[Closed] Fixing a bike for a friend of a friend

Rear brake not working, bearing on one wheel needing replacement, headset loose and forks on the wrong way round, oh and at least one ferrule missing, meaning you will inject your finger with rusty water with the frayed end of a cable.

Forks on backwards

Itl be a trax.

Just remember anything which stops working on it for the next three or four years will be your fault, "that bit was fine before you looked at it"

Have you asked over on publicliabilityinsurancetrackworld?

Just remember anything which stops working on it for the next three or four years will be your fault, “that bit was fine before you looked at it”

And that includes punctures.

Whole drivetrain worn, buckled wheels, snapped spokes.

cracked frame, rusted cotter pins, shot bb....

It's a trap!

I'm sure there's an opportunity here for a BSO Bingo card 🙂

I have found one issue!

Its not a bso tho - norco threshold
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Has an end cap on cable, that's more than my bike has 👍

Well those are some nice smooth jockey wheels.

Realistically if its in that state it will need, new jockey wheels, new chain , new cassette and new chainrings

If the wheels are cup and cone they will be needing some attention too, although must likely they are already trashed.

I take in bikes to repair all the time from friends, colleagues and neighbours but I'm realistic about what I can and can't "fix" versus me just replacing stuff.

Look at that, either 10minutes and a bit of adjustment and a bit of chain lube and it will be ok.

Or (more than likely) its going to be a can of worms and you'll be regretting offering your service

I'm going for 8 faults

Looks like some putoline will fix that

Ugh. Abandon ship. We used to help friends of friends out but with the best will in the world once you've brayed your umpteenth seized-on tapered crank off yet another ****ed unsealed BB only be met with cries of 'How much??!!!?? It's only a bike!" when you give them the receipt for the cheapest replacement parts available from your very handy (like, round the corner handy) LBS (now closed 😢 ) while they ****ing [i]waited[/i] as you popped round for parts so you can try and undo the years of neglect you kind of lose the will to continue helping.

See also: Parents who've bought their kid a BSO and want you to 'fix' it on Boxing Day.

I have to oil the chain every year?

Pie dish looks in good order though.

I have to oil the chain every [i]year[/i]?

Oh man, so much this 🤣

Its brilliant isn't it. 5 seized links. I have freed off all the seized links and now its in the putoline - lets see how magic it is! Surprisingly its only just over 1% on the chainchecker and the rest of the drivetrain looks OKish so a freed up chain might just get her moving again -

I am going to a have a little sympathy for her - nurse, single mum, just moved house and commutes 6 miles each way on it 5 days a week and has done thru all the snow and salt

I think I will give her a bottle of chain lube!

Great idea - creates a good impression and does not discourage her from cycling ;o)

commutes 6 miles each way on it 5 days a week

Good on her! And you for sorting the rust er I mean bike 🙂

Is there a material softer than the alloy they use on the fittings and nuts on crap vbrake arms?

She also uses a trailer with it to get her shopping

the bike had a £200 service at a shop less than 2 months ago apparantly. I just think the salt has done for it

working oil into the chain and then putolining it has improved it in that I can now get all links to move but still some stiff ones. What else might free it off? White spirit? ( just thinking of what I have to hand)

Looks like some putoline will fix that

🙂

the bike had a £200 service at a shop less than 2 months ago apparantly.

With the jockey wheels like that.......

Jockey wheels are not as bad as that pic makes them look

Coca cola to derust the chain? IIRC its got phosphoric acid in it which might do something?

I have found one issue!

Just the one...?

Seriously, though, top marks for her sustainable transport ethic - and to you, for helping out.

Jockey wheels are not as bad as that pic makes them look

How many speeds? I'd be tempted to chuck a new KMC EPT chain on.

What does a £200 service at a bike shop get you these days? Genuine question - that is a decent chunk of money.

^^^ You would assume a £200 service involved some new bits, like the chain and cassette.

+1 for how many speeds? I've got a new KMC X10 here you can have*.

* guilt for taking the pee. See: Nurse, single parent, commutes & shops on it etc...

My Dad once did the classic "oh my son is a keen cyclist, I'm sure he'd be happy to help with that" to a friend of his and next thing he had me building up some horrific BSO on the living room floor.

His friend had bought it from a catalogue, £79.99 for a pile of heavy pressed steel parts in a cardboard box and when told by the bike shop that it would be £100 to build it had obviously thought "what a rip off".

Hateful experience.

10 speed
the chain is over 1% on the chainchecker so I doubt a new chain would work

I have no idea what she got for the service.

Edit - she will have done the best part of 1000 miles since on salty roads

kayla - no need for the guilt. Its well worth ripping the piss! Thanks tho

A lighter wallet and not much else by the looks of things, what a urine extracting service!

damn, I'll have to put the pitchfork away.
Well done you. Could you take it up as a part time offering up at the hospital ? 🙂

Once word gets around, you might as well.

I'd put a new chain on that.

Don't use coke(acola) to de-rust, I did once and the rust expanded and split numerous side plates.

I think she got a new set of winter studded tyres included in that £200 and i can find nothing else needing touched on the bike - brand new looking disc pads properly set up, all bearings fine, indexing spot on

Oh dear - its in the coke bath now!

uwe-r
Free Member
I’d put a new chain on that.

Then no doubt it'll skip on the worn (out) cassette... 🙄

Then no doubt it’ll skip on the worn (out) cassette…

I think it would be fine - i'm guessing she isn't mashing up climbs putting out massive watts. New chain will wear into the old cassette after a wile and the whole thing will last longer than keeping the old rusty chain that will be wearing the cassette massively.

I'n not offering to pay for said chain though so there is that.

I think lots of people have had this experience.

I certainly have had it numerous times over the years... I always try to be helpful but sometimes the most helpful thing is to say "go buy a new bike for £300 from Halfords".

I always say I'll take a look but don't guarantee being able to fix anything as some of the cheap shite that people buy from the likes of Argos is a complete nightmare to work on even if you can get parts.

I have got it running OK. still a we bit sticky on one link but it runs without skipping just the odd click over the jockey wheels

I think that will do her for now

Time for her second bike to now come out of the shed before you think it's home time. 😆

I think lots of people have had this experience.

My last one was a reasonable (but weighed 50lb+ or so it felt) Voodoo full suss. The pedals were a bit wobbly... the square taper BB had turned to dust.
Ah, I knew I'd kept those 3 1990s square taper XT BBs in my spares tub for a reason! Still running as smooth as when new, but none were the right size! Had to buy some cheap thing off ebay.

Its brilliant isn’t it. 5 seized links. I have freed off all the seized links and now its in the putoline – lets see how magic it is!

I've been astounded at how robust old 7-speed and 8-speed stuff is with steel chainrings and cassettes. I've sorted out some old commuter bikes that had been unridden for months or years with chains rusted solid. A good soaking in CRC, some brute force to free up the seized links, lube the cables, ride around the block, and they're sorted. A good coating of lube and they're good for a few more years of neglect.

This is why making friends is a bad idea though. Leading them to think that their friends are your friends is a catastrophic mistake. Next thing you know, you won't even be able to drink a beer down the pub without strangers wanting to make conversation.

Before and after pics?

commutes 6 miles each way on it 5 days a week

she must be as fit as they come, commuting 6 miles with a seized chain. Well impressive.

The only difference with the after pic would be the chain is now black not orange!

I’ve sorted out some old commuter bikes that had been unridden for months or years with chains rusted solid.

I'm dreading when my daughter heads back to uni as her bike has been locked up outside these last few months. I can see one of our old saucepans getting repurposed

This so reminds me my experience years ago. Bloke I worked with said " I've just bought a new bike could you just take a look before I ride it please"
I resisted for ages but he kept on " You only live round the corner, I'll make it worth your while 🤔"
Took about 1 1/2 hours of turd polishing, of course no Allen bolts, he said it came with a spanner, how quickly do they fold in half 🙄
Eventually the catalogue special overwhelmed me, I'd made it as good as I could so I walked away. He called after me" I said I'd make it worth your while " produced a can of cider! 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 Not even decent cider at that, I could have thrown it at him! 😠

TJ- ok, thanks. Guilt assuaged!

That original picture looks rather like the boss' winter bike here. Every April I get handed it with the instruction make it work, it's usually around £50-£100 in trade cost parts and 3 hours labour to sort.

Apparently a rinse with the hose and then a good coating with bike-prep spray is too much like hard work after every ride!

I have got it running OK.

Good work TJ. Your halo must be shining bright.

I'm starting to think that a decent retirement plan is tinkering in the garage fixing bikes for the kids in the village. By then I hope my own kids will have learnt to fix their own bikes (and have left home).

Its happened again - another pal has asked me to look at her bike. Been in a shed for a "while" 🙂

TJ, post pics and an account of your findings!

Ian

Been in a shed for a “while” 🙂

That's Covid for you. Some people have really been isolating... 🙃

No pictures but it was a dreadful BSO complete with those plastic brake levers! 15 mins tho and its working as well as it every has - it ad been oiled before putting away so the chain was Ok - just needed to adjust the brakes and lube the cables

My next door neighbour just asked me to 'take a look' at his bike.

Perished tyres, rusted wheels, spokes and cables, wildly rocking bearings. I told him I thought it would cost as much to get it running as he paid for it, and it would take me days of work if I had to do it. I don't think he believed me.
Anyway, I pointed him in the direction of our local bike charity and recommended he donated this and bought a refurbished bike from them.

I’m dreading when my daughter heads back to uni as her bike has been locked up outside these last few months. I can see one of our old saucepans getting repurposed

It's been 8 months but I'm no closer to riding a saucepan..

I feel your pain.

I've been given 4 bikes to sell for charity at work (I was supposed to be trekking in Vietnam, but Covid obv said no) and tbh I'd rather just put up what I'll be able to sell them for myself, as they are heaps of shite.

Neighbour asked me to look at non indexing gears and she has a nice summer road bike so I said ok. Chain had no a spot of rust, mind you it was hard to see under the black greasy oily sludge. Eventually had whole drive set off trying to get back to metal. She wanted me to have a look at the other 4 bikes in the garage but I was suddenly busy.

Slightly off topic but this thread reminds me of a Facebook message I received from a friend a few years back. She wanted a bike "like yours" but was borderline shirty that she wasn't going to pay more than £200 for it, but could I find her one?

I politely explained that if I could find a Specialized Enduro for less than £200, I wouldn't have spent £1,500 on mine.