BMX - I need help if this is worth fixing it up.

Hello my step dad has this yellow bike which he bought from a racer on the local Louisville race track. its a cruiser and it says FA all over the fork/frame. I need a new wheel because the original is screwed up.It weight 26 Lb:( Is it a good bike?

http://veruanna.rajce.idnes.cz/My_Bicycles/#album

free agent? possibly?

Yeah most likely a Free Agent.

http://veruanna.rajce.idnes.cz/My_Bicycles/#album


Its a OK bike But it weights 26 pounds!
http://veruanna.rajce.idnes.cz/My_Bicycles/#album

26 lbs isnt bad at all...

I would say its worth fixing, 26 lbs is light for a bike that size.

OK thanks. Any suggestions for a new back wheel. (not too expensive)

hazzard lite 24'' laced to odyssey cassette.

One question. by cassette you mean the free wheel or are you talking about the hub? Where the bearings are.
because I would rather keep the bearings and the freewheel. I just need the rim (wheel)

How much would that cost me?

Cassette is a type of hub, it uses a driver instead of a freewheel and is much more reliable.

That bike is actually decent. Clean it up a bit, and it would look nice too.

you mean like a fixed bmx that you cant cruise or are you just saying it is a better form of a freewheel kind of thing.

better than a freewheel

much better than a freewheel

So its not a fixed gear?

If there is nothing wrong with the hub just take it to a bike shop and have them lace up a new rim for you. An Alex DM-24 24" inch rim is only about $20.00 at the shops around here and it is usually another 20 or so to have it laced up if you don't know how to do it yourself.

Any more suggestions on a cheap but not too bad rear 24In rim?

Well i just went to my local bike shop and they said $50 !!!!!!!!!!!!
So i think i am not going to be able to get a new wheel for a while, but if i could do it my self it would be really good. But sadly i cannot. I would be fine with $20 but not with $50!

LOL 50 bucks is not expensive, might as well not bother fixing the bike up if you aren't will thing to throw down some cash. What were you expecting?

Well because i am 14 i cant really make a lot of money. So do you think i should learn and do it my self? Or is it safe to ride it ,because it has a small crack on the braking surface bit its only minimal.

If i would have a job then i would be fine but i don't have a job.

What about this? could i put my free wheel on it?
http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Alloy-Freewheel-Nutted-Silver/dp/B000C14MFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1241213866&sr=1-1

maybe. it depends.

would it stand up against mild BMX racing?

I know why they bent so easily. The Weinmann 519 519 Rims
Read these reviews! http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheels/Rim/weinmann/519-rims/PRD_352697_139crx.aspx

And how do you mean it depends?

I am thinking about getting one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Alloy-Nutted-Black-Wheel/dp/B000IQE67Y/ref=sr_1_91?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1241223742&sr=1-91

or..... http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Alloy-Freewheel-Nutted-Silver/dp/B000C14MFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1241213866&sr=1-1

racing is hardly "mild"

Word.

Well no i am not a competitive racer or am i signed up to race, i just want a bike that will stand up against SMALL jumps and so on. Just cruising on the track.

can you provide a pic of this small crack?

Many rims will show a tiny crack where they are joined, this is normal (most of the time anyway).

IMO it's better to have a rear wheel fail than a front :thumb:

What IS the difference between a freewheel and a driver?

g3ck0 That is what i want to know too!

keisatsu (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=111716): here are the photos on this web site. Click on them and they will be larger.
http://veruanna.rajce.idnes.cz/My_Bicycles/#album

When i look at it know the crack is pretty big!

That is indeed where the rim is joined together, though in your case it is separating.

I'd start saving some monies for a replacement.

If you want to learn how to build your own wheel, here's a cheap rim (http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=RM7505) (make sure you match the amount of holes in the rim to how many holes you have in your hub). I've had good luck with Alex rims.

Then figure out the spoke length you'll need, there are several calculators on the internet (http://www.bikeschool.com/spokes/), or you can have a shop help you. You can find spokes here (http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=catalog&Category=470&type=T), but remember, you need to find the correct length before you order.

follow Sheldon Browns (http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html) how-to for wheel building.

Wheel building takes time and patience, the most difficult part is getting the correct tension throughout the wheel.

It is very likely building your own wheel will end up costing more than a low-end off the shelf wheel, but you'll have the knowledge, and it is oh-so satisfying to build your own wheels!

It is indeed satisfying to build up a wheel. I didn't even take the time to true it because it's a junk wheel that I'm not going to ride, but it was fun and I'm glad I did it.

Gecko and evul9, a freewheel threads onto a freewheel hub like most older and a few newer bikes have. A driver is on a cassette hub. It it actually in the hub, with it's own bearings, pawls, etc. They allow you to run smaller drivetrains for weight savings and just the fact that it is out of the way more. They tend to last a long time with maintenance every once in awhile.