Bicycle Mechanics - worth bringing back to life?

I have had this Raleigh M30 bikes since around 1999. It's dark green with tan lettering so I am not sure of the exact year but I would assume it is around 1998 1999. I'm assuming these are the specs if anyone cares.
http://www.bikepedia.com/QUICKBIKE/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1999&Brand=Raleigh&Model=M30&Type=bike

I have loved this bike however it has always shifted not right, infact I have ate some pavement a couple of times because of chain slipping. Lately I have been riding it back and forth to the gym until recently it decided to "not go anywhere", and just spin. I've been doing some reading and I am fairly mechanically inclined and have come to the conclusion that the freehub and/or the cassette are worn significantly.

Now for some reason I get in these tinkering modes where I want to fix things. Typically I am successful and complete the task. However I just want to know if it is actually worth my time and money to work on this. I planned on fixing all the issues one at a time due to time and money constraints (full time student and full time job)

Plans:
1. Just replace the entire rear wheel. It is somewhat bent anyways. I would probably replace the cassette and chain at this time too since they are almost 10 years old. When I first got the bike I rode it a lot, trails and long street rides. Would the below wheel be ok for replacement?
http://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikeparts/item/01-141516/wheel-26_inch/Wheel-Master--26x1.5%2C-Rear%2C-BO%2C-567-Speed%2C-Silver-Alloy-Wheel&category=wheel-26_inch

2. Shimano HG50 7 Speed Mountain Bike Cassette

3. My crankset is slightly bent, so i figured i would replace that too, Shimano FC-M361 Acera Crankset 175mm 42/32/22

3. Replace front shifter cable.

4. Possible replace rear derailleur. I think its bent as well.

Mainly going to be a road bike and occasional light trail if any at all. I would like to keep everything under 150, my main concern would be the rear wheel. Any suggestions would be helpful.

CrMo main triangle with hi-tensile stays. Not a great frame. Raleigh wasn't the company they used to be starting at some point in the early to mid 90's. However the bike can be a pretty decent grocery getter.

The failure you experienced has nothing to do with bike quality. Instead it has everything to do with bike neglect. Your freewheel or freehub is likely grunged up from grit or rust. If it is grit then it can be cleaned out and re-lubed. But more likely it has rusted into non functionality. If the wheel has a freewheel the solution is to replace the entire sprocket unit. If it is a freehub, which I sort of doubt, then you need to remove the sprocket cassete and replace the freehub core and then put the cassete back on..... or get a shop to do this work for you.

I've written about cleaning freehubs before. If you truly have a freehub instead of a freewheel or even if you have a freewheel the same info mostly applies. I've quoted what I wrote before below;

there is hope for you. I've cleaned and lubed my own freehubs lots of times without taking them apart. If you remove the rubber seal along the inner face if it is there (Only the better freehubs use one) then you can flush out the freehub using solvent by dunking the hub in solvent then lifting it out. The solvent will fill the insides and then drain out when you lift the hub up. A soak for an hour and then repeated dunkings to flush the insides will remove any sort of grit and old oil. Following that a spray clean around the gap at the rim of the bearing cup with brake cleaner from an autoparts store will blow away any stubborn remnants.

If it is still crunchy then it is due to rust and there's nothing you can do about that anyway. The couple that I took apart that were rusty invariably had rusty bearing seats as well so even new balls would not last long. So if it is still crunchy get a new one.

Assuming it's now flushed and silky feeling the lube operation is just another dunking but this time you want to use a fresh mixture of some heavy oil like chain saw bar oil and solvent. For this I recomend lacquer thinner so it will evaporate sooner. Mix equal parts oil and solvent and use a smaller container so you don't need a lot. Dunk the hub, remove and spin a few times then dunk again, spin again. When it's fully loaded and spun lift and drain and then set end down on a paper towel to soak up what drains still. Let dry for a few hours and it should be smooth, and have a nice muted click to the pawls. The thicker oil will last longer.

Grease is not something you want in the freehub. Grease on the pawls will prevent then properly snapping out and engaging the teeth and you'll curse at how often it fails to catch or skips. Oil is what you want and even then just a thin coating of something that won't wash away with the first rain. Hence my own choice of chain saw bar oil. I've got freehubs that have 3 or 4 seasons of Pacific North"WET" rain commuting and they are still silky smooth.


After all this time the wheel bearings will certainly benefit from a clean and re-pack. And likely new bearing balls from the bike shop or local bearing house as well.

The rims are likely both well out of whack on front and rear. Since you're so keen the and assuming there isn't big hollows worn on the brake surfaces of the rims your proper course of action is to true the rims up.

The rear derrailleur does not get bent very often. Instead it tends to bend the dropout hanger that it mounts to. A bike shop will have the special tool to check the hanger and bend it back into alignment. Pay the price to have this checked.

Your front derrailleur may well be bent as well. Or it may have shifted around on the seat tube a little. It needs to be checked and corrected as required. But it most likely does not need replacing.

Hopefully this write up has suggested that you do not need to "throw the baby out with the bathwater". But I've only touched on a couple of things. To get a better feel for all of this plus more guidance on the issues I mentioned above check out these links and read a lot of them;

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

It may very well be that your best solution is to replace the wheels and do some other replacements. But you should first look over what you have. Strip down both wheel hubs, the crankset that you THINK is bent (how the hell you bent a crankset is beyond me. Those things are normally TOUGH), your bottom bracket (check for play that would suggest that the cranks are bent), headset and other components. If it turns out that the wheels are both toast, the BB is dead, the headset is grooved and the cranks are indeed bent from being run over by a tractor then you may want to just write off the whole bike and start new.

But more likely only a few things need replacing and the rest just needs some TLC, time and a few specialty bike tools to be purchased so you can learn to do most of your own wrenching.

I am almost sure that it is free hub. You can slightly see the splines if you are looking behind the cassette, it is hard to see but you can see them.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html


What it does is it slips and every once in a while it will catch. You can hear it trying to catch.. so do you think it may just need cleaned and lubed? I'll get a tool to remove it and see what it looks like.

I have the brakes disconnected and can definitely tell there is a wobble in the rear tire and slight in the front. Is it possible to true up the wheels?

As for the crankset, I am not sure what is bent, it may just be the sprockets and the right pedal. With the chain off and spinning the pedals you can see a nice wobble in the sprockets, also the right pedal feels like it is out of place, maybe bent upwards.

The rear derailleur just looks out of place, so I may have the shop look at it. I think the rest of the stuff I can handle. Maybe I just assumed that I needed to replace all these parts. I think maybe just the front big sprocket needs to be replaced.

What it does is it slips and every once in a while it will catch..... so do you think it may just need cleaned and lubed?

And you're sure it's inside, and not a worn chain skipping on a worn cassette?

As already posted, depends on if it's grit or rust, and how bad it's gotten. A clean and lube can resurrect a lot of things, but not all.


... I'll get a tool to remove it and see what it looks like.

If it is a freehub you need to pull the axle to get it off, and to pull the axle you need cone wrenches.
Don't expect to learn that much from this manouver though, it'll only leave you looking at a splined cylindrical object with a couple of narrow circular gaps through which you can squirt in solvents or lubes.




I have the brakes disconnected and can definitely tell there is a wobble in the rear tire and slight in the front.

You need to be looking at the rim, not the tire. Tires can wobble even on perfect rims if they haven't seated correctly.


... Is it possible to true up the wheels?

In all probability - yes.
Sometimes nipples have seized on the spokes, or spoke length is off enough not to leave you any adjustability, or rims are too badly bent to be forced back into plane by spoke tension alone. But pretty much any wheel can be made truer, by adjusting the spokes.


... As for the crankset, I am not sure what is bent, it may just be the sprockets
,
Chainwheels can certainly get bent. Sheldon Brown has written about "straightening chainwheels". IRL they can have quite a bit of throw to them before they begin to have a significant impact on functionality.

...also the right pedal feels like it is out of place, maybe bent upwards.

That is worse. That too can happen, and I've always assumed it's from heavy landings. I've tried straightening crank arms as a stunt, and although successful I've never felt comfortabe about riding them after. OTOH unless your knees have any objections I've never had a crank arm break regardless how off the pedal axle has been. Left crank arms can be found as stand alone spare parts, but I've never seen only the right.

And you're sure it's inside, and not a worn chain skipping on a worn cassette?


If the chain and cassette are spinning but the wheel is not then I assume it has something to do with the freehub? Do these not go bad? It only does it when you cycle backwards then try to cycle forward, then you can sit there all day and spin until it catches then you are good for a little while then it slips and spins again. Even with the wheel off if you move the cassette back and forth it will slip just a little bit but not as bad as it will with the wheel on the bike.

I'll see if I can look into straightening the front chainwheels. I think that these are rivetted on there so I don't think they are replaceable.

1. Just replace the entire rear wheel. It is somewhat bent anyways. I would probably replace the cassette and chain at this time too since they are almost 10 years old. When I first got the bike I rode it a lot, trails and long street rides. Would the below wheel be ok for replacement?
http://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikeparts/item/01-141516/wheel-26_inch/Wheel-Master--26x1.5%2C-Rear%2C-BO%2C-567-Speed%2C-Silver-Alloy-Wheel&category=wheel-26_inch

This wheel is not compatible with a cassette. That's a freewheel hub. You can just get a 7sp freewheel (cheaper option than cassette) and use those wheels if you want.

+1 Its neglect, not the model.

That being said, you can find nice ready to ride mountain bikes around here for $100 to $125, and would probably end up with a better bike.

But even a replacement bike will need maintenance in the future.

For the flog and discard crowd, Walmart starts making sense.

The problem with the really great deals on used bikes (garage sales and thrift stores) is that they all will need work. Such work if done at a bike shop will usually exceed the value of the finished bike. So those types of bikes are best for people that have the time, tools and interest to work on bikes.

I have had this Raleigh M30 bikes since around 1999. It's dark green with tan lettering so I am not sure of the exact year but I would assume it is around 1998 1999. I'm assuming these are the specs if anyone cares.
http://www.bikepedia.com/QUICKBIKE/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1999&Brand=Raleigh&Model=M30&Type=bike

I have loved this bike however it has always shifted not right, infact I have ate some pavement a couple of times because of chain slipping. Lately I have been riding it back and forth to the gym until recently it decided to "not go anywhere", and just spin. I've been doing some reading and I am fairly mechanically inclined and have come to the conclusion that the freehub and/or the cassette are worn significantly.

Now for some reason I get in these tinkering modes where I want to fix things. Typically I am successful and complete the task. However I just want to know if it is actually worth my time and money to work on this. I planned on fixing all the issues one at a time due to time and money constraints (full time student and full time job)

Plans:
1. Just replace the entire rear wheel. It is somewhat bent anyways. I would probably replace the cassette and chain at this time too since they are almost 10 years old. When I first got the bike I rode it a lot, trails and long street rides. Would the below wheel be ok for replacement?
http://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikeparts/item/01-141516/wheel-26_inch/Wheel-Master--26x1.5%2C-Rear%2C-BO%2C-567-Speed%2C-Silver-Alloy-Wheel&category=wheel-26_inch

2. Shimano HG50 7 Speed Mountain Bike Cassette

3. My crankset is slightly bent, so i figured i would replace that too, Shimano FC-M361 Acera Crankset 175mm 42/32/22

3. Replace front shifter cable.

4. Possible replace rear derailleur. I think its bent as well.

Mainly going to be a road bike and occasional light trail if any at all. I would like to keep everything under 150, my main concern would be the rear wheel. Any suggestions would be helpful.

It's sounding like you have multiple issues. If it was a case where you only needed a new wheel, or only needed a crankset, or only needed a cassette, chain and rings, then it would be worth fixing. But when you combine all these issues, and the fact that even those things like bottom bracket, shifters, brake pads, and tires are already ten years old, it becomes clear a new $200 bike is the better choice. You aren't limited to Wal-mart bikes. Chances are you can find 2009 or 2008 hybrid bike at a shop on clearance well within that price range.

Thanks for the responses, I think that this has made me realize that I don't need to dump more money in an older bike. I wouldn't mind having this bike actually work though. I thought replacing the rear wheel (i am pretty certain the rear wheel is bent) would be more cost effective then replacing the free hub. The bent wheel isn't that significant. The bike has definitely been neglected over the years. I would like to somewhat bring it back to life. So I will take a look into the cassette/freehub. Could I take an impact to the cassette or do I need to buy the chain holder. Obviously I need the lockring tool.

I'll check into that and then replace the shifter cable. I think I'll be alright with the front chainwheels being being as long as it doesn't effect shifting. It's just kind of annoying with the chain rubbing the derailleur when it is on the top gear. Maybe I can adjust the derailleur for it to not do that anymore.

Then lastly I will probably just replace the wheel bearings, assuming that these are replaceable? anyone know size? does it depend on wheel size or hubs? thanks

Look in thrift stores for a cheap bike to use for parts or even as a replacement.

Do you have a bike coop in your town? If so, I would recommend going there, becoming a member and then apply what you learn to your bike.

I ran into some pretty good stuff today. I got a Sun wheel with cassette, front shifter with cable (sram), extra cable for the rear derailleur (don't need yet), chain lube (some blue drip stuff), mountain bike bar ends, tire levers, brand new rst omni front suspension fork (i know doesn't fit but pratically free) and a nice misc bag of golf balls all for $30.

I worked on the bike for 5 hours doing a bunch of stuff that had been neglected and adjusted the derailleurs all thanks to bike tutor and the sheldon website. I think the bike actually rides better than the day I bought it, definitely shifts better now except I can not get the front to shift all the way up on the big sprocket.

Another think is there is something wrong with the bottom bracket/crankset because there is some play... also the derailleur is not connected like other ones I have seen. It looks like it is held in place between the bottom bracket and crankset. So it moves around alont with the crankset. I actually took a screw clamp to hold it in place for now. So question is... does it just need to be serviced or tightend, or do i need a whole new one. Can anyone recommend one under $50 possible with the crankset

Can you post some photos? Regarding the front d, it's probably an "E-type" and should have a U-shaped opening that fits against the seat tube to stop it from turning.
You'll need a BB tool of the appropriate type to tighten/loosen the BB, and a crank remover of the correct type to remove the cranks first, and probably a pedal wrench to remove the pedals before that.

ill get some pics up when i get the chance.. you think it may just need tightening? I think that is what is making the crankset look like it is bent.