AraJudge

I didn't know were else i would post this so here it goes.

I bought a Kona Blast.... 3-4 years ago I think. Any who I used to ride pretty often. Loved getting out into the hills and getting my ride on. 2 and a half years ago I decided to join the military and had to leave it in my sisters garage as storage. I recently have got some plans together to hopefully make my way back home and grab my bike and bring it down south to were I am stationed. I have had this hunger to ride for a bit now and this needs to get done haha.

So for the questions. The bike has just sat for probably a little over 2 and a half years, does it need any specific maintenance. I figure it will need the usual lobe up from sitting for so long, and probably new tires. Anything else that I might be missing? Does anyone know a good shop down in the Oceanside, CA area that I can get the bike looked over and revitalized so I may once again ride?

Thank You in advance for any and all answers!

jdon

I would change the tubes, keep the tires. Clean the chain and cogs then re-lube. Shift and brake cables may be a little stiff. Some people lube them, some replace them. 2 years storage in a controlled environment isn't that bad.

ahsposo 

Why post this in Foo? Seems to me to be more of a General Cycling question.

But thanks for your service.

no1mad 

^^Indeed.

Moving to General Cycling.

skijor

A sturdy u-lock. My first MTB, a Diamondback, was stolen on base (shipyards actually) after just two weeks of ownership even though it was locked nest to a guard shack. All you nice taxpayers reimbursed me. So thanks.

The tires may be ok as long as it wasn't exposed to the elements or cooked in a hot garage for those few years.

sreten

Hi,

It depends on how well it was maintained before being stored
on what needs doing now, tyres and tubes should be fine.

Nothing will need relubing if it was properly lubed.

rgds, sreten.

CbadRider

Alan's Bike Shop on Coast Highway is in downtown Oceanside.

DX-MAN

Overhaul.

Bearings that sit in grease, unmoving, for just a few months can get awfully sticky. Repack 'em (sealed cartridge might be OK) all. New cables, housing, tubes, AND tires. If your bike sat on them during storage, not only will they be flat, they'll have taken the shape of the flattened area. They'll ride like garbage until that goes away. I'd just as soon roll new, as there may be dry-rot, as well.

I ride a Kona, as well; the brand deserves better than a half-assed restore.

Siu Blue Wind

I'm sure this bike was very well maintained before he left and was kept indoors. I don't think he needs to repack the sealed cartridges. He does not need new cables, housing and tires. If anything, new tubes. I have bikes that have been in longer storage than his and all I needed was new tubes, a bit of cleaning and lube.

I-Like-To-Bike

Why new tubes? Put air in them and if they hold they are good; period. I never heard of a tube going bad from age.

DX-MAN

OP said it was in a garage -- what part of the country? I live in the Great Lakes area, and 2 years in the garage here would half-oxidize the aluminum!

I stand by what I said, until we know if the garage was in a milder, more temperate part of the country.

Looigi

Replace tubes? Perhaps if latex, but certainly not butyl tubes. I've got tubes ~14 years old in some of my bikes. They may have a lot of patches, but the tubes themselves are fine. Butyl is pretty resistant to deterioration on its own, and installed inside the tire, it's fairly well protected from ozone and anything else that might cause them to deteriorate.

fietsbob

.. happens a lot this time of year ..

AraJudge

Sounds like the best answer yet. Get me out riding sooner and cheaper.

To be honest I don't know what I was thinking. I don't have a lot of time to get on the computer out here so I just made a quick post. Looking back I really should have thought a little harder on where i was posting this. Thank you for calling it out and Thank You no1mad for moving it to the proper place.

Thank You for the shop suggestion. When I get back home I will have to look into them and see what they got to offer.

Well I mean I guess it was well maintained I threw it down a couple of times MUH HAHAHAHAHA! Unfortunately I broke my arm in the process lol, good times. I haven't seen the bike in quite some time so we will see when i get to it exactly what i will do. All of the suggestions are very helpful though. Thank You All.

wahoonc

Ditto... I have some that are pushing 40 years old and still hold air... more or less.

I would get the bike and take it for a quick spin and see how it rides compared to what it did when you parked it. It may need a light tune up and possibly some lubrication. FWIW I have taken old bikes, some stored for over 20 years, given them the quick once over and taken them on a 50 mile ride. I have also had brand new bikes that I had to do partial tear downs on.

Aaron

Siu Blue Wind

My road bike needed tubes replaced as well as my mtb that was sold. The road bike was losing air where the valves were (granted, his is not a road bike). The mtb was new/used five times but kept in a storage in the back yard. I should have been clearer... replace them if they don't hold air! I was just thinking that's what I did with mine.

The bike was stored in NorCal, mild temps, indoors IIRC.

Siu Blue Wind

Oh dear. I remember that...

cyccommute 

Honestly, pump up the tires and go ride. Address any maintenance issues when they come up. There is little to nothing that can happen to a bike that is just sitting for 2 years, especially if it is stored in a garage.

Siu Blue Wind

^^^^ Truth

Wordbiker

Other than a bent derailleur hanger, which if ridden could wreck a wheel, derailleur, chain, etc.

OP, if you're concerned, most shops offer a minimal "safety check" that should find anything to be concerned about at a minimal price. Ours is $25. Probably worth it for peace of mind.

cyccommute 

If a bike is just sitting around a garage for 2 years, how does a derailer hanger get bent? It's low on the list of possible problems. I'd put it lower than the tubes needing replaced. If the derailer hanger got magically bent or, more likely, was bent before storage, it would be one of those maintenance items to be addressed that I referenced in my post.

AraJudge

I would like peace of mind before I get out there and mess something up. But if it is messed up then fixing it before I ride or riding it and breaking it will really be no different. $25 bucks for peace of mind to me is not worth it. Ill give it the old look over and see what I see, pretty knowledgeable on bike mechanics. If there is something I'm not sure about Ill just be back on here asking more questions. I'm sure Ill have the hardest time finding a pump to pump up the tires... unless my little hand pump is still attached to my bike... that would be super convenient.

Thank You all again for your answers and input.

I still have a picture of my arm in a cast when I broke it on my phone. Maybe Ill post a then and now picture... the contrast is... amazingly different haha.

Wordbiker

Boxes stacked up against it, etc. If it was storage used by others, they might not take the same care. I check the hanger on every tuneup and have had furious customers come back complaining about the poor shifting. I check the hanger again and it was bent due to transporting it on the drive side. Considering the potential results, it's always worth checking IMO.

Siu Blue Wind

Okay I want to see.

cyccommute 

You are assuming something that isn't in evidence. Frankly, bent derailer hangers are a pretty rare event even on the poorly treated bikes I deal with at our local coop. It's certainly not high on the list of things that would need to be randomly checked on a bike that has been stored for 2 years. And, yet again, it's something that would manifest itself on the first ride and could be dealt with. I'm still sticking with "pump up the tires and ride".