I have just bought a bike for 75 pounds which was unknowingly in very bad condition!

I have never fixed a bike before so have no experience. The bike shop said it would cost 250+ to repair but I am going to see how far I can get myself!

The handle bars would not turn so I am trying to take off the spacers so that I can detest the stem and headset. I have got most of them off apart from the last one which is seeming impossible!
in the process the wd-40 must’ve helped as the handle bars will twist now but not enough!


The spacer or compressor I am trying to remove

I am also trying to remove the chain so that I can derust it and see if it is in good enough condition after that!
it is a split link chain but I just cannot remove! I don’t have the tool to and don’t want to purchase one!
Have tried DIYS but they aren’t working.

if anyone has any advice would be greatly appreciated!

For starters, plan on a new chain. You've got your work cut out for you; probably you should have returned it to the seller.
Every moving part on that bike is suspect, and will probably require service.

Thank you was thinking new chain best,
Tried to return but they aren't replying unfortunately.
Any tips on removing the spacer/compressor?

A wire brush will clean off the dirt and rust, it may or may not be ok. That can be measured for stretch. Cranks look good.

The steertube that may have a split spacer holding the cup in place. You may be able to use some pb blaster on the steer to help loosen cup, maybe tap the top of tube with a hammer to open gap. Don’t pry at the gap that will bang it up.

Thank you, do you mean cleaning chain or should I buy new one, or see after cleaning?

I have tried hammering and spraying with WD-40, really isn't budging!

I think they meant the steerer.

Is it just me or is there a crack at the bottom of the seat stay? The rear wheel isn’t in the dropouts properly, maybe you shifted it? And obvs the dork disk is broken and hanging down.

Chain removal tool will push another pin out to get that apart.

Thank you for replying!
Where do you think the crack is sorry? and what did they mean by steerer!

Sorry if you can't tell know nothing at all about bikes sorry!!

No problem. We all had to learn (and still are)

Steerer is the metal tube that goes through the headset to the fork.

I’ll post a close up of what looks like it might be a crack…

You have a link on the chain to take it apart (next to your finger in the photo). Toss the chain in a plastic container with a can of Coke and two cups of vinegar. Let it set in that and check it after a couple days to see how the rust is coming off.

WD-40 isn't good as a penetrant. Kroil works much better. I won't give you the recipe for the best home brew stuff for rusty stuck bolts and nuts, because it will take off the paint too.

I just worked on an old bike that had been hanging in a garage for 25-30 years. It was in a similar state and I was able to get it back on the road with elbow grease and some real bearing grease. Steel wool, fine grit sandpaper (1000-2000), and my bench mounted wire wheel cleaned it up. You'll need the tools required to tear it down to the frame and get the bearings apart.

She knows that about the special link, she said so in the OP. It’s clearly rusted solid. Chain pliers would probably work but I would be breaking that chain and committing it to the recycling asap. A new 6speed chain is peanuts with a magic link.

thank you so much!
what tools helped you to get the bearings apart as I’m really struggling! Just won’t move at all tried all the techniques online

He means all the bearings, like bottom bracket, pedals, wheels, as well as the headset.

Could try some RP-90, let it soak in for at least a day, don’t know if you can get kroil in the UK. And then smacking the top of the steerer tube with a rubber mallet on top of something that isn’t going to damage the tube might persuade the top bearing to let go.

The chain is a easy replacement and fairly inexpensive. Although you do have to size the chain you get to the correct length for that bike. You might could just size it to the same number of links as the chain on it now. But being a used bike in poor condition, then you don't really know if a previous owner replaced it sometime in the past and correctly sized it or not. And sizing a chain requires tools. Many people today don't have the skill set to just use a punch and hammer as we did BITD. I still today size a 11 speed chain with a punch and hammer. But can you? A good chain tool that won't bust on the first use will cost more than what the shop will charge to replace a chain. But if you don't ride that bike a heck of a lot of miles, you may never need that chain tool again if you buy one.

However just brushing off any surface rust with a wire brush and lubing the chain might get it functional again for a while. Tight links sometimes work themselves free after some use. Though they might also cause other issues for you during that time period it takes for them to free up.

You seem to say the front wheel can't be steered and that the headset is frozen up. Probably the bearings are rusted up. You'll have to replace them and hope that nothing worse is going on. Will you know what bearings set to get for that bike? The spacers you took off control not just how high the stem sits. But also they allow you to have the stem at the height you wish on the steerer tube, while maintaining the proper force on the bearings to keep your headset from being too loose or too tight.

And still, you haven't even begun to find out if the shifters and brakes work on the bike. That might require cable replacement and the pads. Or even the entire component if the previous owner mucked them up.

The tuition for DIY school isn't free. Most of your stuff can be fixed and adjusted. But you will probably pay a high cost for that bike to get it running. So consider the price the bike shop gave you. Or better, return the bike if you can get your money back. IMO, you can find a used bike in good working order for the amount you'll pay to DIY it back to working order.


This place has to good information and videos for helping you DIY all those things your bike will need. https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help

Youtube is your friend if you go to the right places to see how a bike comes apart. I'm a mechanical engineer that works on my own cars, so a bike is a rather simple device if you remember the left and right hand threads part. I just dig in, but I try to remember it's not "rather simple" for other people.

You definitely need to determine if that area noted above by @choddo is a crack. That will determine if you even want to proceed.

I was going to suggest searching for a bike co-op in your area. It's a great resource often having loaner tools, materials and a guiding hand to help at low costs but this looks like it could be potentially heatbreaking.

that Headset cap can be stubborn to remove..(the black cone on the the steering).. there is an o-ring seal inside of it, and they get stuck after several years in the rain...
there is also a wedge that holds everything together too.

i put a 2x4 piece of wood on top of the fork's Steer Tube, then use a 3 lb.hammer on the wood.. they move, eventually..
i just removed one last night.
pre-cleaning the rest of the steerer tube will help, once it breaks loose some... scotch brite scouring pads do a fantastic job, without removing the remaining metal.
Don't use scotch brite on aluminum, unless you intend on Completely refinishing that part!

WD-40 is a Lousy penetrating oil... it is mostly a Solvent, for cleaning.
i use PB blaster... Kroil and CRC Penetrant work great too.

put some penetrant on that master link, then use a pair of needle nose pliers on it, squeezing the rollers at either end together... it SHOULD click inward to where the pins are in the larger parts of the slots... you can then work the halves out of the rest of the chain.
option 2... use your chain tool to push ANY pin out of the chain, since you should probably replace it anyway...

are there any parts of the chain that are frozen stiff with rust?
does the chain feel rattly or overly loose/noodley when you move it?

If the chain is rusted to heck, anything from bolt cutters to a reciprocating saw would get it off in seconds.

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Invest in better penetrant than WD40. PB blaster Free All, and Kroil, even liquid wrench is better. Steel wool, emery cloth, scotch Brite for rust removal.

First smooth that crusty rust with abrasive paper*. Then apply heat, and whack it. Use a hot air gun** on the spacer - you probably want to protect the frame and exposed part of the steerer with a few layers of aluminium foil. Heat the spacer all the way around, and once it's good and hot give the top of the steerer a serious whack with e.g. a big chunk of wood - don't use a steel hammer directly on the steerer, you could damage it. You'll need to hold the fork off the ground at the same time - hanging the bike (minus wheels) from a convenient tree would be good if you don't have a helper, don't beat on it when it's resting on the ground, you could bend something. Give it another squirt of WD40 then repeat the heat/hit cycle until you win.


* 80 grit aluminium oxide or similar, from discount or DIY stores - the coarse red/brown sheets for electric sanders are fine for this, but the yellow glasspaper sheets are not.
** 2000 Watt ~£20 from B&Q Screwfix etc.

As others mentioned, there is either a crack or (hopefully) a scratch on the right-side seat stay. down near the dropout. Check out the area on the rear of the frame, in front of the cassette where the axle goes thru. Can't tell from pics if it's just a scratch or perhaps a crack in the frame. If the frame is cracked, may as well stop work on the rest unless you just wish to try and salvage some parts. Hoping it's just a scratch!

If that really is a crack at the dropout, that bike isn't worth the cost of the PB Blaster you'd need to free up that fork.

Trying to overhaul a bike without a few necessary tools isn't going to work very well, especially if you have no experience. I have been working on bikes since the early 1970's and over the years have purchased at least 100 different tools. Most of them I have used dozens of times, particularly chain tools. At one time I was riding my commuter bike so much that I replaced the chain 2-3 times per year, so chain tools were a useful purchase. In fact I have even worn out a couple of chain tools.