Originally Posted by
tellyho
I don't think anyone would agree that a strong correlation between play at the rim and bearing wear automatically implies the need for a new axle, cones and bearings. I've certainly had plenty of dump finds which have not needed an axle transplant.
Maybe, but only because many bikes are used so little before being tossed out. They say 75 miles from store to landfill is the average amount of use for low end bikes.
If the OP is planning to use the bike a lot it should be adjusted at a minimum.
I had a brand new, fixed rear wheel which loosened up during its first cruise. It was ok but I had gone less than 15 mi before catching it and walking home.
The kluge fix of the front wheel suggests maybe someone needed the bike on a regular basis and kept it rolling any way they could, which doesn't bode well for the "loose adjustment, no axle needed" theory b/c the bike may have been used regularly.
Of course, it would probabaly keep going for quite a bit with pitting cones and crappy adjustment, at the cost of extra drag and the risk of a snapped axle.
Incidentally, every freewheel bike I have ever had which had a rear wheel with play, inevitably also had a bent axle and pitted cones. However, I buy bikes sized for medium or larger guys.