WANTING TO BUILD A " THRASHER "

[GoneGonzo]

I'd have to call myself a novice when it comes to bicycle mechanics. T\Keep that in mind when I express my ideas . I want to bild a Trasher Bike. One that I can take on downhill mtn trails . I do a lot of canoeing and occasssionally go alone. I plan on locking it to a tree and using is as a shuttle ride to get back to the car. Also , it's fun to just go banging around in the woods. I'd like this to be an econo build due to my layoff status so I'll be using parts on hand and used parts opposed to new ones.

I have an old Sears mtn bike . I think the model is a Free Spirit. The steel wheels and spokes are too rusty for any rough use so right away I'll have to replace them , ( aluminum perfered ). The gearing doesn't seem too low and the shifting is irregular as well . It takes a minute to completely complete a shift. Adjustment I suppose ? The derailiur is rusty as well which doesn't help any.

Am I asking too much form an old Sears bike ?

Here is the $1,000 question! What area should I start ?

Thx, Gonzo

 

[Ratfink1962]

Gonzo,
Cheapest route... You could always figure out what gear works the best, and then adjust it so that it stays in that one gear. probably not the best for mountain trails though.

Next cheapest route... Squirt those derailers down with some WD40 or PB blaster, lube the cables and go for it!

The rattier it looks, the less likely it would get taken. But I guess if it goes poof... it is a free spirit, you just cant keep a free spirit chained up :lol:

 

[66olds98]

If a sears free spirit is what I think it is, it is not going to be good "thrashin" downhill, you really do need a mtn bike. I think with any money you thought you were going to put towrds fixin the free spirit up with, should be put towards a real mtn bike. Do you have anybike shops in your area? Some bike shops have used bikes for pretty cheap. Just trying to give you some more options...

 

[deorman]

The gears on a Free Spirit bike will work, but the chain and der. need to work freely. PB Blaster should take care of that. For the price of decent wheels, you can probably pick up a whole bike, but if you can find another cheap heap in the trash or at a yard sale, newer mtb's stand a decent chance of having some lighter, stronger wheels that you can use. The upside is that Free Spirit bikes, though cheap, are fairly sturdy. If someone steals it,(they probably won't bother if it takes any effort. :mrgreen: ), or you crash it, or a bear tries to eat it :shock: :lol: , you haven't lost much. The down side is that anything you put into it that will actually improve it will end up costing as much or more as replacing the whole thing with something better. That is, of course, unless you score the stuff free or cheap through the aforementioned (forum approved :wink: ) trash/yard sale method.

p.s. 66olds98-if what you think it is, is a cheap, overweight, plain steel Murray, you are correct sir! :lol:

 

[66olds98]

p.s. 66olds98-if what you think it is, is a cheap, overweight, plain steel Murray, you are correct sir! :lol:

Thats exactly what i'm thinking. Bad geometry. I'm sure the head tube angle is very steep. so imagine going downhill. If this is what he is truly after, this bike will not be the best vehicle.

 

[johnny nightwolf]

As much as I hate to say this, your best bet might be to keep an eye on your local Craigslist for a used Walmart brand mountain bike. Something like a Next or Ozone or whatever. You can find them all day for under $40 in ridable condition or close to it. If all you're looking for is a cheap bike that you can beat up a little and not worry about it getting stolen, that's the way to go. Plus, even though they're cheap and badly made, they'll hold up okay to some light trail riding. My advice would be to go that route and use the money you save towards parts for your other bikes.

 

[Ratfink1962]

or a bear tries to eat it :shock: :lol:

Bears dont eat bikes... they RIDE them!

 

[GoneGonzo]

Hey cyclers,

I made an error . That bike is a Dynasty by Sears .

All good points however. Maybe I should brainstorm this a little more !

Gonzo

 

[Pinche]

I say turn it into a single speed and preferably a smaller gear since you said you'd be doing offroad riding. More straighter bars with maybe a crossbar and a trust bars that are more then just for looks if your using an older fork. Otherwise find a nice chromoly mtb fork. It's all about simplicity since it's just less stuff to worry about breaking or getting taken for a unwanted extended joyride by someone else. lol.