Bike parts identification

[J. Hanley]

Hello! This is my first post on this forum.
Does anybody know how I can determine what kind of crankset I have on my bike?
It's a Shimano of some kind, a low end product I had installed on a Schwinn I bought
from Wal-Mart when the original chainrings wore out.
I'm wondering if there's a website somewhere with pictures of Shimano products, because I'd probably recognize it if I saw it.

[DaveM]

You might look on the inside surface of the crank arms for a model number and google that. Other than paging through Shimano's website, I don't know of any comprehensive listing of everything they've made.

[cny-man]

(10-15-2014, 08:33 PM)J. Hanley Wrote:  Hello! This is my first post on this forum.
Does anybody know how I can determine what kind of crankset I have on my bike?
It's a Shimano of some kind, a low end product I had installed on a Schwinn I bought
from Wal-Mart when the original chainrings wore out.
I'm wondering if there's a website somewhere with pictures of Shimano products, because I'd probably recognize it if I saw it.

Generally it's necessary to know the exact model of crankset only under a few circumstances. It would be very helpful to know why you would want that info.

[J. Hanley]

(10-16-2014, 08:52 AM)cny-man Wrote:  

(10-15-2014, 08:33 PM)J. Hanley Wrote:  Hello! This is my first post on this forum.
Does anybody know how I can determine what kind of crankset I have on my bike?
It's a Shimano of some kind, a low end product I had installed on a Schwinn I bought
from Wal-Mart when the original chainrings wore out.
I'm wondering if there's a website somewhere with pictures of Shimano products, because I'd probably recognize it if I saw it.

Generally it's necessary to know the exact model of crankset only under a few circumstances. It would be very helpful to know why you would want that info.

My bike is a Schwinn Sidewinder that I bought in 2005. I really like riding it, it's a lot of fun, and the frame has a lifetime warranty on it, so that if it should ever break, the manufacturer will replace it.
I doubt it will though, it's pretty sturdy, and I don't typically ride in any extreme conditions.
I think it would be really neat to take everything off of the frame, paint it (or maybe have it painted), then put it back together using upgraded components. That's why I'm interested to know what kind of crankset I have on there now, because if I should ever actually do this, I would want to know the specs of the product I've been using, so I could make an educated choice on what to replace it with.

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(10-16-2014, 08:52 AM)cny-man Wrote:  

(10-15-2014, 08:33 PM)J. Hanley Wrote:  Hello! This is my first post on this forum.
Does anybody know how I can determine what kind of crankset I have on my bike?
It's a Shimano of some kind, a low end product I had installed on a Schwinn I bought
from Wal-Mart when the original chainrings wore out.
I'm wondering if there's a website somewhere with pictures of Shimano products, because I'd probably recognize it if I saw it.

Generally it's necessary to know the exact model of crankset only under a few circumstances. It would be very helpful to know why you would want that info.

My bike is a Schwinn Sidewinder that I bought in 2005. I really like riding it, it's a lot of fun, and the frame has a lifetime warranty on it, so that if it should ever break, the manufacturer will replace it.
I doubt it will though, it's pretty sturdy, and I don't typically ride in any extreme conditions.
I think it would be really neat to take everything off of the frame, paint it (or maybe have it painted), then put it back together using upgraded components. That's why I'm interested to know what kind of crankset I have on there now, because if I should ever actually do this, I would want to know the specs of the product I've been using, so I could make an educated choice on what to replace it with.

[cny-man]

OK - difficult to determine what exact model, let alone the specs for that model, and not necessary anyway. One can fairly easily determine the required spec of a replacement crankset, but need to do so after deciding on how you will upgrade the rear cogs, so that front and rear line up properly. See this excellent discussion about chainline: http://sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html

[DaveM]

http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=1995&brand=Schwinn&model=Side+Winder

Looks like there's 3 versions of the Sidewinder in 2005, so not sure which you have.

In general, it's probably not worth "upgrading" a bike of this level just to do it. You'll spend a lot more on parts than you would if you just bought a higher end bike. That said, if you like it, there's no reason not to maintain it and improve things a little as parts need to be replaced.

Higher end cranks won't make much of any difference to how the bike rides. Better brakes (levers, calipers, pads, cables) will make a noticeable difference. Better tires will actually make a big difference as will better brake pads. If it's never had it's bearings repacked, doing that will probably increase performance and extend life more than upgrading any part.

These are good, solid bikes and worth a little care and investment. But don't throw money at it.