zhoushenglin

I have the same problem.

McCycle

I did take the broken axle in, the tech had it in his hand and then sold me one in the wrong thread, easy enough mistake, sorted now, except the Shimano one I bought when I started this thread is very slow in shipping, I suppose I have to track it and see what's taking so long.

Hondo6

Actually, QR rear axles of approximately 130mm length were common at one time.

Given the photos you posted previously, your rear hub appears to be a freewheel hub; your freewheel appears to be a 5-speed Shimano freewheel. That implies that it's likely 120mm OLD and thus needs an axle about 130-131mm in total length: 120mm for the distance between the dropouts, and 5-5.5mm protrusion on either side for location within the dropouts. This is consistent with the photo you showed of your damaged rear axle having an overall measured length of a bit over 131mm (the damaged section not "mating" perfectly IMO would account for the slight excess length).

Such axles still available: https://www.ebay.com/itm/264628976557

The link is for a NOS 10x1x131mm axle designed for use with Shimano freewheel hubs having an OLD of 120mm. Based on the caliper measurement you posted previously of the length of your existing axle, I'd guess that's the length rear axle you need.

Unfortunately, it's only the axle. So an axle set with cones is likely what you'll need.

If you ordered a 10x1x141mm axle set, I suspect you may have to shorten the axle you ordered substantially to make it work.

tessellahedron

That was the plan. I even ordered a hacksaw with the axle (which did show up).

I'm really learning towards replacing the bike now because I think even with a new rear wheel it's not going to be very long before something else that I can't determine the size or part number for ends up breaking. I'm aware of a few little issues already.

What I'm having trouble with is how to compare the value of different used bikes taking into account the likelihood of a breakdown.

For example, my current bike is a few months away from being 45 years old. I think a similar low-end bike in equal condition but only 20 years old would be roughly the same price but a much better value and far more reliable. But I'm not sure.

The biggest problem with buying used is that I'd need to get a ride in a car to a major city and do it in person.

for the time I'd save shopping and the reliability factor I suspect I'd be better off paying full price for a new $200 bike than getting a $80 used one.

But the new $200 bike is going to have garbage parts and might end up being more work and expense in the long run, even at only 5 miles per week of use.

I don't know what to do.

Is there a better website for ultra low-end bikes than Amazon and Walmart.com?

edit: I can get a new replacement wheel for $61 shipped, so I guess I should be cost comparing my current bike at $61 vs some replacement. Would a $61 used bike be better than what I have by enough to make it worth the travel, time and effort? What about the $98 new one or similar? I don't wanna waste money but an extra $100 isn't that big a deal so I'm starting to feel like I'm wasting my time. Ugh

kraftwerk 

You should buy a whole bike on ebay and have it shipped to you. there is really no good no reason NOT to have two bikes, especially in the case where you are 100% dependent on a bicycle. Then you can fix this broken one, properly & at your leisure.

I broke the rear axel on my Kryserium wheel and was surprised how thin the metal is in such a crucial area. A replacement was not difficult to locate but also not cheap.

WizardOfBoz

Agree. Steel, even fairly weak steel, has an ultimate tensile strength of about 60,000 psi. JB Weld claims a tensile strength of about 4000 psi. Your axle, which is steel, already broke even with the 60kpi strength. Do you see why JB Weld is a hopeless approach?

Another issue is that when you ride a bike with a broken axle and a quick release, the forces on the QR are amplifed. It's being asked to do what the axle did, and its much smaller cross-section. Ride the bike with the QR and you will likely still lose bicycle function (possibly at speed) AND you will need both an axle and new QR. As someone who experienced loss of bicycle integrity and went over the bars (13 cracked teeth, broken jaw, and the docs had to scrape the road dirt of the jawbone where my chin hit before they sewed me up) I humbly suggest the risk is not worth it.

Troul is exactly right: get a new axle and either uber or take up running until it comes in.

tessellahedron

I already need to get a new grocery bike but I'm not gonna stop riding this one until i do or it becomes un-rideable. I've had my gravel bike for 2 months and already flipped it twice. No big deal, my dental implant was the culmination of skateboarding accidents and moshing at a concert so I need one from biking, lol. I dunno how you guys have fun being so risk averse. I'm literally riding to the other side of a 1 square mile town and back, once or twice a week (now that I have the gravel bike).

I used to be unsure about epoxy but then I saw a 300kg transformer wall mounted with epoxy. The owner wouldn't permit fasteners in the wall, so the contractor used a $100+ epoxy kit rated for that use. I was the only one on the inspection team that had concern about walking under it, but I don't anymore after learning that using epoxy like that is perfectly normal, though not super common.

the main function of jb weld in this repair is not to hold it together, but to prevent the little wobbles that cause threads to wear and strip when there's not enough thread engagement. I didn't have jb weld and it's like $8 so I just used the blue (temporary) threadlocker that I had. It might have helped a minuscule amount but all that's pretty useless when there's only one or two threads engaged.

If I'd stolen more axle length from the dropout on the first repair I would have had like 5 or 6 threads engaged (at a 1mm pitch!) and probably would have just left the threads dry.

With the axle lost in the mail and my bearing cup finally shattered into 4 pieces it seems my options now are

• New wheel for $61 at Walmart.com
• Cheap new bike online
• Wait until I'm in Denver and buy the best used option I can find off craigslist

No really appealing options but with the ten speed slowly morphing into a non-stationary exercise bike I'm afraid I have to do something soon.

(has anyone just kept riding to see how hard it gets? Would it eventually lock up or be too hard to pedal even standing? Is there an electric bike that lets you climb hills on flat terrain by regenerative charging or such? I guess by definition it already has the feature of giving you the option of riding on flat ground, even on inclines. Beyond hills, the same technique could work for steady head or tail winds but probably not the 40mph gusts keeping me inside right now)

tessellahedron

I decided to wear a helmet to the store today. You guys kinda freaked me out and while I really can't live without risk I'm not completely crazy. As I was on the way there, maybe 8-10mph (normal speed on this bike), with my weight back, I asked myself what I'd do if the skewer broke. Then I realized, I already did break a skewer on this bike!

Last winter I used a $45 stationary trainer all winter. It came with a QR skewer. Of course I got what I paid for...

It broke as I was heading out of my apartment complex (I think I stood up because downshifting is hard on that bike).

You've probably experienced what happens when a bolt-on or QR axle is just a tiny bit loose. It works fine until you pedal hard, and then the right side pulls forward and the tire rubs against the left chain stay.

That's exactly what happened when the skewer broke except the tire was rubbing much harder. There was no option of simply pedaling thru it like you can sometimes do before stopping to tighten the axle. I was going slow and came to a stop in a matter of feet.

I bent down to tighten the axle and the lever end fell on the ground! It's funny now but I was pissed when it happened.

So, if you wanted to know what happens when a skewer breaks (at least on a low end '78 Schwinn with horizontal dropouts), now you do.

Also I wanted to say I do appreciate everyone's advice, even if I don't take it.

Hope your next ride's a great one.

McCycle

I still have that axle I would sell/ship, 130mm overall for 120mm OLD, threading is 3/8" x 26TPI.

This is a pic of it here, the store sold it to me not realizing it was SAE thread, not metric.


Nice axle, I would have taken it back to the shop by now, but way out of the way.

tessellahedron

I think you're passing up a great opportunity. Getting the right cones seems like the hardest part. Can you leave your wheel at the shop and tell them to call you when they have it sorted out and ready for pickup?

They might be able to return it to you fully reassembled with a new axle, cones and bearing balls. I'd pay at least $30 or $40 for that. If you add in gas money and it's over $50 I'd probably just replace the wheel for $60 though.

bicas.org !!!
There's a nonprofit in Tucson where donated bikes are disassembled. I haven't been there in 15 years but they used to have a large basement that was nearly full of crates of parts, all greasy and used but functional. I can't imagine needing a part for an old bike and not finding it there. The problem is getting there. I've heard there's nothing like that even in Denver but it's worth checking your area.

I welded up the frame for sheldon brown's tandem at home but all the other parts and labor came from that basement. (For $1 per part! )

McCycle

"I think you're passing up a great opportunity."

My axle is sorted, bike finished, near finished, are you ever finished..