Dithering over mending - advice?

Qualitymark · 24-09-2014 3:00pm #1

My bike's been doing this thing where I sit there spinning the pedals without engaging for a few spins first thing when i go out, then it engages; sometimes happens more than once. Asked on here and people confirmed my suspicion that the chain's oil might be a bit gungy and the chain and sprockets need cleaning.

Brought it in to my friendly local bike shop, and they shook their head and said the chain and sprockets were quite worn and it would be best to replace chain, all the back gear wheels and all the front gear wheels. I asked how much this would be: around €100 to €150.

Hmm, I said; how much would it be to replace the gears with a hub gear. Around €200 to €250, they said.

Hmm. A new-to-me bike would probably be €100. This is a nice bike - a 1980s or 1990s Dawes, 501 tubing, double-butted, etc. However, these costs sound a little rich. Hmm…?

Nekarsulm · 24-09-2014 3:52pm

Not sure how friendly your local shop really is............
Nothing to do with wear on the chain, nor the sprockets. Sounds like your free-wheel mechanism either needs cleaning and oiling, or replacing.

For an 80's Dawes bike, why not just look for a complete replacement back wheel, from an older bike shop?
Modern, newly opened shops just don't have this kind of stuff lying around.

Wishbone Ash · 24-09-2014 4:14pm

I agree - if it not engaging occasionally it's a sign the freewheel in the hub is on the way out.

07Lapierre · 24-09-2014 4:17pm

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Not sure how friendly your local shop really is............
Nothing to do with wear on the chain, nor the sprockets. Sounds like your free-wheel mechanism either needs cleaning and oiling, or replacing.

For an 80's Dawes bike, why not just look for a complete replacement back wheel, from an older bike shop?
Modern, newly opened shops just don't have this kind of stuff lying around.

I'm not so sure. the bike could have a screw-on type freewheel, which is not as easy to service as modern bikes.
Have a look here : http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

If the sprockets are worn and the freewheel is faulty, the bike may well need a new rear "Block" (Traditional threaded freewheel unit), New chain and possibly a new chainset.

Nekarsulm · 24-09-2014 4:23pm

What size rim is on your bike, and probably a five speed rear gear cluster? Am going to pick up my "new" bike tonight, and the lad ( looks like Fred Dibnah) Has a pile of wheels about three feet high in the corner. He was starting to work on a High Nellie when I called.

sconhome · 24-09-2014 4:23pm

My hub went on me this year. I had just pushed off from a junction and ended up nutting myself in the middle of the road after spinning like a loon wondering why the bike wouldn't work.

Bought an ex-display rear wheel and had my cassette and tyre changed over for the sum of €75 in my LBS. Saved the hassle and cost of replacing the hub and my cassette was cleaned properly at the same time too!

Qualitymark · 24-09-2014 5:23pm

I don't feel in my gut that this is to do with the freewheel. It only happens after the bike's been standing there overnight, and my feeling is that it's more to do with the glueyness of the oil. After years of allowing it to rust happily, I took to indulging it with large doses of WD40 recently, which made it cycle more easily and less like cycling a Percheron plough horse, but obviously wasn't a good idea.

My friendly local bike shop guy got out a little measuring rod thingy and measured the links on the chain and tutted.

It was more the *range* of the prices that made me a bit nervy; €50 each way is a lot of play, to my mind.

sconhome · 24-09-2014 6:19pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

My friendly local bike shop guy got out a little measuring rod thingy and measured the links on the chain and tutted.

It was more the *range* of the prices that made me a bit nervy; €50 each way is a lot of play, to my mind.

The spinning is definitely the freehub. Gunge in there blocking it from engaging. WD40 is not a lubricant, it displaces water which leads to the gunk getting gunkier.

The chain may also be stretched which is what the linkage tool is checking. If the chain is worn or badly stretched you could be damaging cog teeth which should be resulting in a clicking or grinding noise as the chain engages on the teeth.

As baz said, trust us on the freehub, it'll save your nuts :eek:

Qualitymark · 24-09-2014 6:59pm

Hm, that sounds freehubbish all right.

No clicks or grinds.

The wheels seem to be around 26".

cdaly_ · 25-09-2014 12:59pm

Is it a freehub or freewheel? If it's a freewheel, you might free it up thus:

Lay bike on side so rear wheel can spin freely
Spin rear wheel and spray TD40 liberally into the space where the sprockets spin and the core of the freewheel does not.
Keep spinning the wheel and spraying until you get a lot of rusty WD40 dripping out through the wheel and the freewheel noise gets clearer.
Keep spinning the wheel and start dripping/drizzling light (3-in-1) oil into the same space until the freewheel quiets down

That should be enough to get a freewheel back in action. If that fails, replace the freewheel block.

Qualitymark · 25-09-2014 2:00pm

cdaly_ wrote: »

Is it a freehub or freewheel?

No idea. Only symptom is that when I get on the bike for the first time on any given day my pedals go around and around a couple of times before engaging, and if I backpedal the chain goes loopy and slack. And the gear cable is kind of loose.

sconhome · 25-09-2014 2:20pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

No idea. Only symptom is that when I get on the bike for the first time on any given day my pedals go around and around a couple of times before engaging, and if I backpedal the chain goes loopy and slack. And the gear cable is kind of loose.

http://radwagon.blogspot.ie/2013/10/freehub-maintenance.html

07Lapierre · 25-09-2014 2:30pm

Qualitymark wrote: »

No idea.

Until you have an idea what type of free hub u have, any advise given may or may not be correct. Take the rear wheel off the bike and take a few photos of the rear sprockets.. Post the photos here.

Qualitymark · 25-09-2014 2:34pm

AKW wrote: »

http://radwagon.blogspot.ie/2013/10/freehub-maintenance.html

Thanks. Freehub so. I'll have to think about this. I may just start looking around for decent secondhand bikes that would actually suit me.

Dithering over mending - advice?

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