They brought me a bike that the nephew's family uses to go to the market and back. They live way out in the province. I was asked to tune it up. What showed up was way past roadworthy, yet they were still riding it.
The front hub was broken, allowing the wheel to flop back and forth.
A nub was all that was left of one pedal. Gears were frozen in one gear, no surprise there. No brakes at all. Hasn't had them for years. Broken seat to boot. Rusty spokes but the tires held air.
I remember wearing out bikes as a kid and having just a spindle for a pedal. It hurt when your foot slipped off and it dug into your leg, but you kept riding anyway.
My plans are to make a tough reliable bike that will get ridden many miles with no maintenance. I have a 26 x 2.125 wheelset I haven't had a bike for, it's a cheap Chinese coaster brake single speed hub. But should last a long time since I greased it and adjusted the cones. That takes care of the brake problem too. Both rims are alloy, cheap but won't rust along with stainless spokes laced 3 cross. The front has a rear hub and may need to have that changed out for a front hub. New cheap knobbies I've had for a year or so will last awhile.
So far I haven't bought anything for it. I'll have good reason to replenish my parts afterward. Only with good parts if I can get them.
I plan to give it a quick paint job, white with red splashes so it goes along with the colors it is now.
The front hub was broken, allowing the wheel to flop back and forth.
A nub was all that was left of one pedal. Gears were frozen in one gear, no surprise there. No brakes at all. Hasn't had them for years. Broken seat to boot. Rusty spokes but the tires held air.
I remember wearing out bikes as a kid and having just a spindle for a pedal. It hurt when your foot slipped off and it dug into your leg, but you kept riding anyway.
My plans are to make a tough reliable bike that will get ridden many miles with no maintenance. I have a 26 x 2.125 wheelset I haven't had a bike for, it's a cheap Chinese coaster brake single speed hub. But should last a long time since I greased it and adjusted the cones. That takes care of the brake problem too. Both rims are alloy, cheap but won't rust along with stainless spokes laced 3 cross. The front has a rear hub and may need to have that changed out for a front hub. New cheap knobbies I've had for a year or so will last awhile.
So far I haven't bought anything for it. I'll have good reason to replenish my parts afterward. Only with good parts if I can get them.
I plan to give it a quick paint job, white with red splashes so it goes along with the colors it is now.