Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Bike found in Garbage, need help making her go

Hi all,

Yesterday, while walking home from the store, I walked past an orange bike. Since I'm now in the habit of checking to see if the bike has somewhat horizontal drops because I want a SS/FG bike, I stopped and looked. It had horizontal, or close to, dropouts, though I don't know much about their usefulness for conversion. I have a closeup of the dropouts if it would help to see.

I'm basically looking for a little information on the frame; I'll start off by telling you what I know.

1. Made by a company called Columbia, from Massachusetts. A quick search revealed that they make cheap ass bikes.

2. Cranks are cheap looking by a French company called Nervar. I was excited for a second, thinking that France= good stuff, but looking at the quality I may have jumped the gun. The inner of the two chainrings is held on by one nub off the crank. (Edit- research tells me this is a one piece crank)

3. Brakes are real cheapy looking stamped with "Dia-Comp"

4. Front rim is an Alex something or other. Rear Rim fell apart as I was taking it out, all the bearing dropped out. I have everything.

4. The parts that holds the handle bars (stem, headset) look hollow, like one piece of metal rounded and folded over.

I have a few questions. Firstly, what's the absolute cheapest way to get this thing up and running. It was free, so anything I can reuse, I'd like to, keeping the project price here waaaay, waaaay down. I'm up for replacing things in the future, but seeing as this bike might be complete crap, there's no point in throwing great things on it, it can be my beater.

Can I reuse the rear hub and wheel? It not has a cassette on it, and besides being friggin filthy, along with the rest of the bike, is not in horrible condition.

Speaking of filthy, everything on the bike is ridiculously dirty. The BB is packed with dirt and crud, and sounds like a grinder, though it turns relatively smoothly. I'd imagine my cheap route would have me reusing the cranks and BB, so I need to flush the dirt out of there and repack it with grease. How do I do it? Any links or resources?

I may show a complete misunderstanding, but I'm new to this. Im relatively handy, but my limits on this project are monetary, not mental. I want to spend under $100, but keeping it under $75 or 50 would be preferable. I basically just want a singlespeed beater with the option of fixed at some point.

Here are some pics, not great quality.

http://s437.photobucket.com/albums/qq92/snoovequed/
http://s437.photobucket.com/albums/qq92/snoovequed/

looks like it was in the garbage for a reason...

what a horrible waste of time and money you are about to pursue

It is ugs and cheap, but might be good practice.

Thanks for the help. So I'll lower my budget to making it work as a SS/FG for little more than the cost of tools.

I'll want to know the mechanics behind it anyway, so I might as well learn on something I don't have to worry about screwing up.

If someone could provide some guidance, with the understanding that I know this is junk, please do.

Cheap! You can definitely do better. Check your LBS for trade ins or dumpster dive.

I wouldn't do anything with it unless it fits you. Even it was restored nicely, if it doesn't fit you correctly, you're going to injure yourself.

Well I already have bike to ride, and I love all things mechanical, so I'd like to build this one up, even if it is only cleaning things up and reinstalling them. At best, I can give it away, providing it is safe, or ride it myself, if it fits; at worst, I learn how to clean, lube, and assemble things for free, then have the bike around as a willing patient.

I don't understand wtf those rear dropouts are. Can someone fill me in?

I don't understand wtf those rear dropouts are. Can someone fill me in?

Horizontal Dropouts...but a cheap-o kind?

Horizontal Dropouts...but a cheap-o kind?

it like starts out vertical, and then goes horizontal later up, its so weird

and the drops are pinched, not welded.

if you made it fixed, you would end up ripping it right off.

dont do that.

the cranks are one-piece and look like it might be an American bottom bracket.

so, soooooo, so not worth it. seriously, you can spend the time restoring it, but you're going to spend a lot of time and money to basically re-build a walmart bike. let this one go...

Okay, advice taken, project dropped, bike will be in garbage again.

At least I got to take it apart I suppose.

even if it is only cleaning things up and reinstalling them. At best, I can give it away, providing it is safe,

this is the only honestly realistic option.
Even for that its hardly worth it though, unless you have a lot of free time.

sell it on craigslist, put in in yor fixed gear pot...

sounds like a POS- if you really want it, redish the rear at your LBS for like $15 and throw a cheap freewheel on it- There's your SS for ~$30 But yeah, I'm notoriously cheap and it sounds even to me like this thing is just crap- I'm definitely not one of those guys that says everything cheaper than $300 BikesDirect bike is a POS-

and the drops are pinched, not welded.

if you made it fixed, you would end up ripping it right off.

dont do that.

I have still yet to see this, or a one piece or cottered crank (properly installed) break.

Someone prove me wrong.

If you want to rebuild something, go to flea markets and thrift stores and look for something a little more suitable. Rebuilding old bikes that don't seem worth it is fun. Seeing something go from less than nothing to a ridable durable machine is awesome.

that looks like tallbike material.

garbage

Yea bro that thing is totally disgusting. Save yourself the trouble and put it back in the dumpster, or recycle it in a better way and just melt it into a ball of steel and build an iron cannon to shoot it with.

Is that a bicycle?

Its a total POS, but I don't see why you can't just clean it up, pack it full of grease, replace the brake cables, throw on a SS freewheel and have a really ****ty (but functional) bike for $30. Not a great use of the money, but if you really just wanna learn, why not?

Well let me reply:

First thing, I'm unemployed right now, so I do have lots of free time.

I understand it's crap, but I need an excuse to get some basic tools anyway (chainwhip, chain tool, spoke wrench, cog tool), and if it could be made to ride, it could be given away to a friend for free or at cost, or used as a junker for myself. $30 bucks sounds reasonable, and I already have a friend who said he would buy it if I could get it running. I would also be willing to learn to redish the wheel myself, as well as do any adjustments.

I think with a lot of cleaning, plenty of grease, and a little hard work this thing can be made to ride. Will it be wonderful? Hell no, but I'm sure someone could get a few miles in safely on the thing.

I suppose the first step is to flush out the dirty parts; I've heard different things will work, but I have naptha around (similar to nailpolish remover). Can I use it? Other cheap, widely available options?

Best cheap grease?

I recently sold a Columbia on CL for $175 after I bought it for $31 & cleaned it up with the help of my wife & son, we made a day of it & had fun.

Nice ROI. Maybe you could do the same. Search the C&V forum for "Columbia" bikes & see the love many still have for them.

For cheap grease I use waterproof marine wheel bearing grease. It's for boat trailers and is easy to find at any autoparts store for <$5. It is amber in color and kind of sticky

Seriously don't waste your time. You could probably find something nicer, or even decent, in a different dumpster, a thrift store, craigslist, etc. I found many incredible bikes (a chro-mo Univega mixte for $10, a chro-mo Univega touring bike for $20, a chro-mo Miyata touring bike for $30, a high end Super Vitus Peugeot for $50, a chro-mo Panasonic for free, and a high end Reynolds 853 Fuji with a carbon fork for $10) just by being on the lookout.

You're missing the point: it's going to cost a lot more than tools to get it riding.

What would the other costs be? Spacers for the rear wheel? Cables? Brake pads?

I'll buy the tools that I'd need anyway (eventually getting a bikes direct singlespeed, which will eventually become fixed) such as a whip, chain tool, lock ring/cog wrench, spoke wrench. If I can get the bike up and running with those tools, then cool. If not, back in the dumpster. Sounds simple to me.

Also, for those seriously worried about my time, don't be. I don't mind spending the time, as I genuinely enjoy doing stuff like this, which is the same reason I finished and assembled my bass guitar on my own.

The OP is being stubborn. I don't think we are going to get through that this is a waste of time and energy.

I know the feeling of the OP. I had a frame I found and I thought would be usable, but wasn't at all. After a ton of work / money spent, I now converted a Schwinn Collegiate frame to a decent SS, but at about the same price I could have got a Messenger or Kilo TT for. I REALLY advise against trying to build up around a frame.

I know the feeling of the OP. I had a frame I found and I thought would be usable, but wasn't at all. After a ton of work / money spent, I now converted a Schwinn Collegiate frame to a decent SS, but at about the same price I could have got a Messenger or Kilo TT for. I REALLY advise against trying to build up around a frame.

I would only convert a bike if the parts that were on it were good enough quality and in good enough condition to use. Replacing part after part is a bad way to spend money.

My Panasonic was kind of a money dump, but it was a okay frameset to begin with, and I was able to sell it later on. My girlfriend's Miyata is a different story because the only thing I did was buy a new chain and a singlespeed freewheel. Those 36h touring wheelsets really hold up over time.

The OP is being stubborn. I don't think we are going to get through that this is a waste of time and energy.
On the contrary, I've been quite successfully made aware that this frame is complete garbage, and any work I do on it is a complete waste. That being said, at least I learned a few things about bike parts by taking it apart, learned how to quickly identify a garbage frame (pinched dropouts), and got to take a bike apart with what I had around, which was fun.

Realistically I won't be doing anything with the bike, and I'll be waiting until I can afford a BD moto messenger. Who doesn't like something fun to mess around with though?

Thread over, bike trashed once again.

Thanks for the help, and for those who were kind enough to understand that sometimes people new to the world of biking get excited over random free stuff, even if it's garbage.