opusbike

I have a Nishiki Pueblo $280 hardtail mountain bike at Dicks Sporting Goods. It had a flat tire. I took it to REI and asked about replacement tire. The person there checked it out, and said it needed other repairs to make it safe. So, with two tire replacements, a couple of chain and brake related adjustments/repairs, it will cost $130 to fix it. I also have a Zizzo folding bike as a road/general use bike. I don't do any kind of hardcore biking, just mainly biking with my young kids on road and on gravel flat surfaces. Is it worth it to spend $130+ tax to fix this Nishiki Pueblo or not?

friday1970

How bad are the tires?
I might be wrong, but it sounds more expensive to repair than it should be.
A decent pair of smoother gravel tires would run about 70-90. 7 speed chains should only be around 10. I assume you don't have a chain tool, which a cheap one would be around 10.
And pulling up RJ the Bike Guy's channel on youtube is like going to college for bike repair. You would be surprised how easy it is to adjust brakes yourself.

VegasTriker

Heck no! A couple of things come to mind. Dick sells this bike brand new today for the $280 you listed. It's never wise to spend half the cost of the bike for repairs especially since this is an entry level bike with Shimano's lowest grade components. I'm surprised REI even suggested spending that much money on a bike when they have classes that will teach you how to do the work yourself at a fraction of what it costs to have them do the work. It may just be that the guy at REI simply didn't want to work on your bike since entry level bikes are harder to adjust than a more expensive bike, There are numerous on-line tutorials that will show you how to make the repairs and adjustments yourself. As to brakes, the most common fix is to replace the brake pads on your linear pull brakes. They don't cost an arm and a leg and it is not rocket science. You need only simple tools for most repairs - a set of metric wrenches or an adjustable wrench, metric hex wrenches, and screwdrivers. It's nice to have bicycle tire irons to change tires. My local dollar store has an inexpensive set that works.
Give us a list of the parts they were going to replace and a better idea of what maintenance and adjustments they recommend.

opusbike

As far as I can remember, these are the items that needed changing/repair/adjustment.
- 2 new tires at $40 in total (labor is free)
- chain replacement as it is showing rust
- cable replacement for the shifter
- adjustment of brakes
- derailleur is off, so adjustment is needed

Not included in repair cost but starting to go wear out is the rear wheel barring (sp?).

ARider2

If you can get two new tires, a chain, shifter cable and all the adjustments you mentioned (basically a tune-up) for $130 it would still be about half the cost of a new one plus you'll keep your old bike running rather than going to the dump.

fettsvenska 

Out of all those items you've listed, the rear wheel bearings would be my biggest concern. Also, if you have any mechanical aptitude, there are youtube videos that could help you make all of the repairs that you need. I certainly understand if you don't want to go through that hassle but brake and derailleur adjustments are not difficult and changing a chain isn't much worse. If you are paying someone to do the repairs, the cost will probably exceed the value of the bike.

friday1970

Now you might be looking at a new rear wheel. That would up the price. So $130. plus a new wheel. possibly $60+. It's not good to fix all that only to have the worst part of the tire, the bearing, go bad.
I dunno. The bike is a very heavy steel bike, and that right there would weigh my decision to not repair it.

dedhed

I suspect my definition of safe is a bit looser than REI's liability enforced one.

Rust on the chain - lube it and run it or replace yourself. Cheap chain tool needed.
https://methodbikes.com/products/sra...iABEgIckvD_BwE https://www.walmart.com/ip/White-Lig...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Tires - for casual street flat path run some streetish tires. Likely has 26" (ISO 559 size) wheels
https://www.thebikesmiths.com/produc...SABEgJojPD_BwE


Cable replacement - easy enough to accomplish yourself. Just gt the cheap Bell kit for that bike.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Pit-...Black/49706850

RD adjustment. - Unless the hanger is bent you'll be adjusting when installing the new cable. If the hanger is bent and it's a 7 or 8 speed rear eyeballing and "aligning" with an adjustable wrench is usually "good enough"

As mentioned RJ the Bike guy and Park tool have good videos to do most of this yourself.

opusbike

Thanks for all the inputs. Three things came to mind:
- repair cost close to half the price of new one
- but, after repair I will have a bike that is good
- rear wheel bearing is the unknown

I am thinking of passing on the repair at shop and I might try to do it myself on the adjustments. I am not good with tools, just very basic knowledge. I only really got one flat tire. Can get away with two mismatch tire if I change only one tire?

Retro Grouch 

If the Nishiki Pueblo were fixed, would you be willing to buy it for $130.00?

What is your objective? I assume you are wanting a bike that you can ride around this summer. If you don't get the Pueblo fixed, can you buy a different bike for $130.00?

opusbike

That is an excellent way of looking at it. I won't pay $130 for this "fixed used one". I am thinking to use this as a "beater" gravel bike. I have another bike, Zizzo Liberte folding bike, to ride around.

alcjphil

Are the tires worn? A flat tire happens when the inner tube has been punctured somehow, as long as the tire has not been ripped open by road debris it may still be good. Flat repair is the one skill anyone who rides a bicycle should learn. Replacing an inner tube takes far less time than it would take to take your bike to a repair shop and then go back to pick it up when the repair has been done

VegasTriker

I wouldn't replace the tire unless it shows cracks in the sidewall or is more than a couple of years old (4 or 5). Most of the time you can either patch or replace the tube. Be sure to check the tire from the inside for whatever caused the tube to go flat. If it was a thorn or piece of glass lodged in the tire it will do the same to a patched or replaced tube if you don't find and remove it. We weren't born with the skills to do bike repairs and maintenance but gained them over time - go for it.

The rear wheel bearings are another matter. They last for thousands of miles if the wheel was properly adjusted at the axle and cones. I just did maintenance on a very old Trek 830 bike I pulled out of the neighbor's trash when he moved. The cones on both wheels were a tad too tight making the wheel hard to turn. The bearings inside the wheels were fine but the races where the bearings ride were pitted. The grease was congealed so not properly lubricating the bearings. It must have been that way for a very long time. It's rare to break bearings but easy to ruin the hubs if you ride the bike with the cones on the axle either too tight or too loose. You may be able to get by with cleaning, re-greasing, and adjusting the cones on the rear wheel. Unfortunately that requires a few specialized tools to remove the cassette to get to the hub on the cassette side. When I was done and the wheel was properly set up, it turned much easier but still slightly rougher than I would expect for a perfect wheel.

Yes you can use two different tires on the bike. Just make sure the size is correct. Try for one with a similar tread. I wouldn't mix a knobby off-road tire with a smooth treaded city tire.

msu2001la

$130 to do that work seems like a fair price to me, and is still a lot cheaper than buying a new bike.
All bikes will need this type of maintenance occasionally regardless of how much you spend on them. You can save money by learning to do the labor yourself, but you'll still have to buy the parts, plus some specialty tools.

I'm confused by people saying no, it's not worth fixing. What is the alternative? Just throw it in the dumpster and go spend another $280 on another cheap bike? How does that make any sense?

2old

Oil the chain and ride the bike; probably this will solve that problem, and use YouTube to repair the other problems. The total bill, even if you end up replacing the chain, will be around $60, well worth the cost. You may need to replace the rear bearings at some later time, but I'd bet against it.

sloppy12

Not just spend another $280 but all of the same people will then recommend taking that bike into shop for a pro build because dicks cant build a bike. so 280 + a bike inspection/build at LBS.

$130 seems like a fair price and the bike is adequate for light trail use.

VegasTriker

The fact that the owner is having problems with bearings after just a few years is pretty good proof that Dick's Sporting Goods sent the bike out badly assembled when it was new. So, it makes a lot of sense to go out and buy another entry level bike that may be just as poorly assembled? If the rear wheel bearings were properly adjusted on the bike when new they would not have self destructed even if the bike had been ridden scads of miles. What's to say that a lot more things will not show up once the mechanics at REI do their $130 repair? That's why I suggested the OP learn to do his own repairs. What's the labor rate at REI? Bet it is pretty steep so $130 does not get you a thorough workup on a bike when that price includes parts.

veganbikes

I mean it sounds like a new bike makes more sense. I wouldn't spend that money on that bike on either end. However keep in mind that bikes are hard to get these days so it may be worth it to get it repaired.

A lot of folks are saying well it should be cheaper or whatever but labor isn't free, bike shops are not charity houses and parts cost money and shops cannot buy warehouses full of parts to sell them below MAP. Also your time is worth money, Yes you can watch the Youtoobs and get lots of cool info and you can spend the money on tools and that is a good thing but it all takes time and if you don't have time then pay someone to do it.

I would sell both bikes and get something decent. Dicks and Bed Bath and Beyond are not bike shops. Dicks is slightly closer but still no cigar as they say. Yes the bikes are initially cheap at those places but tend to cost a lot to maintain and repair and need it more often. Though those costs are just normal wear items but typically the cheaper stuff wears more quickly.

SurferRosa

It's a bicycle, not a space capsule. Buy a few tools and fix it all yourself.

sovende

First off, I’m pretty sure REI would NOT be my first choice for ANY repair on a bike that didn’t I actually purchase from them (and then only if still under warranty!!!) I agree with those that suggest the DIY approach especially the simple stuff, brake & derailleur adjustment, chain maintenance and flat repair. If you ride a bike, those should considered basic skills. Issues with wheel bearings (or bearings in general), IMHO is a level up from “basic” since special/specific tools may be required. The skills required are still fairly basic and as mentioned, DIY info is easily found online.
My suggestion would be to locate a “less upscale” bike shop and buy any necessary parts and or tools from them and take the DIY route. If troubles are encountered, go back to THAT shop for advice and/or assistance as they are much more likely to “work with” a return customer.

rekmeyata

If you haven't ridden the bike much I'm questioning as to why they think you need new tires, is there cracking going on with the sidewalls or thread area? are they worn out? I kind of doubt they're worn out from the way you describe your riding pattern. Cheap tires will crack that faster than good ones generally, but just because they're 4 or so years old is not an automatic throw out the tire situation, good grief I have a pair of tires that came on a 1984 Fuji Club when the bike was new, the tires only have 10 miles on them, and after all that time there isn't one crack on the tires anywhere, the rubber doesn't feel stiff or hard either, I would have no problem riding on them if I had to. I have a spare tire I use to carry in my saddle bag for over 30 years exposed to the ravaging heat of the Mojave Desert, and that tire is still good! Having said that it is only fair to mention that my wife had a pair of tires that were 8 years old and were cracking and I had to ditch them, I also had a pair of tires that came on a 85 Miyata that were cracked horribly. Not sure why certain tires do that and others don't, but I said all of that to say this, I would get another opinion on the tires before replacing them, do you have a friend into cycling that can tell you if the tires are bad? Maybe take some detailed pictures of the the tires sidewalls and thread and show us.

If the tires are ok the worse that you might need is new tubes, Dicks sells cheap tubes, so get a pair of tubes. If you are even a bit mechanically inclined, watch YouTube videos on how to put on new tires and tubes, make sure you watch how to do the rear one as well, then make the tire/tube swap yourself and save a bit of labor. You might get intimidated with the chain trying to replace it yourself, but depending on how badly rusted it is I doubt if it's worn out, so what you do is spray it real well soaking the chain several times with WD40, let it penetrate for a couple of hours, respray scrubbing the chain with a wire brush and then wait about 10 minutes, respray and wipe the chain down really well and see if that makes the chain look better. Wait about 48 hours for the chain to dry, once that's done get some cheap chain lubricant like TriFlow and follow the directions on the bottle on how to lubricate you chain.

https://wd40.co.uk/tips-and-tricks/h...a-rusty-chain/ A little different from what I said, but both ways work.

On that same note if you haven't used the bike much I doubt your cables are shot, they may only need a bit of WD40 shot up the sleeve, the sleeve is where the cable enters into a plastic housing, then once you sprayed up inside work the brake levers back and forth to move the cable. Dirt sometimes gets into the sleeve area and makes the cable not work real well and most bike shop mechanics will simply say to replace them, not necessary unless there is visible fraying on the cable somewhere.

This video is the extreme way of doing it, you don't necessarily need to remove the cable but it does show how to lube the cables.

So now all that is left to do is adjusting the derailleurs and brakes, you can do that yourself by googling YouTube, or Dicks can do that very cheaply for you, like for around $40 at the most.

opusbike

Thank you for all the helpful replies. I have decided to get REI to fix the tire since it is free labor. Then, I am going to fix or do adjustments the rest myself. I figured it will be a good learning experience. I have looked at the many youtube videos and they are very helpful.

Many asked how come the rear tire need replacement already. Rear tire is worn out - little tread depth left. This bike was given to me. I don't really know the history of it.

I am also thinking of converting it to either a single speed or 1 x 7. But, that is for another topic.

rekmeyata

I'm not so sure I would convert the bike to something else, but it's your bike, and it's not a classic/vintage bike so it's not a big deal except for the expense of doing so which is why I said I wouldn't do it.

I'm glad you decided to tackle much of the work yourself, you will be proud of yourself for doing so.