halincandenza

Hey guys, I recently bought my first 'nice' bike and just getting into cycling. I'm now thinking of turning my old bike into a road warrior winter bike, and . It's a French road bike called Jeunet. Solid frame, guessing steel, powered through Montreal's finest potholes on the regular. Handles very well and fits my body size. Love the frame, the handlebars and forks are fine but the original components, stems, pedals and crank left much to be desired. I think the rims are fine, sure they're heavy but so are the winters in Montreal. Should I be worried about replacement parts for an older French model when it comes to components? Also, something is going on in the crankshaft, there is a slight drop and click as if a bearing is missing, not sure. Hoping I didn't strip anything. The Simplex components suggest a low end bicycle, no clue what year it is.

bargainguy

When I feel or hear a click in the crank, first thing I check for is a loose pedal. I'll defer to the experts on the rest.

oilburner2

Sweet ride. T

jj1091

You can see in the pic of the full side-shot, that the pedal arm on the opposite side doesn't line up with the one on the near side. It appears that your cotter (pin) which holds the crank arm onto the bottom bracket shaft has come loose, and the arm is slipping on the shaft as you pedal. See if your local bike shop can replace the cotter for you, should be a cheap fix $5-10, unless it's broken off and needs drilling out.

Your bike is a mid 70's low-end model and shouldn't need upgrading unless a particular part is causing you trouble. The cost to upgrade vs the bike's value (maybe $100) wouldn't make upgrades cost-effective. It's a good idea to look at replacing the cables, chain, and lubing all the turning parts. They're good riding bikes.

randyjawa 

Yup, that would have been my first guess, even before the crank arms misalignment was pointed out. Chances are tightening the cotters(this means pressing them into place, not just snugging up the cotter nut) will not work all that well. If the cotter(s) have been ridden loose for any length of time, the the cotter(s) will be worn and/or hooked. Replace them and do it the correct way, or you will be dissatisfied with the result.

Cotter pin presses are available, if you want to spend some money. I made my own and it works just great for, both, removal and installation.