I'd read about how [censored] kid's department store bikes are but I didn't realise just how [censored] until my neighbour came round last night to get some help putting together a schwinn bike he'd bought at Big W or someplace like that for his 6 year old daughter. The back wheel so far out of true, the pads had to be set so wide that the brake lever came back to the bars. The 90 degree bend in the rear brake cable housing was the wrong radius for the retaining clip so it sits crooked, and the front brake only worked on one side of the caliper. This is from the factory!
I fiddled with the front brake for a while scratching my head as it all seems to be adjusted ok, until I figured out the spring was installed backwards so had too little tension on the cable side and too much on the other. There was also a nylon spacer missing between the two caliper arms. Geez.... I've convinced him to go to a bikestore for the next upgrade.
Anyhow we did a few little tweaks, hope she likes the XTR groupset and SPD pedals 🙂
I'd read about how [censored] kid's department store bikes are but I didn't realise just how [censored] until my neighbour came round last night to get some help putting together a schwinn bike he'd bought at Big W or someplace like that for his 6 year old daughter. The back wheel so far out of true, the pads had to be set so wide that the brake lever came back to the bars. The 90 degree bend in the rear brake cable housing was the wrong radius for the retaining clip so it sits crooked, and the front brake only worked on one side of the caliper. This is from the factory!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I had a girlfriend who had a kid, (7y/o). She (well, I did, but that's another story, and it wasn't really my choice) got him a k-mart bike. A huffy, I think ...
It was the single worst piece of equipment* I'd ever had the misfortune of trying to fit together and maintain. *and* it was no cheaper than an equivalent kids bike from my LBS.
* worse even than a brake job on a 1960's beetle, or a Bianchi CF frame 🙂
Anyhow we did a few little tweaks, hope she likes the XTR groupset and SPD pedals 🙂
hahahahha!!.. love it....
I've been tempted to get a $99 cheapy, set it all up and BR it.. then donate it to charity if it survives.. the only problem, I may not survive if this is actually attempted!..
bahahahah. another youngster addicted to bicycle expenditure. The BRA would be proud! 😄
Im amazed those 'token gestures' of hand-lever brakes are put on kid's bikes!!!
Its part of some dumb-[censored] legislation to make beuracrats feel they are making cycling saf for kiddies but the realitiy is these brakes are almost inoperable by most kids under 8-9 as the levers are: cheap! dont work!! too damn far off the bar to be reached by little hands!!!
My 7yr old is saying on coaster(back-pedal)brakes till she's bigger
I used to be one of the guys who used to put these bad boys together. I made sure I did a pretty decent job (i only worked on weekends). I think I was the only person in the place who knew how to take out a bottom bracket etc. The guy who did them during the week was an absolute shocker. There was a lot of pressure on me to build it in 15 minutes- but try to explain to your boss that it takes a lot longer than that when the derailleur hanger is bent due to someone throwing the box from a gondola 6 ft in the air.
I must admit that some bikes that used to come back after a home assembly were pretty funny. Forks around the wrong way, and the old "the pedal didn't screw in for some reason". Say the L and R on the pedals buddy? They are there for a reason.
The worst assemblies were done by the "professional" bike builders who used to come in at the peak christmas period. They managed to assemble 10 bikes in an hour. I realised how when i took one for a spin - loose headset, seatpsot, pedals, brakes didn't work etc. Come to think of it, I think one customer stacked it as a result.
The other bike stores used to make a killing out of reassembling badly done dept store bikes.
bahahahah. another youngster addicted to bicycle expenditure. The BRA would be proud! 😄
Im amazed those 'token gestures' of hand-lever brakes are put on kid's bikes!!!
Its part of some dumb-[censored] legislation to make beuracrats feel they are making cycling saf for kiddies but the realitiy is these brakes are almost inoperable by most kids under 8-9 as the levers are: cheap! dont work!! too damn far off the bar to be reached by little hands!!!
My 7yr old is saying on coaster(back-pedal)brakes till she's bigger
bahahahah. another youngster addicted to bicycle expenditure. The BRA would be proud! 😄
Im amazed those 'token gestures' of hand-lever brakes are put on kid's bikes!!!
Its part of some dumb-[censored] legislation to make beuracrats feel they are making cycling saf for kiddies but the realitiy is these brakes are almost inoperable by most kids under 8-9 as the levers are: cheap! dont work!! too damn far off the bar to be reached by little hands!!!
My 7yr old is saying on coaster(back-pedal)brakes till she's bigger
And they do much better skids!
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Those were the days..
I used to like coming to Melbourne for holidays, because "Melbourne has hills!".
Two skids later and the brand new blue tyre popped! I did manage to stop before the highway though, which was nice for me, but means nowadays you lot have to put up with all my posts :P
On 2005-09-08, BrettS (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
Quoted message said:
Bleve said:
flyingdutch said:
My 7yr old is saying on coaster(back-pedal)brakes till she's bigger
And they do much better skids!
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Youf these days. Given too much pocket money.
Why, back when I was a kid, that would have taken me a *year* to save up for a measly tire!
I loved it when I got the pay raise for "helping" mum deliver sprouts around Melbourne, and got $5 per day (holidays only). I could buy an entire technical-lego set after the holidays!
-- TimC So there you have it, supplicant. The Europeans aren't morally superior to you [USAnians] at all. Just intellectually. -- The Internet Oracle
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Those were the days..
I used to like coming to Melbourne for holidays, because "Melbourne has hills!".
Two skids later and the brand new blue tyre popped! I did manage to stop before the highway though, which was nice for me, but means nowadays you lot have to put up with all my posts :P
Oooohhhh coloured BMX tyres. Those WERE the days. I remember getting my first yellow tyres and yellow anodised handlebars and stem when I was 10. Saved up for ages. Ahhhh memories....
"BrettS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
hippy said:
BrettS said:
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Those were the days.. I used to like coming to Melbourne for holidays, because "Melbourne has hills!". Two skids later and the brand new blue tyre popped! I did manage to stop before the highway though, which was nice for me, but means nowadays you lot have to put up with all my posts :P
Oooohhhh coloured BMX tyres. Those WERE the days. I remember getting my first yellow tyres and yellow anodised handlebars and stem when I was 10. Saved up for ages. Ahhhh memories....
-- BrettS
With matching or suitably contrasting Tuffs or course. I wanted them but never managed to get a set until I was about 15 and a friend was getting rid of a pair. I was still happy, but most of the magic had gone by then.
"BrettS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
hippy said:
BrettS said:
Yup! I'm about to make my 6yo pay for his own rear tyre out of his pocket money. Get him used to spending money at the LBS...
Those were the days.. I used to like coming to Melbourne for holidays, because "Melbourne has hills!". Two skids later and the brand new blue tyre popped! I did manage to stop before the highway though, which was nice for me, but means nowadays you lot have to put up with all my posts :P
Oooohhhh coloured BMX tyres. Those WERE the days. I remember getting my first yellow tyres and yellow anodised handlebars and stem when I was 10. Saved up for ages. Ahhhh memories....
-- BrettS
With matching or suitably contrasting Tuffs or course. I wanted them but never managed to get a set until I was about 15 and a friend was getting rid of a pair. I was still happy, but most of the magic had gone by then.
Looks like fun. Probably faster than some of the reverse breaststrokers who were in my lane (see swimming pool rage.. http://formine.blogspot.com/)
Will have to get one of those massive three wheeler floating bikes in the pool for some water cycling. I wonder if they do those in carbon fibre these days??
