Sol

Hey there, everyone. So I have two questions. I commute with a 40+ year-old Schwinn, a beautiful thing, and really kept in fine condition. I'm no bike expert, but hopefully, you guys might know the jargon for the varying parts. It's given me no problems at all until just recently, and I've run into a couple of problems. The first deals with the brakes. The braking system is old, but has done quite well, except that the right side of the front brake starts to stick as I use it, meaning that it'll stick closer and closer to the wheel when I release the brake, and I was wondering what I might do to help alleviate this. The second is one that is a bit more serious, I think, though I can't figure the problem out exactly. Just a couple of days ago, every 1-2 minutes riding it would be like the bike lost its gear, as the resistance against the pedals gives out suddenly and then catches again. I've been unable to reproduce it spinning it at home, and it tends to do it more when I'm going against more resistance, specifically when trying to maintain speeds on hills and such. I haven't ridden it since the incident, as I don't want to damage it, and have been bussing instead. Just to let you guys know, the gear is a 3-speed, with an internal shifter (Old thing, I know).

So if any of you guys might know an answer to this, I'd appreciate it. I've done some basic maintenance work on my bike before, and I'd like to do the repair myself if possible, but I suppose it depends on the severity of the problem. Thanks again!

spider-man

Sounds like you may need to adjust the shifter cable. Have you been lubricating the hub? Also, for the brakes, I would remove the calipers, degrease the mounting bolts and nuts, and reinstall.

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