Newbie ride problem, not sure if it’s me or cheap bike.
12-23-17, 10:36 AM
#51
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Thread Starter
I want all of you to know that I really appreciate all the advice everybody has given me. I didn’t realize this thread would go on this far and just wanted a couple of questions answered.
First I couldn’t understand why my turning was so rough and now I know it is from the knobby tires and not my bad shoulder.
Second I thought I was having an issue with my cassette, but I now know that it was me riding in the wrong gear.
So I did get both my questions answered although it was the opposite of what I was thinking.
I started a previous thread explaining how this all came about.
I could have just bought a stationary bike, but I get so bored and depressed being stuck in the house.
First I couldn’t understand why my turning was so rough and now I know it is from the knobby tires and not my bad shoulder.
Second I thought I was having an issue with my cassette, but I now know that it was me riding in the wrong gear.
So I did get both my questions answered although it was the opposite of what I was thinking.
I started a previous thread explaining how this all came about. I could have just bought a stationary bike, but I get so bored and depressed being stuck in the house.
12-23-17, 04:30 PM
#52
Senior Member
Thread Starter
My next bike for this neighborhood, $60. 
Just kidding, but probably a good idea around here.
Just kidding, but probably a good idea around here.
12-28-17, 07:53 PM
#54
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01-04-18, 12:39 PM
#55
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AH!
Read the title and the first thing I thought was... For sure its your bike! Go buy another one, this time give the Visa a real workout!
One of the age old rules...
N+1
Read the title and the first thing I thought was... For sure its your bike! Go buy another one, this time give the Visa a real workout!
One of the age old rules...
N+1
06-08-19, 08:27 AM
#56
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So @JohnnyB65, what's the scoop?
I ran up on this one today and re-read it. Now at the 18 month or thereabouts later mark I'm curious to know the outcome.
I ran up on this one today and re-read it. Now at the 18 month or thereabouts later mark I'm curious to know the outcome.
__________________
Current bikes: Unknown year Specialized (rigid F & R) Hardrock, '80's era Cannondale police bike; '03 Schwinn mongrel MTB; '03 Specialized Hard Rock (the wife's)
Gone away: '97 Diamondback Topanga SE, '97 Giant ATX 840 project bike; '01 Giant TCR1 SL; and a truckload of miscellaneous bikes used up by the kids and grand-kids
Status quo is the mental bastion of the intellectually lethargic...
Current bikes: Unknown year Specialized (rigid F & R) Hardrock, '80's era Cannondale police bike; '03 Schwinn mongrel MTB; '03 Specialized Hard Rock (the wife's)
Gone away: '97 Diamondback Topanga SE, '97 Giant ATX 840 project bike; '01 Giant TCR1 SL; and a truckload of miscellaneous bikes used up by the kids and grand-kids
Status quo is the mental bastion of the intellectually lethargic...
06-08-19, 09:55 AM
#57
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The OP hasn't logged in for over 16 months so he probably gave up after his last post about getting too many flats.
06-09-19, 12:53 PM
#58
Senior Member
1. Before submitting, always copy and past your whole posting into Notepad. That way it's preserved.
2. If you get a message that you need to be logged in before submitting, open another tab and in that second tab, go to BF and log in. Now you can to back to the first tab and re-submit.
So now we know you're still around but still don't know what your resolution was.
06-09-19, 01:37 PM
#59
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Thread Starter
Apparently I take too long to type, too; and often get kicked out before I can hit the 'submit' button. There are two strategies to avoid losing all your work:
1. Before submitting, always copy and past your whole posting into Notepad. That way it's preserved.
2. If you get a message that you need to be logged in before submitting, open another tab and in that second tab, go to BF and log in. Now you can to back to the first tab and re-submit.
So now we know you're still around but still don't know what your resolution was.
1. Before submitting, always copy and past your whole posting into Notepad. That way it's preserved.
2. If you get a message that you need to be logged in before submitting, open another tab and in that second tab, go to BF and log in. Now you can to back to the first tab and re-submit.
So now we know you're still around but still don't know what your resolution was.
06-09-19, 06:11 PM
#60
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I'm no expert (as I often prove), but putting a new chain on old gears can cause slippage.
They say that gears and chains wear together. I had put new chains on my bike a dozen times over the years without any problems...
until last year. I broke a chain on my 1984 Nishiki International and put a new chain on and encountered major slippage. I used this as an excuse to get a new gear-set with lower gearing (that my 56-year-old knees had been begging for). New chain + new gears = smooth shifting.
The gears were only $24 with a $10 install charge by the bike shop.
And if the gears are worn enough to not work with a new chain, they are worn and should be replaced.
Again, I don't know for sure in your case, but this was my experience.
They say that gears and chains wear together. I had put new chains on my bike a dozen times over the years without any problems...
until last year. I broke a chain on my 1984 Nishiki International and put a new chain on and encountered major slippage. I used this as an excuse to get a new gear-set with lower gearing (that my 56-year-old knees had been begging for). New chain + new gears = smooth shifting.
The gears were only $24 with a $10 install charge by the bike shop.
And if the gears are worn enough to not work with a new chain, they are worn and should be replaced.
Again, I don't know for sure in your case, but this was my experience.
06-10-19, 06:27 AM
#61
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I bought and installed those liners, but I have not ridden since my last post for safety reasons.
Things have rapidly changed around here and it’s just too dangerous to ride a bike around here. We’ve had an explosion of very bad people moving here from LA committing crimes. There has been robberies and murders almost every week and last week there were 3 unrelated incidents about the same time within a few miles of each other. There have been numerous assaults by young black males and females almost every day. It is a race war although nobody will admit to it and I’m a prime target since I’m a senior white male. Our own Mayor has advised everyone to buy a gun to protect ourselves from the mass of homeless drug addicts moving here from LA.
Anyway, I bought a ranch in AZ away from all this crap and have been busy going back and forth from AZ trying to fix up the CA house for sale and also working on the ranch trying to make it mine. Once I’m completely out of CA, I plan on riding again. I will still need flat free tires because there is a mile long dirt road from the paved road to my house and nobody except a few coyotes that might give me trouble.
Things have rapidly changed around here and it’s just too dangerous to ride a bike around here. We’ve had an explosion of very bad people moving here from LA committing crimes. There has been robberies and murders almost every week and last week there were 3 unrelated incidents about the same time within a few miles of each other. There have been numerous assaults by young black males and females almost every day. It is a race war although nobody will admit to it and I’m a prime target since I’m a senior white male. Our own Mayor has advised everyone to buy a gun to protect ourselves from the mass of homeless drug addicts moving here from LA.
Anyway, I bought a ranch in AZ away from all this crap and have been busy going back and forth from AZ trying to fix up the CA house for sale and also working on the ranch trying to make it mine. Once I’m completely out of CA, I plan on riding again. I will still need flat free tires because there is a mile long dirt road from the paved road to my house and nobody except a few coyotes that might give me trouble.
It looks like the offensive entry has been deleted. Just a reminder, it is people's behavior that makes them criminals, not their ethnicity. It's a truth I wish both "conservatives" and "progressives" would follow.
Last edited by BobbyG; 06-10-19 at 07:00 AM.
06-10-19, 06:56 AM
#62
Senior Member
Thread Starter
You should probably delete this response as well. Beats me why anyone would want to start up a thread this old anyway or why I even bothered to respond. I wish this whole thread would disappear. A simple question turned into me defending myself about my choice in bikes.
06-10-19, 10:33 AM
#63
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How easily does the handlebar turn from side to side? Two tests: 1. If you hold the bike up on it's wheels and tip the bike from side-to-side, the handlebar should turn on it's own. If it doesn't, the headset is too tight. That will make the bike steer wonky.
2. If you pull the front brake lever and rock the bike front-to-back, you shouldn't feel anything. If you can feel a tiny little "tick" your headset is too loose. Adjusting your headset bearing preload to meet both of those tests might solve your problem.
You say the bike freewheels too much. Try this:
1. Take the back wheel off of the bike and set it over a trash can sprockets facing up. 2. Spin the sprockets with your finger. Less resistance is better. If you can feel a little bit of drag, notice what turns when you spin the sprockets and what stays still. Spray some good old WD40 into that crack. Give it a little time to soak in and try spinning the sprockets with your finger again. When it spins freely, you've fixed it.
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My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
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06-10-19, 10:49 AM
#64
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Whew ... 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back. There was never anything seriously wrong with the bike. I can't believe no one observed that any bike pedaled by an unskilled rider in a gear that is too low will feel to the rider exactly like what the o.p. described. IF the o.p.'s issue could have been diagnosed quickly they might have been able to slip quietly back into obscurity before the world learned that they were ... ... before we learned as much as we learned.
06-10-19, 12:54 PM
#65
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Whew ... 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back. There was never anything seriously wrong with the bike. I can't believe no one observed that any bike pedaled by an unskilled rider in a gear that is too low will feel to the rider exactly like what the o.p. described. IF the o.p.'s issue could have been diagnosed quickly they might have been able to slip quietly back into obscurity before the world learned that they were ... ... before we learned as much as we learned.
The idea that knowledge limited solely to the sport or equipment can be utterly divorced from personal or cultural considerations is a false assumption.
Thanks @JohnnyB65 for the update. Sorry to read that so many things have changed for you since the thread began.
For my part, the Wally World MTB is still my most comfortable bike. Whatever you ride, if it's comfortable and it works so you get the benefit of riding, good on ya.
__________________
Current bikes: Unknown year Specialized (rigid F & R) Hardrock, '80's era Cannondale police bike; '03 Schwinn mongrel MTB; '03 Specialized Hard Rock (the wife's)
Gone away: '97 Diamondback Topanga SE, '97 Giant ATX 840 project bike; '01 Giant TCR1 SL; and a truckload of miscellaneous bikes used up by the kids and grand-kids
Status quo is the mental bastion of the intellectually lethargic...
Current bikes: Unknown year Specialized (rigid F & R) Hardrock, '80's era Cannondale police bike; '03 Schwinn mongrel MTB; '03 Specialized Hard Rock (the wife's)
Gone away: '97 Diamondback Topanga SE, '97 Giant ATX 840 project bike; '01 Giant TCR1 SL; and a truckload of miscellaneous bikes used up by the kids and grand-kids
Status quo is the mental bastion of the intellectually lethargic...
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06-10-19, 12:59 PM
#66
Senior Member
Thread Starter
So this is a free bike. How well do you think it has been cared for? My answers are based on a guess that it hasn't been very well maintained.
How easily does the handlebar turn from side to side? Two tests: 1. If you hold the bike up on it's wheels and tip the bike from side-to-side, the handlebar should turn on it's own. If it doesn't, the headset is too tight. That will make the bike steer wonky.
2. If you pull the front brake lever and rock the bike front-to-back, you shouldn't feel anything. If you can feel a tiny little "tick" your headset is too loose. Adjusting your headset bearing preload to meet both of those tests might solve your problem.
You say the bike freewheels too much. Try this:
1. Take the back wheel off of the bike and set it over a trash can sprockets facing up. 2. Spin the sprockets with your finger. Less resistance is better. If you can feel a little bit of drag, notice what turns when you spin the sprockets and what stays still. Spray some good old WD40 into that crack. Give it a little time to soak in and try spinning the sprockets with your finger again. When it spins freely, you've fixed it.
How easily does the handlebar turn from side to side? Two tests: 1. If you hold the bike up on it's wheels and tip the bike from side-to-side, the handlebar should turn on it's own. If it doesn't, the headset is too tight. That will make the bike steer wonky.
2. If you pull the front brake lever and rock the bike front-to-back, you shouldn't feel anything. If you can feel a tiny little "tick" your headset is too loose. Adjusting your headset bearing preload to meet both of those tests might solve your problem.
You say the bike freewheels too much. Try this:
1. Take the back wheel off of the bike and set it over a trash can sprockets facing up. 2. Spin the sprockets with your finger. Less resistance is better. If you can feel a little bit of drag, notice what turns when you spin the sprockets and what stays still. Spray some good old WD40 into that crack. Give it a little time to soak in and try spinning the sprockets with your finger again. When it spins freely, you've fixed it.
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