fishergreen

Hello everyone! I am trying to get into biking, so I recently purchased my first road bike. I just wanted to know everyone's opinion on what I have and what needs to be done in order to improve the bike while still spending under $100-$150 in extra parts. I will list off the specs below. Be warned that I have very little bike knowledge, so I may be incorrect on my descriptions. Also, what would you have paid for this bike? It needs new tires and possibly a new chain.

1986-1987 Sport SX

Araya 700c rims
Dia compe cd 5000 brakes
Suntour a 5000 derailer
Sugino gp 130 brakes
Mkg ar8 pedals
serial number LS602506

big chainring 

$300-350?

Bianchigirll 

Hello welcome to the forums and the Bianchi owners club. That '87 Sport SX is IMHO a fabous little bike. If it is in good mechanical shape I would not worry about upgrading anything just for the sake of upgrading. A nice pair of clipped pedals and good shoes would be a good idea though.

digger531

Need better pics of the drive side for a good estimate. The bar tape looks newish. Did the cables get replaced before it got taped? I wouldn't go as high as $300 mostly because the Suntour is so hard to find compatible parts for. I do love the pinkish color, I would definitely be negotiating on it.

fishergreen

Update! I was able to work on the bike a little more today, and discover what I believe needs to be fixed. I will list the problems I found below and will likely need some advice on parts for their replacement.

Broken chain ( I cut it off )
Bad tires (cut those off too)
bad gear switching cables
sticky rear brake cable
scratched frame (no rust). Do they make paint for quick touch ups on bikes?

I plan to visit a local bike shop on Tuesday, but would like to hear what all of you think first so I don't lose too much money. I paid $50 for the bike as is. I plan to use it for college.

Thank you for all of the responses! Pictures will be posted soon!

fishergreen

Here is an up close view of the front. I had more pics, but they did not focus well at all. I still need a lot of feedback on where to go from here!!!

trailangel

Buy a chain breaker and tire irons.......
Don't want to hear about 'cutting chain and tires off'
Put the saw away before you do damage.

fishergreen

Good advice! I cut them off with tin snips, but that's still probably not the best thing in the world. Where is the best place to get a chain breaker?

zazenzach

i hope you recorded that process and intend on posting it to youtube. please provide us with a link if you do.

amazon, ebay, your local bike store. they are ubiquitous.

fishergreen

I did notice that there were very few video tutorials on such processes, but I did not have the time to record it, so unfortunately it is not online. I will be sure to upload one next time lol. Still need advice on parts, procedures, etc...

Kobe 

Park tool's website has a lot of information on how maintain a bike.

Niagra Cycle works has a good selection of parts and tools. I would place one order there for all of what you need.

Your shopping list should include;

2) 700 x 25c (or 28) tires
2) Rim Tape
3) 700 x 25 presta tubes
2) Brake cables and housing
2) Derailleur cables and housing
4) Brake shoes
1) Grease for the seat post, headset and bottom bracket(if you feel like tackling this)
1) 6/7 speed chain and lube


Tools needed;

1) Chain tool
1) Set of tire levers
1) Cable cutters
1) Set of hex wrenches
1) Crank Puller and Bottom bracket removal tool.

With tools you are probably going to spend $125 to $150 if you shop wisely. The bottom bracket removal can be a little tricky and you may want to watch a video to see if it is something you want to try.

It's really not hard and the Bianchi is an excellent bike to learn on.

fishergreen

Do I need to remove the bottom bracket. If so, why? Also is a slightly rusty cassette bad news?

Kobe 

No, you don't have to service the bottom bracket but chances are it has never been done before and the grease is probably dry. Chances are you could ride for a while and it would be fine.

Hard to tell on the casette\freewheel. How well does it spin?

digger531

This is pretty intense for a value thread. What you need to do is find a local bike co-op that can help you through the learning process. Bike are pretty simple but if you don't have the right info you can waste a lot of time and money and risk destroying that bike. At minimum you should get the Park Blue Book and read it, cover to cover. It is a great tool and can be referenced when making repairs. I still use mine at least monthly.

Things you will need to perform maintenance on or destroy would include wheel bearings, bottom bracket and headset. I don't believe any of these optional but the wheels are a must. You will want new cables through out and I would replace the freewheel (they are $10). You should thoroughly clean both derailleurs (brake cleaner works well). Lastly, bar tape.

Tools you need would include cone wrenches, freewheel tool, allan wrenches and tire levers are always a good idea. There are plenty of "work arounds" for most things. You can use a dremel with a cut off wheel to cut cables. Buy a Sram chain and it will have a quick link so no need for a chain tool. Usually a carefully used channel lock can take care of the bottom bracket. Any garage wall bike hanger is a handy convenience, they cost about $6 at home depot.

If you are only going to do one bike it would be considerably cheaper to find a garage mechanic (check craigslist) but it is rewarding to do it yourself.

fishergreen

I did buy a replacement shimano freewheel today~$15, and an sram 8 speed chain ~$15. I am also having the wheels trued ~$15 and new tires and tubes ordered~$60. I do not really need a garage mechanic because my dad runs a shop, but I will likely let the lbs mount the tires so I don't have to worry about that~$20. What is the best place to order parts online, and what bike locks are recommended ? I am getting close to my budget, but I still need cables. Any recommendations on those as well?

TugaDude

Since you are keeping it, buy stainless steel cables and new, lined housing.

Bhikku669

So I am pretty much in the exact same situation as you were. I just came across a bianchi sport sx for free. It's been in a barn for ten years. I am new to bicycling and bicycle repair. I'm not on as necessarily on as tight of a budget as you were, but I would like to do the work myself. Reading this book has already started me in the right direction with the park blue book. I do most of the work on my car and always have the manual handy. I am really curious to how this project turned out.

jyl

Mount the tires yourself. If there is one thing you need to know how to do yourself, it is to repair a flat tire (tube) which means removing and reinstalling tires.

For lock, a decent quality U lock: Kryptonite or similar. Read up on how to use it. Cable locks are no good, being very easy to cut.

To buy supplies and tools, either online (Universal Cycle or similar) or local bike shop. Stuff like cables and housing you can get at the bike shop. It is good to support the local shop if you can.

5051

How much is a blue Bianchi sport six in good shape with new tires and tuned up worth ?

Bianchigirll 

Hello and Welcome to the forums. Without seeing the bike's condition and knowing where it is it is hard to give a real accurate value. A mint condition one in Bismark ND may only got $100 at a yard sale while heavily used one may fetch $300 on craigslist in NYC. I believe the blue on was the '86 with shipmano and I would say $200ish if it is really nice and needs no work.