Retiredguns

Howdy Folks, looking for a shove in one direction or another. I am a 54 year old Retired Marine who rides every morning before work and with the Wife on many weekends. I have been riding a 1993 Bianchi Ibex (solid forks) and must have 10k+ miles on the thing. Someone might say I am full of BS but up until 2 years a go it had the original tires & tubes on it. Still has original brake pads. I finally got rid of the knobbies and put some Kenda high pressure hybrid style tires on. Sure makes for easier going.
Took it to a shop and had the shifters/cable adjusted and the guy said I could likely use a new chain, but due to age would need a new hub, cassette or whatever it is called. Besides that the bike is still extremely roadworthy. My dilemma is to update or get a new bike. Believe me, I will justify anything to the Wife to get what I want and she knows I am good at it.

I really am attached to the old Bianchi, but will need to spend $150 or so to make it perfect again. If I don't fix it up then I'll just buy a Trek FX.

I bought the bike at the Marine Corps Exchange. They were $574, but sat there forever (None of us Marines could afford them). I was eyeballing it for about a week when a clerk told me that it would be a "red tag" soon meaning 1/2 price. I went every day at lunch and finally took it away for under $290.
$13 a year that bike has cost me!

10 Wheels

If it rides good and fits good, Fix it up.

chikon2000

If you are really attached to the bike, then it seems well-worth the $150 to get it up to snuff. The Trek would cost more, and would probably be less cool than the Bianchi.

MRT2

The mechanic isn't blowing smoke. Not unreasonable that a bike with over 20 years of use would need a new chain and cassette or freewheel. If you like the bike, it is worth repairing. It is an old, and by modern standards heavy mountain bike. But those old frames ride really nice. You really will need to spend between $500 and $1000 to get something significantly better. (and if you want a lugged steel frame, be prepared to spend $2,000 or more) for a complete bike.

vatdim

The Trek would cost more, but it'd also be a new bike, with new wheels, new chainring, a new stem, new handlebars, new brake levers, new shifters, new everything. It'll be a couple of years before you begin to worry about any new parts, except for possibly brake pads or tubes.

The Bianchi on the other hand has a very rigid and reliable frame. It has not faulted you for so many years and will likely continue to serve you well in the foreseeable future. You have probably developed some sort of attachment to it.

The way I see it, get the Trek, try it out and see if it makes you happy. If it does, then good for you. If not, sell it on while it's still in a less used condition and use the proceeds to fund your Bianchi restoration. This way you'll have tried the alternative and you'll be able to go back if it doesn't feel right for you.

Retiredguns

Thanks for the replies. I'll go ride some Treks this weekend. Another dealer has Giants so may look at those as well.

On the freewheel/hub/cassette whatever, the tech said it wasn't that mine was bad, just so dated they don't make them like that anymore and a new chain would not wear right.

fietsbob

Retired with a Good sized Pension then DIY time is there , only you can judge the 'Worth it' .. values

FBOATSB

Retiredguns, I am currently on a thirty four year old bike I bought new. Buy any thing you like but don't get rid of the Bianchi. Time to start a collection!

Retiredguns

I had to chuckle a bit there. I retired from the Corps at age 40 as a Gunsmith. Gunnys don't get a whole lot! A week later I was working for a major telecom and am now an Engineer who designs and builds coax and fiber networks. A far cry from fixin' guns, but always up for a change!

MRT2

I replaced the chain and freewheel on my 1997 Bianchi a few years ago. It is a standard thing to on older bikes to replace the chain and freewheel at the same time. (and a 7 speed, which yours is, won't be that expensive)

70sSanO

I'm sure you don't want to listen to me, since both my mountain bikes are steel from the 90's, but if you really like it and the frame is in good shape and not beat up and rusted, I'd fix it up. $150 seems super cheap to get it back on the road. I won't tell you how much I have in my old mountain bikes.

John

Retiredguns

Well, leaning towards just fixin' up the old bike at this point. Now I am considering trying it myself, but don't want to buy the wrong parts.

Here's the old beater.

ltxi

Right on target. My 34 year old Fuji got retired to collector status this year. Wasn't givin' it up until I after the honeymoon knew I liked the new bike better as a daily driver. That I now know I do, but old faithful Fuji ain't goin' nowhere.

My mountain bike is '95 Trek. Kinda a tank, but it not be going nowhere, either.

hillyman

Retiredguns that bike is sharp. You owe it to the bike gods to keep her rolling strong. Well worth $150 to replace some parts. You could do it yourself but with cost of buying bike tools may not save that much. But most bike repairs not really that hard with proper tools. Should be a piece of cake for an engineer

Retiredguns

Yeah tools are more than some parts. With 2 grown Daughters I became one heckuva used car mechanic. I'm sure I could replace the cassette & chain, but I'll let the shop do it and tweak anything else they think necessary.

Wingsprint

Fix it up! I believe that frame lugged Tange steel.

Retiredguns

Lugged steel
Tange chrome-moly Bianchi Superset II

cale

No one would say you were hasty in replacing your Bianchi if you bought a new bike. Haha You got my shove to replace it.

Retiredguns

Yeah there's that fact. At what price point do I get a "better" bike? I like the ridgid feel, don't need suspension or more gears and weight is not a huge deal.

SkyDog75

If you like the bike, fix it up and keep on using it. You can replace the chain and cassette on your ol' Bianchi for A LOT less than $150. Heck, you could probably do it for under $50, even if you need to buy the tools for the job as well.

For the gears on the rear wheel, I don't know if your '93 Bianchi Ibex has a cassette or freewheel. They're both inexpensive, but only one will fit. There's a page on Sheldon Brown's site that illustrates the differences between the two so you can figure out which you have:
Freewheel or Cassette?

If you need a cassette, a Shimano HG41 costs $12.76 from Niagara Cycle:
Shimano Acera HG41 7 Speed 11-28t Cassette

If you need a freewheel, a Shimano TZ-21 will set you back $9.99:
Shimano TZ-21 Tourney 7-Speed Freewheel - 14-28T

A KMC Z51 chain would work with either, and that would set you back a whopping $6.77:
KMC Z51 Chain 6/7/8 Speed 1/2" x 3/32" Brown

So you're up to about $20 total, plus maybe another $20 if you need a cassette/freewheel tool and chain tool.

I have no doubt that your chain and cogs are worn and probably need replacing. Your bike would have to be a LOT older for replacement parts to be unavailable, though.

habilis

Her's a Youtube clip that shows how to remove and replace a freewheel without special tools:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsVL1XqZve8

bikemig 

That's a really sweet bike with a great story. If you thought $290 was expensive back in the day, just see how much a modern equivalent quality bike will cost.

Mickey2

I'm amased at how long your rims have lasted, not to mention tires and brake blocks. Sand and gritt have chewed through the best of rims in less than two years on my bikes. On the other hand, I have had a pair of steel rims on an old three speed still in acceptable shape. If you like the frame, the riding positon, and know the differences between frame shapes and riding feel I would not hesitate to fix up the old bike. It's not always about the money, it is about getting the type of bike and componets you want. Sometimes an old bike has all you are looking for ;- )

I have been through all kinds of bike, from racer to treckingbike, city bike, MTB and hybrid. I don't tackle anything tougher than gravel road, mostly pavement and cobble stone, most bikes are fine with them. I recently fixed up my bike I bought as a teenager in the 1980s, hub brakes and gear hub. After a bit of cleaning, and oiling, tightening spokes, new wires and tires it runs fine. I am surpised at how well parts have stood up to time and a lot of wear and abuse. This bike has never had the service and upkeep it should have had and still it only needed a basic service to run smooth again.

.
Bikes can be about fashion and trends too, at some point all bikes became a sort of derivative of the moutain bike or the BMX, even though they never saw anyting other than paved roads. For a period the ideal was the racer, and there are the trekking bike as sort of compromise between the racer and the roadster. The vintage trend is quite noticeable. I'm not sure what's the coolest these days, but a lot of nice bikes to choose from.

If you plan to use a bit of money on the bike it's worth looking at different types of bikes, trying some out if you have the chance. If you ride every day to and from work, mudguards can be a must! I have never had a bike used most days of the week most weeks of the year last as long as you have, at least with rim brakes and derailleur gears. After a couple of years rims, cassette and chain has needed replacement, and it has hardly seemed worth the expence and effort. Except for my racer I wasn't that fond of either them to fix them up.

My preferances these days lean towards fairly slim tires, drum brakes, 28" wheels, internal geared hubs, a nice frame steel, aluminum or titanium. I so focus on and easy ride, durable parts and dependable performace, but I understand very well the different priorities and different choises. It's really nice to fix up an old bike and get it exactly what you are looking for :- )

Retiredguns

This has always freaked me out a bit given the miles & me riding sometimes in the light snow. I quit riding in snow last year though when I switched to a thin tire. It cost me a couple cracked ribs to learn and I never knew how painful that is.

The front rim is extremely true and the rear just a tad off, but not ride noticeable. Most folks wouldn't realize how cool it is my bike is original except for other bike folks.

Thanks for all the tips & thoughts.

Retiredguns

Thanks for the tips & info. Can or is there a reason to change the cassette/chain config? Mine has a 13-30 and according to records is probably this as it looks the same:
Shimano CS-HG50 Freehub Cassette - 13-30T, 7-Speed, Silver



and the chain a Shimano CN-HG50 Chain 6/7/8 Speed

These components are considerably more expensive at $30 for the cassette and $24 for the chain.