stand.. take off the rear wheel..

let's test the rear(which is the right shifter)... there should be 8 clicks shifting up and and 8 clicks shifting down...

For the left shifter which is the front... (for Double crankset).. there should be 2 clicks up and 2 clicks down.... first click puts it into trim and 2nd click puts it onto the big ring... and vice versa etc etc.

either way I think you should be fine.. just need cleaning up...

also while you're at it.. you should test how the front wheel and rear wheels spin... let me see if I can find a youtube video that demo it since it's much easier to show vs writing it down heheheee

[blackbird]

Could you recommend a video for cleaning the rust? I don't want to break the gears down and accidentally pit/scar the metal by using the wrong oil or wire brush. I'll see if I can find an analog for a bike stand and run the shifters through the paces.

[haykong]

(05-13-2013, 07:01 PM)blackbird Wrote:  Could you recommend a video for cleaning the rust? I don't want to break the gears down and accidentally pit/scar the metal by using the wrong oil or wire brush. I'll see if I can find an analog for a bike stand and run the shifters through the paces.

before you do anything else get a chain breaker so you can remove the chain.. sometimes there may be a removable link like SRAM power link and you can remove that without any tools, but it's good to have a chain breaker so you can install the new chain at the correct length... make sure you keep the old chain so you can set the new chain to the same length.


like I said.. as for removing rust, you can use any light oil such as chain lube example Tri-flow plus a fine steel wool....

As for the chain rings the main crankset at the front of the bike. The first two rings are normally aluminum so you don't have to worry about it. From the looks of the photo, it's just rust from the chain.. you can wipe that off with a rag with some simple green and rinse it.

you might consider getting a crank puller...

As for the 3rd ring, it's possible that it might be steel. I can't tell how bad it is from the photo..

You never really showed the rear wheel.. so I can't tell how bad the cassette is..

As for the rear derailleur, once you get the chain off. you can see how the pulleys spin.. it spins you're fine.. you can clean it off and apply a little chain lube to the pivot points, spring, and pulleys.

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Anyway the main thing you just have to worry is just the chain.... just get the chain replaced first.... all other things is just clean up job...

[Painkiller]

"make sure you keep the old chain so you can set the new chain to the same length."
I would disagree with this statement for the simple fact that you have no way of knowing if it was the right length at all. when you replace the chain do it per instructions, as far as the rest if the parts in the pics, just soak with a lube and roll with them to see how they perform, replace the cables and housing and bar tape. If the bike is just to be a user it does not have to perfectly rust free. just clean and lube the best you can and test it out. the derailluers are painted and will scratch with steel wool so keep it to the metal parts if thats a concern, the rust on the front cage looks to far gone but it will function anyway. pretty cool you got a free bike but if you want it nice nice you will be replacing alot of parts at a lot of cost. with just some lube/cables/housing you may be surprised that it works good just like that

[blackbird]

Painkiller you are right. I'm perfectly fine having a usable bicycle instead of a nice, nice bike. I'm learning quite a bit already.

Here are some photos of the rear wheel:




The chain has been removed and measured (54 inches) and a replacement chain is on order.
Before I removed the chain, I secured the bike between some saw horses with the rear wheel off to test the shifters. I got one click up on both left and right but nothing down.

My next move is to find a (environmentally) safe place to clean the gears with oil and steel wool. Probably will have to do it over my lunch breaks over the next few days. How far should I break down the gears on the rear wheel before I clean them?

[haykong]

(05-14-2013, 09:43 PM)painkiller Wrote:  "make sure you keep the old chain so you can set the new chain to the same length."
I would disagree with this statement for the simple fact that you have no way of knowing if it was the right length at all. when you replace the chain do it per instructions, as far as the rest if the parts in the pics, just soak with a lube and roll with them to see how they perform, replace the cables and housing and bar tape. If the bike is just to be a user it does not have to perfectly rust free. just clean and lube the best you can and test it out. the derailluers are painted and will scratch with steel wool so keep it to the metal parts if thats a concern, the rust on the front cage looks to far gone but it will function anyway. pretty cool you got a free bike but if you want it nice nice you will be replacing alot of parts at a lot of cost. with just some lube/cables/housing you may be surprised that it works good just like that

I understand your concern painkiller. However, there is a very high probable chance that it's the original chain on the bike especially since it's a 2012 model. Yeah if you want to verify the correct length you can even follow the steps on this website.

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(05-14-2013, 11:08 PM)blackbird Wrote:  Painkiller you are right. I'm perfectly fine having a usable bicycle instead of a nice, nice bike. I'm learning quite a bit already.

Here are some photos of the rear wheel:




The chain has been removed and measured (54 inches) and a replacement chain is on order.
Before I removed the chain, I secured the bike between some saw horses with the rear wheel off to test the shifters. I got one click up on both left and right but nothing down.

My next move is to find a (environmentally) safe place to clean the gears with oil and steel wool. Probably will have to do it over my lunch breaks over the next few days. How far should I break down the gears on the rear wheel before I clean them?

oh if you plan on cleaning the rear cassette, I highly recommend you take off the cassette since you don't want to get any degreaser or such stuff in the freebody.

You'll need to get a cassette remover tool and a chain whip

Also let's check how your wheel hubs are doing.... grab the wheel by the axle (with the quick release off so you don't confuse yourself).. say the front wheel.... and see how does it spin? does it spin smoothly? does it grind? or so so.... I'm still seeing if there's a video on youtube that demos this...

Oh when you tested the shifters.. just to make sure.. did you remove the rusted and seized chain? I just don't want the chain to get in the way that's all... especially in your case....since a lot of stuff is rusted and might get in the way of testing...

[Painkiller]

when testing the shifters take the cables from the housing and pull tension by hand and shift to feel the indents. though not all pretty you want a fresh start on key drivetrain components,,i.e... new chain and new rear cluster, forget that one. you can pick up a nice sram 850 for a mere $25 well spent.

[blackbird]

That rear cluster probably needs replacement. How do I determine which sram 850 size I need (11-32, 11-28T, 11x32, 11x28, 11-30, etc)? I'm not sure what those numbers mean. Number of teeth?

[haykong]

(05-15-2013, 01:19 AM)blackbird Wrote:  That rear cluster probably needs replacement. How do I determine which sram 850 size I need (11-32, 11-28T, 11x32, 11x28, 11-30, etc)? I'm not sure what those numbers mean. Number of teeth?

Well it's up to you if you want to replace the cassette ...
Personally I would clean it up... Since its still looks useable... But that's me of course since I'm good at removing rust.. All the little parts well eventually add up money. My main concern would be the shifters first since that's one of the expensive parts .... Since if the shifters are bad... Then you can 9 speed sora shifters for about $110 .. Which then means you need to get a 9 speed cassette and chain ... So I would just stick with what you have besides a new chain to assess any other issues...

As for your current 8 speed cassette, just get a 12-26 sram cassette if you choose to do so... But don't bother getting it yet til you know the shifters are working ...

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(05-15-2013, 01:19 AM)blackbird Wrote:  That rear cluster probably needs replacement. How do I determine which sram 850 size I need (11-32, 11-28T, 11x32, 11x28, 11-30, etc)? I'm not sure what those numbers mean. Number of teeth?

It just refers to the gear configuration range .. For a road bike it's better to stick with 12-26 range unless you have massive hills to climb..

Anyway the one you have on it now might be 12-25 or 12-26.
Yes it refers to teeth gear size..

But first things first determine if shifters are working.. While you are at it lube both derailleurs at pivots points, springs etc.... Just use triflow or any chain lube

[haykong]

Dam the st-3500 jumped up in price now they were at $108 a few weeks ago and now $188

[Bill]

They will go back down trust me! Just keep watching.

[blackbird]

Thanks for the help everyone. I've started cleaning up the rust with chain oil and steel wool. The gears are not in as nearly as bad shape as I thought at first. I think they will clean nicely.
I retested the shifters after applying a little tension. I can move it up and down but it feels awfully stiff. I'm hoping it will feel better once everything is buttoned up.
I will be traveling for the next few weeks but I will post progress of any milestones or hiccups.

[blackbird]

Hey, sorry for the late reply. I've been busy with traveling and a few busy weeks at work. I have completed the repairs on my rusted bike. I learned a lot doing, and it was a fun project to do. I took it out on a quick 15 mile run today without issues. Thank you so much for the advice.
The best thing I did was buy a very small wire brush designed for cleaning the barrels and chambers of pistols which really made it easy to scrub out the rust. It took a lot of small sessions to get it cleaned, but it's about as clean as it will get. I had trouble getting the rusted/broken pedals off with a 15mm wrench because the entire assembly was stripped. I ended up wrapping it with a bunch of tight rubber bands to get the friction to get them off. Also, I didn't realize that one of the pedals is threaded in reverse. Surprising, but it makes perfect sense once I considered why. The shifters seem to be working perfectly once I got everything put together. All in all, it seems like a smashing success.
Thank you everyone!

Here are some photos of the repaired bits:




EDIT... hmmm, imageshack is messing up. Standby...