Bike servicing/age question?

Paul Hutchings said:

Secondly, and I appreciate this is a piece of string
question, I'm hoping that everything works but will need a
bloody good servicing - what might I expect to pay for
this.. just a ballpark assuming no major parts are needed?

If it hasn't actually been used then not very much will
actually /degrade/ with time as long as it hasn't
corroded/rusted much. First step is give it a very thorough
cleaning, pump up the tyres, lube the transmission (you may
want to cut to the chase and get a new chain straight away
if the existing one is a vivid shade of orange and doesn't
bend much) and see if it works okay. If it does seem to be
creaking a bit then edinburgh-edinburgh-Open ↗
bicycle.co.uk/resource/repairs.html gives you some possible
prices on a service.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As most companies change colour schemes every year can
anyone take even a wild guess as to how old the bike is?
I've had it for around 7-8 years

and

Quoted message said:

when I tried to sell it six or so years back (I've found
the usenet post)

I

Quoted message said:

had concluded around 1990?

If this is the case, you will find that it's fitted with 7
speed / canti (as opposed to V brake) / larger chainrings &
sprockets than current models, etc. There's nothing wrong
with any of these, except that it's hard to find spares, and
compatibility is limited.

Quoted message said:

Secondly, and I appreciate this is a piece of string
question, I'm hoping that everything works but will need a
bloody good servicing - what might I expect to pay for
this.. just a ballpark assuming no major parts are needed?

Maybe £100 for a thorough strip-down and regrease. If you
have the tools (or can acquire them), why not have a go
yourself? Worth a try!

If the bike needs *lots* of major parts, I'd reconsider the
plan, personally. If not - go for it! Just be aware of the
problems I've described above.

Paul Hutchings said:

Secondly, and I appreciate this is a piece of string
question, I'm hoping that everything works but will need a
bloody good servicing - what might I expect to pay for
this.. just a ballpark assuming no major parts are needed?

If it's not been used much, just clean it, replace the
tyres and tubes (the only perishable bits), re-lube it
and enjoy it!

--
Mark.

"Simon D" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Maybe œ100 for a thorough strip-down and regrease. If you
have the tools (or can acquire them), why not have a go
yourself? Worth a try!

Have to admit I'd not really considered it.. I guess
thinking about it there can't be that much to it.. any ideas
of a "how to service your bike" guid on the internet :-)

regards, Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

Mark Tranchant said:

Paul Hutchings said:

Secondly, and I appreciate this is a piece of string
question, I'm hoping that everything works but will need
a bloody good servicing - what might I expect to pay for
this.. just a ballpark assuming no major parts are
needed?

If it's not been used much, just clean it, replace the
tyres and tubes (the only perishable bits), re-lube it and
enjoy it!

I'd agree with this. I've just done this to a bike that's a
lot older than yours and has been untouched behind the
garage for the last 6 years. It works fine. It doesn't look
particularly nice (rust on the steel wheels etc.) but I feel
much happier leaving it outside the local shops than I would
my racing bike.
--
Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "He has never been known
to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." -
William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk www.macclancy.co.uk

"Simon D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As most companies change colour schemes every year can
anyone take even a wild guess as to how old the bike is?
I've had it for around 7-8 years

and

Quoted message said:

when I tried to sell it six or so years back (I've found
the usenet post)

I

Quoted message said:

had concluded around 1990?

If this is the case, you will find that it's fitted with 7
speed / canti (as opposed to V brake) / larger chainrings
& sprockets than current models, etc. There's nothing
wrong with any of these, except that it's hard to find
spares, and compatibility is limited.

Come on! Wiggle lists all this stuff and I've never heard of
an LBS that couldn't get Shimano bits. Cantis are still
being made by people like Tektro and Shimano.

You can still buy 5-speed freewheels y'know.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Secondly, and I appreciate this is a piece of string
question, I'm hoping that everything works but will need
a bloody good servicing - what might I expect to pay for
this.. just a ballpark assuming no major parts are
needed?

Maybe £100 for a thorough strip-down and regrease. If you
have the tools (or can acquire them), why not have a go
yourself? Worth a try!

People like Tacx make starter toolkits for people who have
nothing. They aren't bad quality and cost about 50 quid.

Quoted message said:

If the bike needs *lots* of major parts, I'd reconsider
the plan, personally. If not - go for it! Just be aware of
the problems I've described above.

The most crucial part is a few drops of oil. After that you
will have a better idea of whether it could be made
serviceable or not.

Good luck!
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The most crucial part is a few drops of oil. After that
you will have a better idea of whether it could be made
serviceable or not.

Don't get me wrong it's not a rusty old nail, I'm fairly
sure that after some thorough cleaning and lubing it'll
work, it's just whether it will be possible to get it "up to
scratch" economically..

there's a difference between the thing working and working
well IYKWIM :-)

Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The most crucial part is a few drops of oil. After that
you will have a better idea of whether it could be made
serviceable or not.

Don't get me wrong it's not a rusty old nail, I'm fairly
sure that after some thorough cleaning and lubing it'll
work, it's just whether it will be possible to get it "up
to scratch" economically..

OK, but after some years of non-use you will need grease and
oil to know if it's workable.

The economic criterion will be satisfied if you stick to
getting it working as is (you implied befroe that nothing
is broken).

If you get into the "must upgrade to 9-speed etc" thing,
then forget it, it's way cheaper to get a new bike.

Quoted message said:

there's a difference between the thing working and working
well IYKWIM :-)

Oooooooh yes. For bikes the latter involves:

- lots of cleaning
- slathers of grease
- copious drops of oil
- a delicate touch
- a good ear
- a heavy hand
- attention to detail
- brains and skill

The last ones tell you when to apply which of the previous
elements of the list
:-)
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen, Mallet Wielder

Mark South said:

Oooooooh yes. For bikes the latter involves:

Quoted message said:

- lots of cleaning
- slathers of grease
- copious drops of oil
- a delicate touch
- a good ear
- a heavy hand
- attention to detail
- brains and skill

It also involves toothbrushes. And in my case, a sudden need
to clean the shower/bathroom as for some reason there seems
to be black stuff all over the place...

Roos

"Roos Eisma" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mark South said:

Oooooooh yes. For bikes the latter involves:

Quoted message said:

- lots of cleaning
- slathers of grease
- copious drops of oil
- a delicate touch
- a good ear
- a heavy hand
- attention to detail
- brains and skill

It also involves toothbrushes. And in my case, a sudden
need to clean the shower/bathroom as for some reason there
seems to be black stuff all over the place...

At least that way you don't have to go far to get
clean yourself.

Hmm, I can just see it now:

Naked Bicycle Maintenance by Roos Eisma, available at
Amazon.com....
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen, Fully Clothed

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

any ideas of a "how to service your bike" guid on the
internet :-)

This looks reasonable:

members.aol.comrepairindex.htmOpen ↗

Paul Hutchings said:

"Simon D" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Maybe œ100 for a thorough strip-down and regrease. If you
have the tools (or can acquire them), why not have a go
yourself? Worth a try!

Have to admit I'd not really considered it.. I guess
thinking about it there can't be that much to it.. any
ideas of a "how to service your bike" guid on the
internet :-)

regards, Paul

I would start in the local library and borrow as many "Bike
Servicing For Total Idiots" as you can lay your hands on.
Some books have clearer explanations and others have better
pictures. No one book seems to do everything well.
(Doubtless I will be corrected here). If you can find a
single book which seems to have most of what you need, go
out and buy it.

Websites such as the legendary Sheldon Brown's site can then
be used to fill in the gaps in your book.

Hope this helps.

Terry Ducmanton

Paul Hutchings said:

Not ridden for years and had been toying with getting a
new bike because I'd (foolishly it now appears) assumed
that mine was too old to bother overhauling.

It's a GT Karakoram, frame is kind of flame orange/yellow
with black "crackly" sort of paintwork. It's got a Deore
XT rear mech & combined break/shift levers.

I'm hoping that I can give it a _really_ bloody good clean
and get it serviced and have something useable, however -

As most companies change colour schemes every year can
anyone take even a wild guess as to how old the bike is?
I've had it for around 7-8 years and when I tried to sell
it six or so years back (I've found the usenet post) I had
concluded around 1990?

Yes, early 1990s sounds about right. It's a good bike - you
might as well clean it up and keep it.

Zog The Undeniable <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:40be0db9.0@entanet:

Quoted message said:

Paul Hutchings said:

Not ridden for years and had been toying with getting a
new bike because I'd (foolishly it now appears) assumed
that mine was too old to bother overhauling.

It's a GT Karakoram, frame is kind of flame orange/yellow
with black "crackly" sort of paintwork. It's got a Deore
XT rear mech & combined break/shift levers.

I'm hoping that I can give it a _really_ bloody good
clean and get it serviced and have something useable,
however -

As most companies change colour schemes every year can
anyone take even a wild guess as to how old the bike is?
I've had it for around 7-8 years and when I tried to sell
it six or so years back (I've found the usenet post) I
had concluded around 1990?

Yes, early 1990s sounds about right. It's a good bike -
you might as well clean it up and keep it.

Yup.. having just taken a look at it I'm coming to the
same conclusion.. I'm fairly sure I'll have to spend a
fair bit to get better/lighter so long as it's just in
need of a service.

I've just given it stage one of a bloody good clean and it
seems alright.. no "real" rust, just the red stuff that
comes off with a bit of chrome cleaner.. bit of WD40 and the
brakes and gear changers seem alright.

New chain needed I'm sure, and the tyres/tubes definately
need replacing, the rims seem alright though I think I'm
going to have fun getting the spokes clean :-)

regards Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

Paul Hutchings:

Quoted message said:

Don't get me wrong it's not a rusty old nail, I'm fairly
sure that after some thorough cleaning and lubing it'll
work, it's just whether it will be possible to get it "up
to scratch" economically..

I've been restoring/upgrading my old bike (which is
significantly older than yours). I've spent the best part of
£200 on it. I could probably have got a pretty decent whole
bike from ebay or out of the small ads for that much money.
But the way my mind works means that spending small amounts
of money at a time means it seems like less than spending
one big lump sum.

Hmm.

I'm very happy with my bike now, though. I've yet to try out
the new wheels since I'm still waiting for the cassette to
come in the post but I already know they are going to make a
huge difference - as I shall report in due course...

d.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Simon Brooke said:

So: about £15-20 for a new 7 speed cassette; about £10-12
for a new chain; about £10-15 for new jockey wheels (if
needed); about £15 for new cables; about £10 for brake
blocks (if needed).

You must use a very expensive bike shop!

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global
Village millport.netmillport.netOpen ↗

Paul Hutchings <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I'm hoping that I can give it a _really_ bloody good clean
and get it serviced and have something useable, however -

Well.. had the day off so I went to three places in/around
derby - Mercian, Samways and Leisure Lakes.

All three had a look on the spot to see what would need
doing to my Karakoram -

rear mech is knackered and would need replacing @ around
£30 upwards

rear rim is out of true/bashed etc. and should be replaced -
mercian only hand build wheels but the chap said I should be
able to pick up a ready- built wheel for around £35 or so.

tyres are cracked and need replacing, so £30 or so for
tyres and tubes

cables seem to be in good condition

brakes seem to be ok

a general service is around £30 so we're talking around £125
or so plus anything else that comes up.

I also looked at new bikes whilst I was there.. there's a
part of me that thinks it's quite a lot to spend on a 12
year old bike that cost me next to nothing when I brought
it.. plus they all say they have long workshop waiting times
for servicing..

on the other hand a new bike costs more but it's new, it's
guaranteed, it's modern, safe etc..

I have to say I do like the hardrock sport and also the
marin "bolinas ridge", and after a few laps of the block at
leisure lakes I'm more and more tempted by the new option
(quite scary just how good v-brakes are!)

so at the moment I have a lot of catalogues and confusion
reigns :-0

regards Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

Paul Hutchings said:

Paul Hutchings <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I'm hoping that I can give it a _really_ bloody good
clean and get it serviced and have something useable,
however -

Well.. had the day off so I went to three places in/around
derby - Mercian, Samways and Leisure Lakes.

All three had a look on the spot to see what would need
doing to my Karakoram -

rear mech is knackered and would need replacing @ around
£30 upwards

rear rim is out of true/bashed etc. and should be replaced
- mercian only hand build wheels but the chap said I
should be able to pick up a ready- built wheel for around
£35 or so.

tyres are cracked and need replacing, so £30 or so for
tyres and tubes

cables seem to be in good condition

brakes seem to be ok

a general service is around £30 so we're talking around
£125 or so plus anything else that comes up.

I also looked at new bikes whilst I was there.. there's a
part of me that thinks it's quite a lot to spend on a 12
year old bike that cost me next to nothing when I brought
it.. plus they all say they have long workshop waiting
times for servicing..

on the other hand a new bike costs more but it's new, it's
guaranteed, it's modern, safe etc..

I have to say I do like the hardrock sport and also the
marin "bolinas ridge", and after a few laps of the block
at leisure lakes I'm more and more tempted by the new
option (quite scary just how good v-brakes are!)

so at the moment I have a lot of catalogues and confusion
reigns :-0

regards Paul

My experience buying new bikes last year was that we had to
wait a long time for one to be delivered (not a problem if
it's in stock) and long workshop waiting times still applied
when the bikes had to go in for their six week services.
--
Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "His mother should have
thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk www.macclancy.co.uk

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Hutchings <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

a general service is around £30 so we're talking around
£125 or so plus anything else that comes up.

"General service" usually means good, overall check,
*external* lube, and readjustment. It's very, very unlikely
to involve regreasing bearings, which will (for long-term
use) be necessary on a 14-year-old bike that's probably
never been seriously serviced before. It's always going to
be better bet to try to do the work yourself, especially on
an old (and fairly "un-precious"😉 bike.

Quoted message said:

I also looked at new bikes whilst I was there.. there's a
part of me that thinks it's quite a lot to spend on a 12
year old bike that cost me next

to

Quoted message said:

nothing when I brought it.. plus they all say they have
long workshop waiting times for servicing..

on the other hand a new bike costs more but it's new, it's
guaranteed,

it's

Quoted message said:

modern, safe etc..

Guaranteed for what? ;-)

A new bike will offer "up-to-dateness". However, as Mark
rightly pointed out, isn't everything. (Although, as I
stated - perhaps too strongly - it does make spares
acquisition simpler, and offers greater choice). A new £300
bike will be fitted with lower spec components (and frame)
than I believe your old bike is fitted with. Depends which
you value most, but whichever way you go, I bet the
(reconditioned) old bike would be in better condition in ten
years than the new one.