snipe2k5

Hi! I'm new here. I recently bought a 63cm Nishiki modulus off craigslist for $140. It has exage brakes and shimano 300ex components. I love it! But the whole bike is pretty worn down. By the way, is it very difficult to straighten out or replace rims? I sort of seems like both my tires don't rotate 360 degrees in one perfect straight line (looking at the brakes while in motion). Oh yeah, and they're Araya rims, they might have been a replacement?

I've heard of Ultegra shifters and they sound interesting. I looked them up and they seem to be 10 speed only? My bike is 12 speed.

Basically.. I don't know much about bikes (this is my first road bike!). But I am more than willing to learn and experiment perhaps upgrading the bike myself. I have access to a wealth of tools and such. It would be ideal if someone can give me some links to exactly what products I can order to upgrade my bike. Thanks!

Oh and here's a picture!

mortenfyhn

The rims can be straightened ('trued' in bicycle lingo). It's a bit of work, and requires some special tools. You'll have to find out whether to go at it yourself or just take it to the shop. Look up https://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html and https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/.

Unless the shifters or derailers on the bike are dysfunctional, don't worry about new ones. The twelve speeds on your bike is the number of possible gears, while the ten speed shifter refers to the number of cogs on the cassette (the stack of cogs on the rear wheel). Thus the 'ten speed' actually has twenty or thirty speeds, depending on the number of chainrings in front.

I would begin by cleaning and adjusting stuff. The tyres, cables, cable housing, chain and cogs may be worn out and need replacing, but make sure that is actually the case before buying anything. Take things apart to some extent to clean them properly, but if you're unfamiliar, make sure to take a lot of photos during the taking-apart, and use them to put it back together properly.

The plastic (?) pedals might be worth upgrading to decent metal ones, though.

wrk101

I would not put modern shifters on that bike. Modern shifters are a very expensive installation, and it would be cheaper to just buy a bike with modern shifters if that is what you are looking for. Note that I just installed modern shifters on three vintage bikes this week, but I had all the parts on hand (wheels, derailleurs, shifters, cable stops, cables, housings), so it was not too costly.

+1 Try to true the rims first. Most shops can true them for you for a reasonable charge (ask first). Do the basic service: bearings, grease, cables, and ride it for a while.

snipe2k5

Hmm, well, if it really isn't worth upgrading the shifters I'll leave em at that. The ones I have do their job well and accurately enough to me.

So, is my bike worth keeping and spending a little time to fix it up? Or am I better off selling it (I have an offer for $130 right now) and buying an even better one?

As for the 'basic' service - bearings, grease, cables... They seem simple but if someone could point me to a guide of some kind to address those issues, that would be great. I think my brakes could use readjusting (again, don't know how but would like to learn)


edit: My local cycle shop charges $15 to true each wheel.

skilsaw

If the hike is a good size (fit) for you, it is a great bike to learn about maintenance. My estimate is that you should be between 6 feet and 6 feet 4 inches tall to fit a 63 cm bike. You will find a good explanation of bike fit on Google.

Truing a wheel is a bit of an art. Take the bike to a local bike shop and ask what it costs. If its reasonable, get it done there.

Buy a bottle of chain lube (oil) and start riding.
Enjoy.

Monster Pete

If you can get on ok with downtube shifters and they work, it's not worth changing them. You may be able to find a clamp-on bracket to mount them on the stem if you'd prefer.

I would certainly spend a bit of time tuning up the bike. $15 to true each wheel sounds reasonable if you're not sure what you're doing. Brakes, bearings and cables aren't too difficult. Try Sheldon Brown's bicycle pages or the repair guides on the park tools website for some useful information.

snipe2k5

Yeah, I googled bike fit charts before I bought it. I like to be an informed buyer whenever possible. So does $30 sound reasonable to true both wheels? And I already paid 'em $10 install the new chain, so I'm guessing it's good on lube for now. Great mechanics though, they know their bikes for sure.

How do these look? My friend recommended them to me, I don't know exactly what they are. Do they let me modify my downtube shifters to the handlebar or something? They're kinda pricy but maybe worth it in the far future.

I'll check out Mr. Brown's page for that info, thanks

Monster Pete

The brake/shifters you linked to are a useful way to change gear without taking your hands off. Pushing the lever sideways will change one way, a small lever changes the other way. Unfortunately I don't think you can get them in 6-speed, and the cable pull is different for 9-speed so these won't work. The closest you'll be able to use are stem shifters or mountain bike-style thumb shifters if they're compatible with your handlebar diameter.

snipe2k5

Do you know where I could get replacement rubber hoods for the part just behind the brakes? The ones I have were ugly and super old/decayed. I just snipped them off...

snipe2k5

Sorry for bumping again so soon, but I also had another question. I was planning my first long-distance ride from San Francisco to San Diego. I'm worried about messing up the bike when I hit bumps coming back. Can my old nishiki take a little abuse on a 500 mile journey?

dabac

From the bike's perspective there's little-to-none difference between doing 3 miles daily for half a year, or doing 50 miles daily for 10 days. If you think it's OK for regular, short rides, then it'd be OK for the single, longer ride as well. That stretch will be fairly well populated too, so getting a ride into the nearest town in case of a breakdown shouldn't be too bad.

I'm curious what you intend to do for gear/luggage. Will this be credit card touring, or are you planning to carry more stuff?

snipe2k5

cool, that gives me a little more confidence. I don't think I'll have a problem either besides maybe a flat.

As for luggage, I really wanted to experience the ride without being weighed down by tons of luggage. I figured I'd take a backpack with water bottles, small tools, and very light provisions.

dabac

If you're planning on the road, I'd suggest looking at a rack / pannier instead of a backpack. Not having to have a constant sweat puddle on your back is a bonus to your riding comfort. For trail(out-of-saddle) riding a back pack can be preferable, as it'll make the bike feel more nimble. But for road I'd prefer the comfort of a ventilated back.