Bicycle Mechanics - Cheapest route for new drive train?

I have a 1989 GT Hardtail MTB (21 speed) and I need to replace the chain and cassette. And perhaps the chain-rings too (the chain no longer rides in the valley and I can see daylight between 80% of the bottom of the chain and the chain-rings). I'm not sure if this is just a chain problem but have heard you must replace both if one if obviously worn, any thoughts?

I can't justify taking it to my LBS for this service as the bike itself is worth less than the repair. However, I do like the bike and ride it often as a commuter.

Is there a cheap route to go with this? I checked with Nashbar and Performance Bike but they do not seem to carry what I need. Heck, I'm not even sure what I need other than a seven speed cassette and a new chain (HG-IG, I don't know).

Any assistance will be appreciated,

ehenz

What do they charge for a new chain and cassette/freewheel (whichever you have)? Unless you want to stop riding the bike, the only way to take care of this is to put on a new chain and cassette/freewheel. You can save money and do it yourself, but you need the tools and a quick lesson. And Nashbar, et al., will carry 7 speed cassettes and chains readily. I saw some on Nashbar a couple of weeks ago. If they don't have them, you can find them somewhere.

What do they charge for a new chain and cassette/freewheel (whichever you have)? Unless you want to stop riding the bike, the only way to take care of this is to put on a new chain and cassette/freewheel. You can save money and do it yourself, but you need the tools and a quick lesson. And Nashbar, et al., will carry 7 speed cassettes and chains readily. I saw some on Nashbar a couple of weeks ago. If they don't have them, you can find them somewhere.

They charged me 29.00 for the chain, 19.00 for the cassette, and 20 bucks labor. That was for my Trek 730 with the same or simular set-up. So, I can't see myself spending 60 clams on an all steel 34 lb, 15 year old, commuter.

Also, What is the difference between a freewheel and cassette? Heck, I guess I don't really know what I need. I think I will tear it down tonight and get a better idea of what I'm looking at.

I did figured I would buy/borrow the tools I needed (Wheel puller and a special wrench is about all i need, I figure), or have my low end neighborhood shop put the cassette on.

Thanks for setting me straight about Nashbar, I know I've seen them in the past. I only looked int he catalog this time around.

Perhaps I'm just cheap (okay, I know I am) but I think I would be better off getting a Wally World replacement hardtail.

$29 dollars is extremely excessive for a 7-speed chain; the shop I'm at charges $11 for a KMC Z51, which is perfectly adequate and has a quicklink.

Sheldon Brown has a good article on the difference between freewheel and cassette: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html

Wow!

Thanks to the both of you, I'm feel headed in the right direction...finally.

ehenz

Hi ehenz, I went through the same thing this past spring. I would first remove the chain and freewheel/cassette another good site to look at is the Park Tools website for tool and know how. Some chainrings can be removed without taking off the cranks with the exception of the granny, so give that a go as well. When I did my bike, I only had to change the middle chainring, as the others were okay so check to see their condition. I read that grannies can be flipped and reused, so this is also a money saving option. As far as prices go, it sounds like they may have put on good components or they gouged you. Good replacement chains are available from KMC, like the Z82s, for example for $16. Canadian, a Blackspire or RaceFace chainring is about $30 depending on quality/lightness and a cassette should also be in the $15 range for an LX. I buy my parts from a co-op so they tend to be reasonably priced.

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml#chain

Regards
Gordon p

Thanks for setting me straight about Nashbar, I know I've seen them in the past. I only looked int he catalog this time around.

Ehenz- If you go the Nashbar route, don't forget to check the "Hot Deals" section of these forums for the current Nashbar coupons. That'll save you another 10% :) .

Is there a cheap route to go with this?

Any assistance will be appreciated,

ehenz

Here's another idea for you:

7-speed cassette (11-28) with a chain: $5.00 on ebay, $5.99 shipping. Not brand new but certainly cheap :) . With ebay though, make sure that's really what you need first. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3637058821&category=42320