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Monterey SL or Monterey - Looking for advice

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Monterey SL or Monterey - Looking for advice

Old 03-27-22, 03:35 PM
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AChow
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Monterey SL or Monterey - Looking for advice

Hi - I've been looking for a vintage bike to ride in the summers in Toronto. I wanted something inexpensive that I could learn to service, but that would also be fun to ride. After keeping an eye on Kijiji over the last few months, I finally took the leap on a NordCo Monterey or Monterey SL (not sure which!). I'm looking for advice on what to buy in terms of replacement parts, and cost estimates for the parts. I am an absolute newbie - I used to bike a lot as a kid and have used Bixi for the last few years, but have never worked on a bike other than to oil the gears before use.

Here are the details:

Current State:
  • Scratched paint on the frame with no rust;
  • The bike is quite light...I'm 5"2, light framed, and just got over a bout of COVID, but am easily able to lift it one handed.
  • SR handlebars with suicide levers;
  • New brake pads, but the brakes on the left side don't close completely;
  • Suntour ARx derailleurs;
  • Suntour AR gears;
  • Looks like a 12 speed (2 spoke wheels on the geers x 6 on the derailleurs);
  • Very rusted chain - It needs to be replaced ASAP in my opinion, i.e. this week;
  • Vetta seat that's worn but serviceable;
  • Esquartz-102 pedals;
  • Wheels are totally flat.
The bike was listed for $270, and I bought it for $100 as-is. Serial number is Y4E4383. If possible would love to know if this is an okay deal - I went into this knowing I may have overpaid.

I'm not able to attach photos yet, but will do so ASAP.

I want to get to the following future state:
  • Brakes should work perfectly, and I'm also fine to remove the suicide levers. Last bit is not absolutely necessary;
  • Chain definitely needs to be replaced;
  • I'm hoping I can just clean and keep the current gears and derailleurs as I understand they're serviceable/good;
  • New bike tires;
  • I would love to be able to repaint the bike, but that's a nice to have.
  • I don't want to spend more than $150 in additional money on this (i.e. $250 total, including the cost of the bike)
Here are my questions:
  • What tires should I get?
  • What's the most cost-effective way to deal with the chain/gears situation?
  • Does it make sense to disassemble the bike now, repaint/refinish/ and then really give everything a deep clean? I don't have any specialized bike tools, but do have a good set of hexes, etc. How much would this cost, and should I just get a professional to disassemble it for me?
  • Did I miss anything?
I have about 20 hours to devote to this project, and I love tinkering, but I also want to ride this bike once the weather warms up!

Thanks for your help!
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Old 03-27-22, 03:44 PM
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Oh, and the cantilever breaks are Dia Coupe.
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Old 03-27-22, 04:44 PM
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Just buy what you have to have to keep it running when something breaks or can't be adjusted correctly. I'm assuming that you are talking about something from the 1970's. Old stuff can be more expensive to find NOS parts to work with the other components on it. There are some third party component makers that make some compatible stuff, but that still gets expensive quick if you have to change out two or more components to solve for one broken component.

Ride it and enjoy it. When you realize it isn't doing something well for you, then get a bike that better suits that need.
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Old 03-27-22, 07:44 PM
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If you’re a newb and want to get riding right away then you will probably want to skip an entire tear down. If you’re not in a hurry to get riding, then right now is probably the best time to tear it down to the frame, clean it up, paint it, reassemble and get everything dialed in. You should know that a frame-up rebuild might be more of an undertaking than a newbie would want. Only you would know.

At a minimum, you’ll want to get the brakes sorted, make sure the shifting is adjusted and working properly, and install new tubes and tires. Before you throw out the old tires, note the size indicated on the sidewalls for reference. Also, keep the old rusty chain at least long enough to use as a length reference for the new one.

You should be able to get the bike into a safe, rideable condition for well below your $150 limit. A frame-up rebuild (including a decent paint job) will blow through your $150 budget.
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Old 03-27-22, 08:29 PM
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Post pictures of it when you can. You only need to make about ten posts or so, so just comment on any threads on any forums here on BF to give you the minimum number of posts needed to be able to post pictures of it.

Having not seen it, my guess is that you did get a good deal for $100.
My advice is IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
Your local bike shop can replace your chain with a New chain, including the labor to replace the chain for about $25 total or less, or contact another local bike shop and deal with the shop that will. Some Local Bike Shops (LBS) have the most prestigious bike lines and very affluent clientele, and dominant market share locally, thus they can afford to be snobby and choose not to wish to have such customers with old bikes, unless that customer is willing to pay thru the nose(exceedingly high prices) on simple routine items. Not all LBS are like this, because they all cannot afford to turn away customers with ordinary older bikes.

I'm guessing that your 12 speed has (630mm) twenty-seven inch wheels.
Tires and tubes are WIDELY AVAILABLE but you will NOT find them at your local bike shop. Reason: they want to sell new bikes, they DO NOT want to stock tires that will keep OLD machinery in operation.......they can pull the wool over most folks eyes, by saying look Ms. or Mr. or Mrs. Smith, as you can see we don't carry tires for your old bicycle anymore, and they are becoming rare (outright lie) so you should just look at buying the new model XX brand model yzw, that we have right over here, doesn't it look great, and you'll look great on it, your friends will love it too, and its all New with a 6 months warranty on the frame, and we will guarantee that it stays in perefect tune for 90 days, bring it back during those first 90 days and we'll make any necessary adjustments free of charge, after the first 90 days however such tuning adjustments will incur a $200 an hour minimum shop labor fee plus applicable parts fees, misc shop supplies fees,applicable sales taxes, and potential applicable storage fees for bikes not paid for & picked up within 72 hours after service work has been completed. Don't you just love the local bike shops??

Tires and tubes will need to be sourced from some large web bike shop or that web bike shop's Ebay store, or their website. Examples of excellent ones are Bikesmiths, Trailthis, Wheel & Sprocket, Bells Bike Shop and about half a dozen others.

Your bike has SUNTOUR components which are good (durable), unlike some old sixties and seventies era bikes with certain Campagnolo & Simplex components which are junk by comparison.........coveted & prized junk, but still junk are those prized Campy & Simplex items!

I am assuming that since you're 5 foot two, that the bike you have is a small frame that fits you adequately. If its anything bigger than say a 19" (nineteen inch) frame from crank center at bottom bracket to the frame seat tube end....... IF the frame is larger than that, you may want to consider finding another bike that fits you better.
My assumption is that this bike is 19" or no bigger than that, so it fits you perfectly.

Depending on how clean and well kept the bike is (stored in a garage/barn/basement etc.....not open to the elements...i.e. rain/snow etc) will tell you alot.
I would advise just initially DRIP OILING into the freewheel and wheel bearings, to be able to ride the bicycle and assess its overall operation BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING WITH THE BIKE SHOP removing/cleaning/oiling-possibly replacing anything!!!
Just get some fresh new left over automotive motor oil from bottom ounce or so left in the can after a car's oil change, etc (you might have such a oil can already in your garage....or you can get the remaining remnants from a can thrown in the trash can by someone at a O'Reillys/Advance/AutoZone/Pep Boys/Napa/CarQuest etc by someone with an older piece of junk oil leaking GM/Jaguar/Chrysler/Ford/Porsche/Chevrolet/VW etc vehicle.........you'll see folks all the time adding oil and topping off their oil leaking/oil burning vehicles in the parking lots of these auto parts stores..............there is enough left at the bottom to DRIP OIL your bike...... This way, you won't have to spend $5 to buy a quart of motor oil as you certainly won't need 30 ounces of that 32 ounce quart.
Doesn't really matter much, what brand or weight of the fresh AUTOMOBILE motor oil that you do get to use.........regular or synthetic doesn't matter either, although yeah if you've found or already got something like Mobil 1 ................. USE a GOLF TEE or a NAIL, or Long thin WOOD SCREW, or piece of coathanger wire TO DIP INTO THE fresh motor oil and then LET IT DRIP DROPS OFF OF IT INTO YOUR freewheel and axles of both wheels........obviously you'll turn your bike on its side, outdoors over ground/grass(not paved concrete patio-driveway etc) Spend about twenty minutes or so Dripping OIL, two or three big teardrops at a time into each wheel axle and freewheel.......................YOU'LL SEE THAT SOME OF THIS FRESH OIL WILL SEEP INTO THERE...........then spin the wheel repeatedly......repeat the process for both sides (you'll need to turn the bike on its side again, but the other side,....). Your wheels should keep spinning longer....like a spinning top, after being Drip oiled with fresh oil....that is what you want............... YOU MAY WANT TO SPEND LONGER THAN 20 minutes doing it TO LET THE OIL SEEP & PENETRATE DOWN INTO THERE. ******Do Not USE 3--IN-1 OIL, as it is not Motor Oil..............3--IN-1 OIL does also come in a sae20 Motor Oil in which is labeled as such and has a BLUE paint color labeling on the tiny metal dispenser can, while the regular 3--IN-1 OIL (that you don't want, its not motor oil) is RED paint color labeling on the metal dispenser can.******* Note: I don't know exactly if those 3--IN--1 products still use the same colors today in 2022, so be sure to read the labeling. Again, Do Not Use 3--IN--1 oil, unless it is the motor oil labeled version!!!

Again, no need to replace cables, IF the existing cables function properly.
However, you should be aware that there is a very good, affordable replacement cable set that can be purchased NEW for between $10 and $14 total. No need to spend more than $14 from whatever retailer website- amazon that you choose to source the BELL PITCREW 600 cable set from.
Ace Hardware online typically has the best pricing, although AMAZON sometimes matches it, Walmart once had it for $10 also, but it has seemed Walmart has increased its pricing by about two dollars. Some Walmart stores carry it on the shelves, and you'll find it on their website.
Google: BELL PITCREW 600 cable set
It is widely carried on several major retailers' websites. It is a good product despite the extremely low cost!
You will NEED a $16 Brake Cable Cutter in order to make clean cuts in the new cables...
Bikesmiths' ebay store has this brake cable cutter for approx $16 on EBAY.........no need to spend twice as much or more for one that says Pedros or PARK Tool, as neither of those are any better, unless you're gonna do a hundred bikes, well yeah perhaps so that the PARK tool cutter might last through 643 bicycle cable changes, while the $16 version might last through only 388 bicycle cable changes..... You'll get more of your moneys worth out of the $16 brake cable cutter than the more expensive PARKS or PEDROS cable cutter.
Search EBAY(all categories) for: Brake Cable Cutter
You'll find this no-name red colored version brake cable cutter that Bikesmiths and several others carry for approximately $16 total. You'll see it looks almost exactly like the PEDROS labeled version and not too different from the PARK TOOL version.
Again, you DON'T NEED NEW CABLES unless your cables aren't functional, or are problematic in another way, THIS IS SIMPLY TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THIS AFFORDABLE REPLACEMENT CABLE SET IS AVAILABLE SHOULD YOU NEED IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
As the ol' saying goes: The More You Know.........the more you know.....
NEVER HESITATE TO ASK ON ANY FORUM ON ANY SITE CATERING TO BICYCLES or Do-IT-Yourself tasks etc, ABOUT HOW TO DO SOMETHING. Yes, there is always one southbound end of a northbound mule on every forum that attempts to bully and run-off folks with bicycles without the proper exclusivity and pedigree. Don't let those fools intimidate you. Those jokers will tell ya that oh the bike is too old, has old technology and is not worth the expense of replacing the tires or tubes. You also must understand that many of those imbecile jokers doing that are bike shop employees who have a vested interest in seeing certain older bicycles not returning to practical everyday use. These imbecile jokers get even more heated when there is the prospect of keeping a Walmart or Target bicycle going strong, as just for example see how much they love the low cost Kent Genesis Sabre / Kent GMC Denali which has proven to be a reliable low cost Wallyworld special for more than the past fifteen years. As you can see, such a bike like that particular Walmart Kent product, wouldn't be something practical to take to the LBS for servicing as most LBS' would charge more for service-tune up than the bike did cost at Walmart.............yet there are thousands of these five to seventeen year old Denalis going strong........there is a cult following on these bikes....... this bike is still made, although the licensing deal with GM ended a few years ago, so the bike is labeled Genesis now instead of GMC Denali as it was for some fifteen years or more. Certainly, this Denali/Genesis bike isn't state of the art, or lightweight for today, but other than being 21 speed .....with a 7 speed freewheel and triplle ring up front and approx 29 to 30 pounds.....................this essentially is no better or no worse than your particular bike from circa 40 years ago. One could argue that the Suntour freewheel and suntour rear derailleur from your bicycle if in good shape is better-more durable than the rear derailleur & freewheel of the Denali, but not by too much, as the Denali isn't bad in that respect. The Kent Denali / Genesis bike will probably have better wheels than the inexpensive most basic ten and twelve speeds of your bikes' era but that doesn't mean the old basic bicycles weren't good from a practical-functional perspective.
Remember that not everyone really needs the latest greatest technology and super-lightweight, fast bicycle. The LBS shop people will try to convince you so because they have to sell product to remain substantially profitable so they can remain an ongoing concern. They want to perpetrate the ongoing myth that everybody needs the latest and greatest, and perhaps only the bicycle spoke for brains dimwits that are employed as staff in local bike shops actually believe that.

Get it running first. Then evaluate it and assess what it might need, and how much you like it. Then carefully calculate what you can source and do, versus what you'll need the LBS to perform. If you study YOUTUBE & other web related detailled instruction, you can certainly do some, so that you significantly reduce your cash outlay with the LBS. Also, if you know a sufficient amount of knowledge beforehand, you are less likely to fall for the bs that Jason the dimmest bulb on the christmas tree at the LBS tells you. I'll say that it is important to find a LBS that has an older proprietor is long established and does cater somewhat to servicing ordinary old bicycles of working class common people, as well as servicing & sales to the typical affluent "cyclist". Ask around among your neighbours, colleagues, and friends about which LBS is best for your needs, and then ask specific detailed questions of the mgr/proprietor as to costs etc before proceeding with any proceedure. If you already know and are familiar with a particular LBS' proprietor, well then you don't need to be too much like Joe Friday, but if you don't know them , then its best to know before so that there are no surprises.
Have fun with it. I'm sure you'll get it cost effectively back on the road where it will be a great dependable rider that you'll enjoy!
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Old 03-27-22, 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
Just buy what you have to have to keep it running when something breaks or can't be adjusted correctly. I'm assuming that you are talking about something from the 1970's.
6 speed so no earlier than mid - late 80's
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Old 03-27-22, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by dedhed
6 speed so no earlier than mid - late 80's
6 speed goes much farther back than that. My 1973 Raleigh Professional had a 6 speed freewheel
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Old 03-27-22, 09:10 PM
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
6 speed goes much farther back than that. My 1973 Raleigh Professional had a 6 speed freewheel
It's a Norco with ARX (1981 intro) and turkey levers so 6 s probably didn't filter down to that level for a while.
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Old 03-28-22, 06:51 AM
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Thanks for all the advice! Couple of comments and questions:
Comments:
  • The frame is 20 inches, which works well for me, I can easily get on and off.
  • Bike wheels are 27 inches, and the current (deflated) tires say "700 cc" on them, which I understand to be standard.
Questions:
  • Any suggestions for a specific make and model of mid-range road tires I should buy?
  • It seems that buying the chain is not straightforward. Or is it? Is there a specific make and model that I should go for?
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Old 03-28-22, 06:53 AM
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Depending on how clean and well kept the bike is (stored in a garage/barn/basement etc.....not open to the elements...i.e. rain/snow etc) will tell you alot.
I would advise just initially DRIP OILING into the freewheel and wheel bearings, to be able to ride the bicycle and assess its overall operation BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING WITH THE BIKE SHOP removing/cleaning/oiling-possibly replacing anything!!!
Just get some fresh new left over automotive motor oil from bottom ounce or so left in the can after a car's oil change, etc (you might have such a oil can already in your garage....or you can get the remaining remnants from a can thrown in the trash can by someone at a O'Reillys/Advance/AutoZone/Pep Boys/Napa/CarQuest etc by someone with an older piece of junk oil leaking GM/Jaguar/Chrysler/Ford/Porsche/Chevrolet/VW etc vehicle.........you'll see folks all the time adding oil and topping off their oil leaking/oil burning vehicles in the parking lots of these auto parts stores..............there is enough left at the bottom to DRIP OIL your bike...... This way, you won't have to spend $5 to buy a quart of motor oil as you certainly won't need 30 ounces of that 32 ounce quart.
Doesn't really matter much, what brand or weight of the fresh AUTOMOBILE motor oil that you do get to use.........regular or synthetic doesn't matter either, although yeah if you've found or already got something like Mobil 1 ................. USE a GOLF TEE or a NAIL, or Long thin WOOD SCREW, or piece of coathanger wire TO DIP INTO THE fresh motor oil and then LET IT DRIP DROPS OFF OF IT INTO YOUR freewheel and axles of both wheels........obviously you'll turn your bike on its side, outdoors over ground/grass(not paved concrete patio-driveway etc) Spend about twenty minutes or so Dripping OIL, two or three big teardrops at a time into each wheel axle and freewheel.......................YOU'LL SEE THAT SOME OF THIS FRESH OIL WILL SEEP INTO THERE...........then spin the wheel repeatedly......repeat the process for both sides (you'll need to turn the bike on its side again, but the other side,....). Your wheels should keep spinning longer....like a spinning top, after being Drip oiled with fresh oil....that is what you want............... YOU MAY WANT TO SPEND LONGER THAN 20 minutes doing it TO LET THE OIL SEEP & PENETRATE DOWN INTO THERE. ******Do Not USE 3--IN-1 OIL, as it is not Motor Oil..............3--IN-1 OIL does also come in a sae20 Motor Oil in which is labeled as such and has a BLUE paint color labeling on the tiny metal dispenser can, while the regular 3--IN-1 OIL (that you don't want, its not motor oil) is RED paint color labeling on the metal dispenser can.******* Note: I don't know exactly if those 3--IN--1 products still use the same colors today in 2022, so be sure to read the labeling. Again, Do Not Use 3--IN--1 oil, unless it is the motor oil labeled version!!!
Just to be clear, the chain is pretty rusted through...Should I replace the chain and then do this?

Thanks for all the helpful advice!
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Old 03-28-22, 07:21 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by dedhed
6 speed so no earlier than mid - late 80's
If it has 2 spokes on the gears x 6 on the derailleurs=12, then is it not a 12 speed? Or am I completely misunderstanding how this is supposed to work?
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Old 03-28-22, 07:33 AM
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Originally Posted by AChow
If it has 2 spokes on the gears x 6 on the derailleurs=12, then is it not a 12 speed? Or am I completely misunderstanding how this is supposed to work?
Yes, but he's referring the number of cogs in the back which how we refer to things anymore.
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Old 03-28-22, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by dedhed
6 speed so no earlier than mid - late 80's
You are probably correct for when they were common. Especially for that bike. Schwinn had a 6 speed rear on the Super Le Tour II back in 1979. I think other brands might have been earlier. Interestingly Schwinn's top of the line Paramount didn't have a 6 speed rear till later and the 1980 Schwinn catalog has no 6 speed rears in it. Six speed rears show up again in the 1981Schwinn catalog.
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Old 03-28-22, 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted by AChow
If it has 2 spokes (chainrings) on the gears (crankset) x 6 on the derailleurs (rear/freewheel/cassette) =12, then is it not a 12 speed? Or am I completely misunderstanding how this is supposed to work?
Yeah, your nomenclature needs some work/updating.
As the number of cogs in the back started to climb, the accepted nomenclature evolved to the point where now the "speeds" typically refer to how many rear cogs. For example "10 speed" in this day & age means 10 rear cogs not total speeds. It means when looking for compatible parts you base it on rear speeds. These are further designated by front chain rings so a drive train will be described something like 3x7, 2x10, or 1x11.

Regarding the chain, any 6/7/8 speed designated chain from makers like KMC or SRAM is fine. The factory lube on a new chain is adequate for many miles depending on riding conditions. Once the industry got over 8 speeds, the chains got narrower on the outside (not inside) as the number of rear cogs climbed the cogs got closer together to fit more into the same space.
so now you have 6/7/8 speed then 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s chains.

Last edited by dedhed; 03-28-22 at 08:14 AM.
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Old 03-28-22, 08:18 AM
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I'd also suggest you use some of these resources for repair/parts help.

​​​​​​https://www.cycleto.ca/DIY
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Old 03-28-22, 10:28 PM
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Yes, if you deem that the chain is too rusty to do 25 to 30 miles total miles of about 8 individual "shakedown" rides of about 3 to 3.5 miles each over a period of days....week,,,etc, then yes, absolutely install or have a new chain installed. One of your local bike shops can do it cost effectively, as chain replacement is a rather simple, quick and routine proceedure for them. Again, the total cost including labor to install the chain should be no more than $25 tops! Yes, you probably can purchase a chain on your own for no more than $10 to $12 depending on where you source it, but this is one thing to let your local bike shop do it, if you haven't done it!
Why? Because they should have the chain in stock(supply chain disruption might be causing shortages, if others are also replacing chains as Winter is over and the Spring riding season is upon us). The chain will be installed perfectly. Yes, it is fairly simple to install a chain, but often folks who have never done it often don't get the chain linked securely and properly, despite how simple it is. The other reason that someone who is unsure about how and what particular chain....etc,.......a good local bike shop is not gonna install the wrong chain! .......there is zero chance in that........................as to the various brands of replacement chains.........none of that matters too much if it properly fits..............................sure, certain brand chains might make a difference on a someones' triathlon competition bike as when the bike probably weighs 14.5 pounds, but the difference in chain brands will be indistinguishable on an ordinary bike such as yours. You probably do want to telephone your local bike shops during the day, but not near late in the afternoon or near closing time in the evening, as this is when folks who have left their offices at the end of the workday go to the bikeshop to pickup bikes they've had serviced, or go to shop for accessories & new bikes, or to drop off bikes for service work, -or- they go to the LBS shops at this time to muster & cue up for the evening group ride. Be cognizant and respectful that such times are busy, so try telephoning them earlier and confirm from a manager or the proprietor what the total cost to just replace your chain on an old 12 speed, and do also ask if there would be a possibility of bringing it in and having it done while you wait, and if so, what would be the most convenient time for them, for me to come by and have them replace the chain I wait. If they can, they will be happy to oblige you and install the chain while you wait IF THEY ARE NOT SO SWAMPED WITH REPAIR WORK & STAFF SHORTAGES DUE TO COVID, etc.

Your existing chain might not be as bad as you think for just doing a few short shakedown rides. You know best as I haven't seen the bike. Whatever you do, you should keep your "shakedown" rides short, perhaps just 3 to 3.5 miles, and I wouldn't go farther than two miles from your home base, starting point, in case you do have to walk the bike back home. For this reason, I'd recommend 3 to 3.5 miles in a circular pattern, or an 1.5 to 1.75 out and 1.75 etc back route so you are never more than two miles of walking distance from your home base starting point. Be sure to pick a safe, low traffic, low speed limit.....nothing above 35 posted speed limit, and carry your cell phone, and wear brightly colored clothing, and do wear a bike helmet. Do this only in the daytime, and do not do this within the last 45 min before sunset, in areas with automobile traffic. Why? Because for example as sunset nears, automobile drivers heading due west will often encounter blinding sun as the low angle of the sun still yields extremely bright sunshine at such an angle that often causes momentary blind spots during that 10 minutes or so that the sun is in that position. As you know all roads aren't flat like a billiard-pool table, and this blind spot from sunshine occurs most for drivers during this time, when the road goes slightly up hill, due west, or when the road goes snakey like in other directions and then begins to proceed due west into the sun at this time of the day................The angle of the sun, and even with the best sunglasses, motorists often get a brief 50 to 75 yard blind spot area in the road ahead of them. If you are riding a bicycle or a motorcycle ahead of them, in this no visibility "sun blind" blindspot, you might get hit by the suv / car at speed without them ever knowing anything or anyone was there.

You can probably also use your existing tires for "shakedown" testing rides, unless the the tire rubber is exposing the supporting structural material, looking somewhat like old blue jeans that are threadbare with ripping holes. You can pump them up if they hold air........if not, you'll need to install new, used, or patch the existing tube to complete enough "shakedown" runs. BEFORE YOU DO THAT THOUGH, MAKE DAD GUM CERTAIN THAT AT LEAST YOUR FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE DECENT or replaced, AND THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ON THE BIKE FUNCTION TO AT LEAST A MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE DEGREE BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO RIDE ON AN SHORT SHAKEDOWN RIDE or ANY TYPE OF RIDE BEYOND YOUR DRIVEWAY. Obviously, you will get the rear brakes in great shape, like you will get the front done perfectly, but the rear brake is not as essential, and it shouldn't be a major factor on short "shakedown" testing/evaluation and adjustment rides.
It goes without saying that you check over the bike so that if you or the prior owner took it apart, or replaced tubes or changed or adjusted the stem height or handlebars etc...........MAKE CERTAIN THAT NOTHING IS SO LOOSE THAT IF YOU PULL ON THE HANDLEBARS THAT THE STEM or HANDLEBAR POSITION MOVES......same thing for the axle nuts etc holding the front wheel in the front fork and holding the rear wheel in the rear dropouts...........Its probably fine but yes even long time experienced people have forgotten to snug the bolts down beyond just starting them with fingers when re-installing.....then they jump on the bike in the driveway and get a block up the street and go "whoa, like a dummy, I forget to tighten the dang nut."

On the subject of tires and tubes: As mentioned before, your bike probably has 27 inch wheels (630mm). My guess is you likely have (32-630) 27 x 1 1/4 tires on it.
If you don't want to change the tires and tubes yourself, you can get one of your local bike shops TO INSTALL THOSE THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED FROM OTHER ONLINE SOURCES.....Again ask them specifically what the total labor cost to install THE NEW TIRES & TUBES THAT YOU PROVIDE. They aren't gonna have anything twenty seven, nor would they want to source them. MOST LBS, IF THEY ARE GOOD, WILL AGREE TO INSTALL THE TIRES & TUBES THAT YOU PROVIDE THEM FOR A REASONABLE LABOR CHARGE. (my guess that you might be looking at maybe $16 to $20 per wheel to install them....so between $32 to $40 total just for the shop to install the new tires & new tubes that you've sourced/bought elsewhere................ANYMORE than that seems really expensive to me since it takes only a few minutes to install a tire and tube on a bike indoors in a well lit enviroment. .......but prices vary , so call and check around and specifically ask and know what they will charge you.

My guess is also that your bike likely has sidepull caliper brakes, with the old style 40mm diacompe style brake pad with the integral stud and single dome like nut to tighten it within the caliper's mounting slot. Alot of the old centerpull brakes & the old sidepull brakes of the seventies bike boom era did have those 40mm size brake pads. Go to Ebay, search all categories, for : 40mm brake pads or for: 40mm bicycle brake pads, or for: bicycle brake pads 40mm.
They are inexpensive. The GRAY colored very inexpensive ones are actually pretty good for use on old steel wheel 10 speeds/12 speeds, provided you aren't riding in the rain. The BLACK colored ones are terrible on old steel wheel bicycles, as the pad self-destructs/wears severely much faster when employed on chrome steel wheels, as the pad material isn't as good for steel wheels........Black colored ones will also exhibit squealing as they get a little use and begin to self-destruct and quickly wear.
There are others that are good too, such as the ones listed as Krate brake pads......for that collector stingray variant model.......these are pencil eraser colored and are the typical ordinary 40mm sizing that old ten speeds/5 speeds/3 speeds of the sixties & seventies had.
It is very simple to replace brake pads. You may find that you'd need to slightly file or sand the leading edge of the rubber pad material but that is nothing. Youtube will have plenty on how, yes, some of the instruction there might not be great or even correct but I'm certain you'll see a few that successfully did it in a near professional manner.

You might also benefit from obtaining an ex-library book copy of GLENN'S COMPLETE BICYCLE MANUAL (1973) by Clarence Coles & Harold T. Glenn, it is 338 pages or so and softbound 8 1/2 x 11 and has the picture on the cover of a kid's legs riding a Schwinn ten speed....kid is wearing low top dark colored Converse All-Star tenny shoes with white socks with three dark bands at the top of the socks......................Go to EBAY.......search all categories for: Glenn's Complete Bicycle Manual
You want to buy it from one of the several mega-used book sellers there with hundreds of thousands of transactions. Why from them? Well these mega-used book,old ex-library book sellers will have this book for less than $6 total including free shipping, as they ship so many dang books daily and they are so huge, no individual ebay person seller with one copy of this can compete with that price, as it would probably cost more than $5 to ship a book that size by first class mail or other ups/fedex, but book-rate us postal service is much less but an ordinary individual ebayer would choose to use that for multiple reasons.
Look at ebay each day for the next week or so, I'm certain you'll find at least one copy of GLENN'S COMPLETE BICYCLE MANUAL with a buy it now price of somewhere between $4 and $6 with free shipping................these will all be from one of the several mega-used book sellers there on the bay. Sure, you'll see some copies that individuals have one copy listed for three or four times that, but heck there is no shortage of copies of that manual as it had probably twenty-five printings between 1973 and 1976, probably close to a half a million copies or more and every library in the US probably once had it on the shelves in 1974 .
Its a great resource for any bicycle made between about 1935 and 1975. Your bicycle is probably maybe a decade newer than what was then on tenspeed bikes etc of the very early seventies, but there isn't too much difference as your model is fairly basic for the time it originally sold. There is an 1980's updated printing of that GLENN's that has a color cover, but I don't know if it has much more that would be applicable to your specific bike. Youtube videos of folks doing DIY on their bike projects will assist you somewhat, after you search around web threads and detailed written instruction on website threads/the cabe/bike forums/any other bike related site or blog etc.
Other folks hopefully might chime in with other suggested instructional material that you should see and any applicable threads to see and/or specific youtube videos to look at.
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Old 04-06-22, 04:12 PM
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Thanks everyone for all the advice! I did end up getting a professional at my LBS to install the chain and new tires, but I was able to replace the brake cables myself, and retape the handlebars. I wish I'd listened to the advice on the shakedown rides though - The suicide levers really get in the way of keeping my hands on the hoods. They sort of force me to the middle of the bike's handlebars, and it's super hard to keep good control of the bike. In addition to that, I have dainty (read: much smaller than average) hands, so it's even harder to get a good grip on the bike brakes. I'm pretty confident I can remove the suicide levers and put some washers in + recable everything - Any advice on this? I'm quite annoyed because the rest of the bike rides like a dream, still quite light even with new tires and everything in, and I'm hoping to take it for a spin by the lake on Friday.
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Old 04-06-22, 06:53 PM
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Those levers generally weren't designed to "ride the hoods" but the drops, and many didn't even have rubber hoods.
Some you have to remove the lever from the bar to remove them, others just a screw on the side. Depends on brand/model.
You might want to think about some modern aero levers that are designed to ride the hoods.
Something like a Tektro RL-320 is designed for "dainty" meaning smaller hands.
​​​​​​https://www.wiggle.com/tektro-rl320-...g-brake-levers
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