milesdavis311

Ok, first of all, let me introduce myself. I've been riding (old) road bikes on and off for a couple years now. I used to live in Columbus, OH, moved to Los Angeles for a while, then back to Columbus, and now I'm in Cincinnati, OH. I apologize ahead of time if these kinds of threads are hated here! This is my first time to these forums, so I'm not familiar with the territory yet.

Now, into the good stuff. I purchased an older Univega Nuovo Sport from a third-hand bicycle shop in Columbus, but pretty much all of the mechanics were rusted out. I have no idea what year it is. I removed everything, sanded down the frame, and am now in the process of repainting it. The parts I need help purchasing are the cassette, crankset, chain, and rear derailleur (and front derailleur?). I know you guys will need more information about my frame to help me with this, but I'm not sure what information you'll need, so I figured I'd wait until someone asks so I can figure it out.

I thought about making it a fixie, but I don't know enough about them to take that route. Also, I love coasting, and the hills in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky are pretty rough.

Ok, so, hello everyone, and thanks in advance!!!

TampaRaleigh

Welcome! I used to live in Columbus and Cincinnati and worked in bike shops in both towns.

I'm not exactly sure what your questions are... are you looking to find out what brands you need for your rebuild?

milesdavis311

Thanks for the reply, TampaRaleigh!

I guess my main question is how to fit all the parts together, as in how to make sure they're all compatible. I was looking up various parts online and they all had so many numbers in the descriptions, I wasn't sure what to look for to make sure they'd work together. Also, do the parts only fit certain frame sizes, or will they all work as long as the cassette/derailleur/crankset are compatible together?

Sorry, I'm pretty new to the mechanics of biking haha.

cny-bikeman

It appears you may not have purchased a bike but rather a frame and some working parts. Building a bike up from scratch is not a good first exercise. It's not just compatibility but also determining the function you need, not to mention the time and cost involved in sourcing and purchasing separate parts. If you have not gone past the point of no return I would suggest you find a used bike in better condition. If you don't like that option you need to educate yourself, as it's not just a matter of getting the right parts but also installing and adjusting them correctly - which will take some specialized tools. That being said:

Your bike does not have a cassette, but rather a freewheel.
The derailleur capacity must be compatible with the freewheel and chainwheel sizes, which depend on the terrain you wish to pedal and your fitness.
Crankset needs to line up properly with the freewheel (chainline).
Chain is not difficult - 5-7 speed is fine - but needs to be properly sized.

I'm not going to try to add up the cost of all the tools and parts you will need but it will likely be 50-100% more than a decent used bike. At least make sure the bike is the proper size for you and that the wheels are in good shape before proceeding further.

Sheldonbrown.com, parktool.com(/blog for repair procedures) and Google have all the info you need.

milesdavis311

cny-bikeman, thanks!

Attached is a picture of the bike before I disassembled it. I realize it's a large project that will cost more than buying a used bike with better mechanics, but I bought the bike so I could learn about the mechanics. I've been riding used bikes for a few years now, but I want to actually understand what's going on. I guess I'll just have to read through the Big Blue Book and websites online, but I really do appreciate your post!

TampaRaleigh

It's hard to see from that picture, but the bike REALLY doesn't look bad at all. The chain obviously needs to go. I'm willing to bet that it has a freewheel, and NOT a freehub and cassette. A really good cleaning and oiling and the freewheel is probably salvageable. I'd be willing to bet that all you need is a whole lot of cleaning, oiling and greasing amd you'll be set.

CACycling

Did the rust occur after that picture was taken? Because that bike looks like it is in pretty great shape. If you are talking surface rust on components, a little elbow grease and lube will do wonders. Cables, brake pads and tires may get that bike roadworthy. That is a low-end frame so putting a bunch of money into new components really isn't a wise move, IMHO. If you are going to go to the expense of building a bike, start with a better frame. If you just want experience wrenching, work on reviving this bike's components.

TampaRaleigh

And check out these guys... I'll bet they can help you A LOT. It's a lot easier to help when you have the bike (or parts) in front of you to assess.

Mobo Bicycle Coop
1415 Knowlton Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio

sreten

Hi,

Simply do not replace perfectly usuable parts, its pretty pointless.
You will learn a lot more servicing usable parts than replacement.

rgds, sreten.

cny-bikeman

Yes, not as bad as your post made it sound, and if that saddle height works for you it seems to be the right size frame. Don't assume you need a new crankset unless the bearings are shot or you need different gearing.

+++In-person helps trumps pretty much everything else. As I often advise - make sure whoever helps you tells you why you are doing a procedure, how parts interact with each other, etc. That way you know the helper knows more than "turn this in that direction" and you will learn as well. The co-op is also a possible parts source as well.

If the freewheel turns well after lubricating replace the chain and then ride, making sure you put good pressure on the pedals on each rear cog combo with the large chainwheel. If any of them skip then replace the freewheel.

jimc101

From the picture, new chain, new cables, and possibly new brake pads, other than that, strip, re-grease, re-assemble, ride...