Is this rideable?
06-01-17, 11:23 PM
#27
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two words Pub Bike - if it rides like a tank I second the opinion that it is very candidate to donate
08-30-17, 01:03 PM
#30
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My neighbor gave me this bike. It needs the usual attention to get it to rideable condition, grease bearings, new tires/tubes, etc. I'm wondering if it is worth the effort. I'll do it if it will ride good.
Sorry. You can't tell from the picture. It's a Nishiki Sports Special.
Last summer I found a old J.C. Higgins bike at a yard sale and thought I'd fix it. I spent time and money on it. When I was done it rode like Fred Flintstone's car. I don't want to go through that again.
Is this bike worth saving? Would it be a good rail-trail bike? Would it be ok for a 50 mile ride on the Katy Trail?
Thanks.
Sorry. You can't tell from the picture. It's a Nishiki Sports Special.
Last summer I found a old J.C. Higgins bike at a yard sale and thought I'd fix it. I spent time and money on it. When I was done it rode like Fred Flintstone's car. I don't want to go through that again.
Is this bike worth saving? Would it be a good rail-trail bike? Would it be ok for a 50 mile ride on the Katy Trail?
Thanks.
Nobody thinks to call the Rollfast orphanage either. A Higgins is not a klunker, it's a Murray made for Sears and did you even have the beehive springer?
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08-30-17, 01:06 PM
#31
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08-30-17, 01:08 PM
#32
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My LBS is 10 blocks away and I'm apolitical about tubes.
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08-30-17, 01:27 PM
#34
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Survey: Who on here don't have at least one old tube layin' around? Fair warning to sknhgy, any custom handmade bits installed on a bike will create an emotional attachment and you can never give it up.
08-30-17, 04:58 PM
#36
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These bikes sell for $125 in college towns, so worth the effort if you'd like to flip it. Many college students prefer this exact style of bike, though steel rims are a no-go for use in wet weather, unless perhaps special pads can be found for such usage.
The "myth" about limited pressure using straight-walled (un-hooked) rims stems primarily from perhaps just one or two careless manufacturers whose bead-seating diameter tolerances were out of the range used by most other rim makers.
In general, rims that don't say Weinmann on them are typically good for 90psi tires, though unless one is over 200lbs there is little reason to use more than 85psi in a 1-1/4" width 27" tire, and I run 'em at 60-70psi even on training rides.
Lots of bikes were sold with steel-bead 27" tires rated for 90 or 100psi on the plain Araya rims that were so prolific at the time, and I never had one blow off the rim. It was only until I bought an early-70's Schwinn Supersport with Weinmann 27" rims that I found that anything over 70psi would threaten tire blow-off, regardless of tire brand. But not even all Weinmann rims had this problem, only certain models or batches it seems.
The "myth" about limited pressure using straight-walled (un-hooked) rims stems primarily from perhaps just one or two careless manufacturers whose bead-seating diameter tolerances were out of the range used by most other rim makers.
In general, rims that don't say Weinmann on them are typically good for 90psi tires, though unless one is over 200lbs there is little reason to use more than 85psi in a 1-1/4" width 27" tire, and I run 'em at 60-70psi even on training rides.
Lots of bikes were sold with steel-bead 27" tires rated for 90 or 100psi on the plain Araya rims that were so prolific at the time, and I never had one blow off the rim. It was only until I bought an early-70's Schwinn Supersport with Weinmann 27" rims that I found that anything over 70psi would threaten tire blow-off, regardless of tire brand. But not even all Weinmann rims had this problem, only certain models or batches it seems.
Last edited by dddd; 08-30-17 at 05:06 PM.
08-31-17, 06:50 AM
#37
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Seems like I've used packing tape or something similar. Bike tires direct didn't have the cheap rubber strips in stock or I would have bought those.
Anybody use packing tape or maybe duct tape? I'm trying not to dump a bunch of money into this bike.
Anybody use packing tape or maybe duct tape? I'm trying not to dump a bunch of money into this bike.
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08-31-17, 07:18 AM
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Yes, several layers of duct tape will do the job as long as long as you don't care about the sticky residue and as long as you don't get any tape up into the bead seat area.
08-31-17, 07:38 AM
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I usually go for electrical tape if I don't have strips and it typically works without issue
08-31-17, 09:54 AM
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I'm glad you're fixing it up a bit. I totally agree that it is usable, although in Seattle (wet!) the rims would get replaced before fixing the bike up.
08-31-17, 09:54 AM
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True, that bike could be a dream come true for somebody don't throw it away fix it and give it to someone who needs a bike there is a whole new generation of kids and people coming up who appreciate that old stuff like that, some chick that can't really afford a bike who is taking the bus to work would love to have that thing but make it safe for her first and find her and give it to her, if you can afford to do so with some used parts and some labor of love.
09-05-17, 06:41 AM
#44
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What do I do with this? If you look close, the flange area around the front hole is cracked. It was bent but I straightened it. It won't hold up the way it is.
- Can I get a replacement somewhere?
- Do I need to disassemble it, make a new hanger piece, then reassemble it? In other words re-build this one?
- Think I can silver solder it? It is drawn to a magnet so it's steel, not aluminum.
This is the rear brake cable pulley that connects to the seat clamp bolt behind the seat.
Help
- Can I get a replacement somewhere?
- Do I need to disassemble it, make a new hanger piece, then reassemble it? In other words re-build this one?
- Think I can silver solder it? It is drawn to a magnet so it's steel, not aluminum.
This is the rear brake cable pulley that connects to the seat clamp bolt behind the seat.
Help
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Last edited by sknhgy; 09-05-17 at 06:47 AM.
09-05-17, 06:55 AM
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You could try to source another but it'll probably be a pain to find. Needed one one time and had no luck until I happened to be given a cheap Fuji mountain bike that had one on it. If you have the ability to bend another arm out of scrap metal and sandwich it I'd try that
09-10-17, 12:09 PM
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Here it is, finally, ready to roll. It's heavy as hell but it rides real nice. We're just going to use it in the neighborhood and on some easy trails in a nearby park.
Thanks for not letting me trash this fine bike. I'm happy now for putting the effort into saving it from the trash heap.
I took it for a test ride last night in the dark and couldn't get off. Ended up doing a couple miles.
Thanks for not letting me trash this fine bike. I'm happy now for putting the effort into saving it from the trash heap.
I took it for a test ride last night in the dark and couldn't get off. Ended up doing a couple miles.
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09-10-17, 08:43 PM
#49
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09-11-17, 09:42 AM
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The "myth" about limited pressure using straight-walled (un-hooked) rims stems primarily from perhaps just one or two careless manufacturers whose bead-seating diameter tolerances were out of the range used by most other rim makers.
In general, rims that don't say Weinmann on them are typically good for 90psi tires, though unless one is over 200lbs there is little reason to use more than 85psi in a 1-1/4" width 27" tire, and I run 'em at 60-70psi even on training rides.
In general, rims that don't say Weinmann on them are typically good for 90psi tires, though unless one is over 200lbs there is little reason to use more than 85psi in a 1-1/4" width 27" tire, and I run 'em at 60-70psi even on training rides.