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Mountain bike help...


smithyandco

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Right... I have a 1987 Muddy Fox bike... Quite "retro"... it's the same age as me! :pancake:

 

This one isn't mine... it's the same bike though... just in better condition:

 

http://www.jameshurrell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/bike_03.jpg

 

Right I have just bought these in all black (not the nude and black): http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...tegoryId_228356

 

They are going on this weekend.

 

What I want to do is get this bike to be a sturdy, takes-pot-holes-like-a-dream road only bike.

I'm not changing it as:

1.) it shares my date of birth

2.) it's the only bike I've found that I fit perfectly on... Great for someone with bad knees (ie. me)

3.) it's mega, mega light... and with work could be the perfect bike.

 

My next set of tricks are going to be:

Wheels (both need replacing... some of the spokes are a little rusty)

Gear levers (one is broken the other is lame)

handle bar grips (need something comfy that doesn't slip of the bars)

lights... legal requirement rear will do (might just visit Poundland...) - I have a Catseye Halogen for the front.

Pedals (daily commuting pedals... current are very sharp metal Muddyfox pedals which hurt...)

 

Where I need help:

sourcing the above... I forget how many gears it has (I will get back to you on this).

Wheels need to be on a budget yet good and light. (Don't care about quick release). Have to be normal brake compatible and V-brake compatible.

Grips need to be good and long lasting... but none of this pro stuff. Basically it's all on a budget but I don't want crap.

 

My other problem... the middle gearing (forget what it's real name is) is wobbly... bearings I guess. Are these standard across the board? can they usually be replaced?

Just that the centre gearing is an oval cog which really helps in smoothing out the power from my legs and helps with uphill.

 

Also any other advice for someone commuting to work everyday on crap roads (2mile-ish downhill to work with 15% gradients... I'll be pushing it home to begin with)?

 

ps: thought about putting this in the mech section but then... this isn't car or Escort talk.

 

Pss. About the tyres... I have thought about taking them back for these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Michelin-Country-Roc...=item53df45c52e

 

Should I?

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My best advice is just to find something new that you are comfortable on. You will spend so much money on parts getting that back to a good state that it would be false economy, that's without thinking about the pobbibility of the bottom bracket being seized.

 

By the way, getting cheap and lightweight bike parts is pretty much impossible

Edited by Trig
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just get a modern lightweight bike that is comfy. A decent bike shop will let you sit on loads if you explain your situation. then once you've tried em all you decide which you like best, tell him you need to go see some more bikes in more shops...then buy the best bike you saw at the cheapest price, which may be a second hand one on ebay Edited by Craig855S
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False economy is not a problem... I owned an Escort once! :innocent:

 

I've already been around the bike shops, and not found anything that comes close to this...

The Muddy Fox is as smooth as a racer but as rugged as a mountain bike... Even the rear ratchet is silent (like it was when it came from factory)

 

Looking around I've found it's possible that if restored my bike could be worth something to a retro cycle collector... A fair amount more than most would think as a top end estimate.

 

What I didn't want was for people to say...

Buy these wheels for £400 each...

or these grips for £150,000

 

I want good value parts... but not Tesco Value parts... :thumb:

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