Fixing 1 thing on a bike is like going to Walmart for 1 item

[yoothgeye]

Some of you probably know what I'm talking about.

You go out to simple tighten your crank bearings on a bike and end up overhauling the whole thing. Has this happened to anyone else?

Today is my day off, so after I dropped my older 2 off at elementary school and my little one at preschool I went out to the shop to "quickly" fix my neighbor's bike so he could get out and about again (65 year old mentally handicapped, bike gets him out and about). It is a Sun cruiser, women's frame, single speed coaster brake. The rear wheel has about 8 broken spokes, so I was going to swap out for a wheel I have and take off the 44t sprocket and put something smaller on it so he won't struggle on the hills so much.

So I brought the bike beside the shop door and put down the kickstand and the bike fell to the other side. I had already cut an inch off the kickstand months ago because that was happening before, so a closer look at the bike revealed that the frame is bent, the seat tube bends forward right above the top tube. The neighbor has some weight on him, so the frame would just continue to fold... ugh...

Out to the bike hidey hole I go and grab an old Huffy U.S.A. Good Vibrations women's frame, I have a few men's frames, but he has short legs and makes full use of the "step through" frame.

So now I am in the middle of basically making another bike for him. Old blue Huffy frame, seatpost, and rear fender (braces were bent, so I bobbed it). Red fork, front wheel, stem, handlebars, saddle off of Sun cruiser. Crank from Sun, with 36t snowflake sprocket from a kid's bike. Rear heavy duty wheel with Bendix76. This will be a total rat, but it should be solid.

So much for just swapping the wheel and sprocket. :lol:

 

[slowriderz]

But your having fun aint ya :wink:

 

[gregoriole]

Good for you, pay it forward!

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I've run into a few bikes like that. Most times in the winter I will fix one thing on my personal bike and if it needs more I just grab another bike or bring it inside. In the summer I will tear it down and rebuild from scratch.

 

[silvertonguedevil]

My neighbor (insert older cougar) stopped by when I was out in the garage working on one of my bikes and she mentioned she would love to have an old cruiser for herself. I mentioned that I just happened to know where a clean, original bike was. So I went out and picked it up for her and then I offered to "clean it up" for her. Next thing I knew, it was blown completely apart and I was in the middle of a full-blown overhaul on the thing. Well, she ended up freaking out and loving it so much!! She was very appreciative of the work I'd done for her so it was all worth it! I had fun and I did something nice for someone at the same time.

My neighbor's all original '65 Schwinn Starlet II (after overhaul)

 

[dragnusa]

Its all worth it tho when a bike is such a big part of a persons life.

 

[largek9]

Hey Yoot you mentioned before that you didn't have a LBS in your area, looks like your the LBS!

It must be neighbor week, I came home the other day and my neighbor had his brand new Huffy Cranbrook and a new gas engine (Bikeberry whole nother story) spread out in his front yard. He's an older gentleman and made his living making dentures, but he has zero mechanical ability. I got the ole "Hi Tom !" :shock: So I installed my first bicycle engine. :roll:

 

[yoothgeye]

Hey Yoot you mentioned before that you didn't have a LBS in your area, looks like your the LBS!

For a lot of people I am.

OK, I finished the bike, but still, it ended up being more. Cleaned up the frame, installed the BB cups from his other bike, went to install his fork, steer tube was too short, so I went back to the bike hidey hole and grabbed another Huffy Good Vibrations (men's) and wheeled it around. Pulled the fork, cleaned the bearings (without my torch) and got it installed, but only after notching the drop outs, his front wheel had a larger diameter axle.

The first thing I had done this morning was take apart the Bendix76 coaster and I had that soaking. I came back to it last and cleaned all the inner parts, then greased everything good and reassembled. Then I pulled the tire and tube from his old wheel and put the rim strip on the "new" wheel as well. Then I went to put on the tire... disaster! This is one of those wacky Schwinn wheels! CRAP!

So I went into the shop and grabbed an old Murray with Shimano coaster, rusty but nice and smooth. Had to tighten all the spokes, then rim strip, then tire and tube. I was just bummed this didn't have the heavy gauge spokes. Oh well.

All throughout the day the neighbor would come around to check up on me.

Finally I took it off the stand and tightened everything up, it actually looks pretty nice, I took it for a quick spin. That 36/18 gearing is great! I did some slow stops and skids, brakes are good. Yanked the handlebars back and forth, all tight. Did a couple bunny hops, nothing folded, we're golden.

He was there watching, so I got him on it, moved the seat down a little for him and straightened out the front wheel in the drop outs a little and checked all the nuts again.

He got on and rode off just in time for my alarm to go off, time to pick the older kids up from school (the little one has been napping on the couch since we had lunch). I picked them up and went riding around before going home making sure he wasn't "broken down" somewhere, I finally spotted the bike, 15 blocks away parked in front of a local restaurant downtown... looks like he's back to making his rounds!

I didn't get any of "my" stuff done today, but it would be hard to say I wasted a day.

 

[dragnusa]

Not a wasted day at all, Sounds like you had a great day.

 

[yoothgeye]

I got to thinking about it as I was taking my daughter to her dance class. I started off thinking that I was going to put a wheel and sprocket on his bike, turns out I took one of my bikes and put on his handlebars, crank, front wheel, and seat. haha

 

[yoothgeye]

Rode by the house coming back from lunch and the neighbor is still out and about on his "new" bike.