Originally Posted by
ScottCommutes
The 16 trashed bikes should have enough parts to make at least 8 or so good bikes without buying anything.
Sure, that makes sense. But a gym class has about 30 plus students, usually roughly divided in half for the 2 phys ed instructors. As well, then those remaining 25(ish) bikes would be further trashed, reducing the number again.
A lot of the issue was the bikes being assembled by the kids out of the box, so I found things like - both QR centering springs on one side or none at all, stripped QR threads, or busted QR lever, stripped pedal bolts, stripped stem preload bolt (or the star nut completely ripped out), stripped stem bolts, no grease on pedal threads nor seat post, crimped hydro hose. Then after riding them, they'd snap the deraillleur hanger (I had to order 10 new ones from the USA), a number of the chain links were plied apart...for some reason, jockey cage bent, rotors bent, sprockets in the rear cassette bent. Surprisingly, none of the wheels were out of true....well...1 or 2 slightly out of true.
I gave both physed instructors some guidance on how to close a QR, proper tire inflation, urge no jumping, do not lay down on the RD side, etc. I'm afraid though that a number of the students simply will not care. This is a rural high school and ATVs are the allure and smashing up a bike is entertainment.