Don't fault the guy for not buying the bike from you. He can crawl back to your shop with his head hung low, and you have no warranty or liability in this case. And still get to charge him for service.
Is he careful with the bike and avoid big bumps?
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
I'm not surprised. As a rule it isn't rider weight that breaks axles, it's the constant flexing do to chain load. So stronger riders are more likely to break axles than heavier riders who aren't as strong. Terrain is also a factor because climbing usually involves higher chain loads.
Just about every MTB I see with unknown history, 7 speed freewheel, and bolt on axles has a bent axle.
I assume the solid axles are made of much inferior material to the generally chrome-molly QR axles. However, one of the apparent benefits of the freehub design is to move the cones outward and thus give more support to the axle.
Or, does Walmart just sell bikes with pre-bent axles?
I wonder if the rider will choke if you come up with a plan for a $500 wheel to go on his $300 bicycle?
I agree that if you wish to do the bare minimum, try rebuilding the existing wheel with new name-brand spokes (heavier gauge as mentioned?). But the upgrade to a cheaper 7 spd freehub & cassette would likely be worth the added expense considering the customer is already paying for the wheel to be rebuilt.
Ideally you would find 48 spoke tandem hub (with 135mm spacing) and a heavy duty rim.
Unfortunately it is one of the things... add a little here, a little there, and expenses add up.
Here is a 40h hub with 135mm spacing for $36
Wheel Master Tandem Rear Hub - 40H, QR, 9-Speed Cassette, Silver
And a 48h hub for $100
Mountain Bike 135mm QR Rear Disc Hub 48H Black | eBay
Presumably you can also get discount prices from Shimano on the HF08 hub that can be spaced as needed for the frame.