Bicycle Question...?

[Danger Phoenix]

I have a DiamondBack Traverse, which is about 9 years old now. It has been a great bike, but now it needs a major service and repair:

- front tyre needs replacing
- chain needs replacing
- central sprokets and pedal shaft need replacing
- rear sprokets need replacing
- rear wheel is slightly wonky, but that can be left as it is

I am guessing that all this will cost around £160 including labour.

When I bought this bike, it cost around £250.

I went into Halfords this time last year, and asked them whether I would be better off buying a new bike for £160 or repairing this one, and they recommended the latter option. I was busy at the time, so I just did a minimal service on the bike for £25 and left it as it was... but now its time for a decision.

If anyone knows about bikes, it would be greatly appreciated if they could help me make an informed decision

 

[ZG002]

get the parts and do it yourself

bikes are silly easy to work on mate

ive built many many bikes in my time..

will save you quite abit.. nothing you mentioned there even seems that hard to be honest...

Back wheel is 10 mins of your time and a £5 spoke tool.. simple.. chain is 20 mins of your time.. if that..

 

[jon.bda]

I'd budget a little more than your £160 labour but get a new one. As is the same with everything, your cash will get you a lot more now than it did 9 years ago...

 

[MuvverRussia]

Front tyre- £10-20 tops
Chain- depends on the groupset etc you're running. Under £20 though.
Chainset- hmm, £50 or so really I reckon for a half decent one. Cheap one would be less.
Rear freehub- £20-30 or so. Depends if its a freewheel or freehub though, freehub = you can replace sprockets individually, freewheel = lot needs doing.
Pedal shaft- you mean bottom bracket. Thats about £20 or so.

The main cost of this lot really would be having to buy the kit to replace the parts, e.g. a chain splitter, bottom bracket removal tool (although it might be a cup and cone, in which case you'll need cup and cone spanners) etc. Speak to a local bike shop, not a halfords. Also in future measure your chain- each link should be 1" or so iirc, so 12 links = 1'. More than this and its stretched- replace it. Chains are cheaper to replace than entire drivetrains.

Check out www.evanscycles.co.uk for parts/tools etc.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

I don't really know much about bicycles, so I wouldn't know what to order, or how to fit them... so doing it myself really isn't an option.

Are DiamondBack really that good, for the people at Halfords to say Im better off repairing it, than spending that money on a new bike.

Sorry, the £160 quote wasn't from Halfords, but from Pitfield Cycles (a local cycle place in New Malden)

 

[Danger Phoenix]

If I get a new bike, I would prefer it to be under £200, so any ideas on a good bike for that price? It doesn't have to be brilliant or anything, because its mainly going to be for road cycling, and a bit of off roading wandering in Richmond Park.

 

[Jonny ///M]

I would repair it with decent quality parts. Deore chainset and octalink BB and that.

Halfords prices seem bad but if you think you can do it yourself you might aswell try.Ask the guys ,be it halfords or local bike shop, how you would use the tools or whatever.

Your chain should measure 12 links = 1ft 1/8th of an inch over and its well worn.

For 60 quid a guy got a new back wheel(a cheapo 25 quid one),new front mech,new cables througout ,new pads and a good checkover by myself...actually i forgot to add the front mech to the form Gave the wheels a straighten with my spoke key to stop them rubbing on the pads.

I would say do it yourself mate. Only way your learn to take care of your bike and work on it when it goes wrong,also means you've got the tools if you ever upgrade again.The only thing i can see being hard is if the current bottom bracket is an old cup and cone. You can whack the lockring off with a screwdriver and get the non drive side cup out with molegrips and depening on the style an adjustable spanner takes the driveside out. Saves buying tools your not gonna use again.

Grease EVERYTHING if you do it yourself.(3ft long bar to take the BB out today)

 

[Danger Phoenix]

I really don't think I can do it myself

The back wheel is too wonky to fix by tightening the spokes, so the brake pads have to be kept further apart, making them not as sharp as the front ones.

The chain has been stretched, and I have been told I will need a new one. All the cogs are also worn down, so much that the chain often skips.

Bearing in mind I can't do the repair myself... is it advisable getting a new £200 bike, or spending £160 repairing this one?

 

[Jonny ///M]

I really don't think I can do it myself

The back wheel is too wonky to fix by tightening the spokes, so the brake pads have to be kept further apart, making them not as sharp as the front ones.

The chain has been stretched, and I have been told I will need a new one. All the cogs are also worn down, so much that the chain often skips.

Bearing in mind I can't do the repair myself... is it advisable getting a new £200 bike, or spending £160 repairing this one?

Um got any pics of the rest of the bike?

A new bike at 200 will be **** usually......actually. Halfords have Gt aggressor 3 in a 18" and 20" which is basically a 20" and 22" frame for 180 quid. Thats a fairly decent bike for that money.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

Um got any pics of the rest of the bike?

A new bike at 200 will be **** usually......actually. Halfords have Gt aggressor 3 in a 18" and 20" which is basically a 20" and 22" frame for 180 quid. Thats a fairly decent bike for that money.

Ill take some pictures and post them tomorrow

Well, my DiamondBack Traverse wasn't anything amazing, and I spent £250 on that... so I am assuming I can get something similar if not better for £200?

 

[Jonny69]

I really don't think I can do it myself

Dude, just get the parts and bring it round to my garage and I'll do it for you. You can buy me a beer afterwards. I'm in Beckenham. Alternatively bring the bike round, we can buy the bits at the bike shop across the road, have a laugh fitting them and then go grab a beer at the pub. Seriously!

It's all easy stuff and I've got the tools you need. Chain is like £15 and a tyre is cheap. Pedal stuff usually has adjustment, don't fret.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

Dude, just get the parts and bring it round to my garage and I'll do it for you. You can buy me a beer afterwards. I'm in Beckenham. Alternatively bring the bike round, we can buy the bits at the bike shop across the road, have a laugh fitting them and then go grab a beer at the pub. Seriously!

It's all easy stuff and I've got the tools you need. Chain is like £15 and a tyre is cheap. Pedal stuff usually has adjustment, don't fret.

Thats nice of you May take you up on that offer

Apparently, the bottom bracket and the rear freewheel needs replacing too


In the short term, its cheaper to fix up this bike, but the frame on this bike is very very heavy... so overall if I spent £200 on a new bike, it can't be worse than my current one can it?

I just can't work out whether its worth while fixing this one up or not

 

[ZG002]

get the price of the parts..

then decide.. the frame on newer bike (at £200) aint gonna be all that much lighter.. if ya want a new one go get one lol.. ya seem to be turning that way at every post

 

[Danger Phoenix]

get the price of the parts..

then decide.. the frame on newer bike (at £200) aint gonna be all that much lighter.. if ya want a new one go get one lol.. ya seem to be turning that way at every post

Hmm... I had thought about getting a new one... but if its worth while repairing it then I may do that. From the prices people have said, I can imagine spending about £100 on parts alone... so in that sense, its definitely worth it.

My bike hasn't got any sort of suspension either... so it would be nice to have that too... which was another reason I was leaning towards another bike... but then again, I will be taking my driving test soon, and will have my Mums car to drive... so I won't need the bike as much...

Decisions... decisions

 

[Jonny ///M]

Basically the more you spend on a bike to start with the longer it will last before parts need replaced.Sadly,to get this its about £500 on a hardtail thats about the going rate.

Hows about doing the parts on this bike........seems pretty much the whole drivetrain,so uprgrade to a modern standard then when you cant hack the frame much more buy a frame/fork combo and some nice light wheels. The £60 ones from halfords i thought would be dire are actually still true after the way i **** my brothers stinky around.

Second hand parts are fine aswell if you know what to look for. If you went 9spd for instance,i have a like used for a week 06 deore rear mech in black with the matching 9spd shifter which i would sell for whatever the going rate was.......

 

[Jonny69]

Thats nice of you May take you up on that offer

Apparently, the bottom bracket and the rear freewheel needs replacing too


In the short term, its cheaper to fix up this bike, but the frame on this bike is very very heavy... so overall if I spent £200 on a new bike, it can't be worse than my current one can it?

I just can't work out whether its worth while fixing this one up or not

Yeah no probs come over sometime next week if you want, email/msn is in trust. I'm just round the corner from the cinema

Seriously though, unless the crank is bent or the bearings are completely shagged I can't see any reason why they would need replacing, chain probably needs tightening and a good grease (I've got grease and spare chain) and the rear wheel will be about £25-50 if it's buckled.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

Yeah no probs come over sometime next week if you want, email/msn is in trust. I'm just round the corner from the cinema

Seriously though, unless the crank is bent or the bearings are completely shagged I can't see any reason why they would need replacing, chain probably needs tightening and a good grease (I've got grease and spare chain) and the rear wheel will be about £25-50 if it's buckled.

The part that attaches the pedals to the middle is messed up - the pedals are really loose and it can't be tightened up - when I had it looked at last year, I was told it needed replacing. At the moment, I have to tighten the pedals every time I go out, because they may drop off :s

 

[Jonny ///M]

Just priced full deore drivetrain......with LX cassette and bottom bracket,maxxis front tyre........sram 9spd chain and it came to £180.

Its just the fact the bike will be old,so say........to go modern 9 spd you would need new wheels since freehubs are rare as rockin horse **** in 8spd never mind 9spd.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

Just priced full deore drivetrain......with LX cassette and bottom bracket,maxxis front tyre........sram 9spd chain and it came to £180.

Its just the fact the bike will be old,so say........to go modern 9 spd you would need new wheels since freehubs are rare as rockin horse **** in 8spd never mind 9spd.

£180 Thats a little bit more than what I was expecting to spend on repairing this bike

The gears are 3 x 7 as far as I remember...

(you may want to star out that s word - I don't think its allowed)

 

[Jonny69]

It might just need a bit of heat and a tap in the right place with a hammer. Is it really worth buying a whole new top-end of the market drivetrain?