Mountain Biking - newbie question

I used to ride alot and want to get back to it. Right now I am in the process of looking for a new bike. I have narrowed down my selection to either a cannondale f400 or a specialized rockhopper comp. As of right now, I have the first and only mountain bike I've ever had. It has a chrome moly hardtail frame with a rigid fork. It was purchased back in like 95 or 96 (i can't remember) It has a 7 speed cassette with shimano deruelers from and rear and old canteliver brakes. It is pretty overweight but I am not sure what to do to lighten it. Where should I start? The bike hasn't been riden lately, so it needs a full tune-up, and a lot of cleaning. I've never really done any work on a bike before, but i need to replace the brake cables, The are severely stretched, and I have almost no braking power. Is changing brake cables very difficult? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I used to ride alot and want to get back to it. Right now I am in the process of looking for a new bike. I have narrowed down my selection to either a cannondale f400 or a specialized rockhopper comp. As of right now, I have the first and only mountain bike I've ever had. It has a chrome moly hardtail frame with a rigid fork. It was purchased back in like 95 or 96 (i can't remember) It has a 7 speed cassette with shimano deruelers from and rear and old canteliver brakes. It is pretty overweight but I am not sure what to do to lighten it. Where should I start? The bike hasn't been riden lately, so it needs a full tune-up, and a lot of cleaning. I've never really done any work on a bike before, but i need to replace the brake cables, The are severely stretched, and I have almost no braking power. Is changing brake cables very difficult? Any suggestions would be appreciated. There is an adjuster that removes cable stretch or if it is too severe, loosen the cable and reattach it. Get a good maintenance book or check the repair section at www.parktool.com There is no cost effective way to lighten an old low end cromo bike, as everything on it is heavy including the frame and fork.Clean it up and ride till it goes TU,while saving for somehing more suitable.

Learn as much as you can about bike repair/maintenance on your old beater. Fix it ride it have fun and meanwhile save your money for a newer better lighter bike.

There is a whole other thread on Bicycle Mechanics here at BikeForums. Check that out first. Up top there are repair manuals from Barnetts that you can download. Those should answer about 95% of your questions. The Park Tool website is also helpful with good explanations and pictures.

L8R

Learn as much as you can about bike repair/maintenance on your old beater. Fix it ride it have fun and meanwhile save your money for a newer better lighter bike.

There is a whole other thread on Bicycle Mechanics here at BikeForums. Check that out first. Up top there are repair manuals from Barnetts that you can download. Those should answer about 95% of your questions. The Park Tool website is also helpful with good explanations and pictures.

L8R


That is what I was planning to do. I am saving money to buy either a cannondale or specialized. I plan on messing with all the components on my current bike to learn how they all work, and how to adjust them and fix them. I know how to do basic stuff, but i've never messed with the drivetrain before. I will also do some riding and work on all of those skills too. Then I'll be allready for my new bike.

Dont fear bike maintainance, its really much easier than you would think. Although it could be worth wile to make a couple purchases of some low(deore) end components for that old cro mo frame. just because if your skills kind of rusty, it would make an excelent tecnique practice bike. Its always nice to have a beater lying around on days your affraid you might break somthing. and you cant break a steel bike(unless you really try) oh and go with the specialized!!

Contrary to some of the other posts about an older "heavier" cromoly frame, my older cromoly hardtail bike (93 model DiamondBack Axis TR) is actually the lightest bike I own.... I have 2 DH bikes and a front suspension hardtail. The K2 DownHill racers weigh about 30 lb/each, the front suspension DiamondBack cromoly weighs right at 27 lbs., but the oldest Axis TR (cromoly) weighs in at just under 26 lbs. Remember the more gizmos you add to your bike, the more weight. Chances are that your rims may be where most of the excess weight is at. If they aren't aluminum rims, I'd at least get a cheap set to replace the steel rims. Unless you plan to ride in rough areas right away, I wouldn't worry about suspension until you get another bike....

Cables are one of the easiest repairs on a bike, if you're talking about the brake cables. Gear cables are tougher, only because you have to re-adjust the derailleurs...

Check out the local papers or eBAY for a good deal on a used bike. I've seen some real deals on full suspension bikes that sold for less than 1/4 of the MSRP, and were barely scratched. I know, because I bought one of those great deals.... K2 Beast MSRP $1500, I paid $475. It had two scratches on the rear swingarm, and one of the stickers on the toptube was coming off. Tires were 1/2 worn out. That's all that was wrong with it.... The bike was just over a year old.