New Bike upgrade over carrera subway hybrid

shankly1985

shankly1985

shankly1985

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Joined
25 Nov 2011
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The KOP
Hello loved this bike but I haven't really looked after it very well rust and poor maintenance has made it feel quite horrible to ride now :(
Instead of buying new parts etc I would like to upgrade to a better bike and look after it this time.

Budget £300-£400

Thanks
 
Interested in a road bike at all? They can be a lot faster than hybrids, or more efficient at the same speed, and more comfortable over longer distances, and just generally a lot more versatile if you decided you wanted to do more riding for leisure. I ask mainly because, in my opinion, that's the only way you're going to get a noticeable difference compared to fixing up your current bike, which probably wouldn't need that much work.
 
PermaBanned said:
Interested in a road bike at all? They can be a lot faster than hybrids, or more efficient at the same speed, and more comfortable over longer distances, and just generally a lot more versatile if you decided you wanted to do more riding for leisure. I ask mainly because, in my opinion, that's the only way you're going to get a noticeable difference compared to fixing up your current bike, which probably wouldn't need that much work.
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Am not sure tbh I don't ride much on road the route I use for work is on bike paths some new some old paving slabs.
 
Road bike would handle those no problem, only things I can think of that might cause trouble are muddy fields and large gravel roads. It's probably best to try one first, they take a little bit of getting used to but after the first ride the benefits are pretty abundant. I'd maybe try to find a local bike shop that would let you test ride one first, and that way you can be reasonably sure you're getting the right size too. But for reference, for £300-400 these days if you're lucky you can get an alu frame, carbon forks and Shimano Claris/Sora eg.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/284978/products/2015-giant-defy-4-road-bike-white-black.aspx (only a few sizes left)
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...oardman-road-sport-limited-edition-2014-black (same)
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-technique-claris-2016/
 
If you ride off-road and fancy something a bit different, grab a Voodoo Wazoo fat bike from Halfords, the 20" frame model is reduced to ~£404 at the mo (~£450 for the 18"). I've had an 18" version for two weeks, loving it and it is ~13.5Kg (not 16.5Kg as per spec quoted weight)!
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-wazoo-fat-bike

If you fancy something more conventional, for a bit of everything (not too extreme off-road), the Voodoo Marassa isn't bad at all for ~£315 at the mo.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/classic-bikes/voodoo-marasa-hybrid-bike

But for ~£530, the Voodoo Bizango is a cracking buy for off-roading, it has won awards for the last few years.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-29er-mountain-bike
 
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I have chosen to see how well I can fix this bike up after all I need to learn.. First step is a full clean down and see if that helps with the chain clicking..

All fails I like the look of the Voodoo Marassa at £315
 
To be honest it won't hurt to get used to doing maintenance on an old bike before buying a new one anyway. I did the same with my old hybrid that I left abandoned in the garage after a winter of abuse. I got to grips with maintenance on that before buying a new road bike and the hybrid that I though had pretty much had it now has another 500 or so miles on it and I'm keeping it for a bit longer!

TBH that Voodoo looks a better buy than the one I posted, a lot less yellow too :p
 
shankly1985 said:
I have chosen to see how well I can fix this bike up after all I need to learn.. First step is a full clean down and see if that helps with the chain clicking..

All fails I like the look of the Voodoo Marassa at £315
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Probably a good idea. Honestly it doesn't take much to bring a bike back to how it was when it left the shop, and they're all skills worth learning. I'd suggest:

  • Check condition of brake and gear cables, replace as needed.
  • Adjust limits and indexing on both front and rear mechs.
  • Check brake pads, replace as needed.
  • Check wear/rust on chain and casette, replace if needed or otherwise deep clean with degreaser and lube.
  • Check condition of tyres, consider upgrading or changing widths to suit your needs.
  • Check wheels are still vaguely in true, if they're not, take them to a local bike shop and they should do them for £10-15 per wheel.

Even if everything needs replacing I doubt you're looking at more than about £80. These articles helped a lot when I first learned how to adjust mechs:

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment

 
Bike all nice and clean and happy to report the clicking seems to have stopped.. but I cant gear down into my highest gear :( all other gears work just the lowest little one doesn't.

I also made a mistake on the choice off chain wax I think I used WD40 Chain Wax and its a white sticky stuff didnt know till I sprayed on :(
So I thinking cleaning chain again next weekend and use something else for chain? any tips for keeping chain well lubed.

Thanks
 
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shankly1985 said:
Bike all nice and clean and happy to report the clicking seems to have stopped.. but I cant gear down into my highest gear :( all other gears work just the lowest little one doesn't.

I also made a mistake on the choice off chain wax I think I used WD40 Chain Wax and its a white sticky stuff didnt know till I sprayed on :(
So I thinking cleaning chain again next weekend and use something else for chain? any tips for keeping chain well lubed.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Probably just need a little few turns on the barrel adjuster to get it to shift over, are all the other gears indexed?

And I use http://www.wiggle.co.uk/muc-off-wet-lube-50ml/ does a really good job! :)
 
You may need to check the limit screws on the derailleur to see if they allow the derailleur to physically move over far enough, can you pull it far enough by hand to move it over the smallest cog or is it stopped by the screw touching the body of the derailleur?

Chain lube is often preference and in accordance with the conditions you ride in, might be worth reading online about wet lube, dry lube, waxy ones and solvent ones (the solvent evaporates leaving the actual lube behind on the chain).
 
Managed to fix the changing gears but tonight riding home when i changed down a gear it stuck I had to gear up and then down again for it to change. happened only once

But I now easy change into last gear lol

Cleaning my bike and adjusting my seat hight has made my bike feel so much better. That GCN youtube channel is great has everything for a noob like myself to dig into.
 
It can make a huge difference. Some bits of my hybrid are red rusty from the neglect that I gave it but now I've got all the mechanical bits sorted it is a joy to ride.

As for the thick chain lube it isn't necessarily a problem. Just remember that less is more when it comes to chain lube as it attracts crud. Apply it then basically wipe off as much as you can with a rag, whatever is left on the chain is probably still too much :p
 
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