15 inch Bianchi Timberwolf
 

Picked up for free a 1994 Bianchi Timberwolf entry-level Mt Bike however it came with a lugged frame. Its in rough shape missing saddle grips are melted left shifter has broken off. Howeve hate to scrap it as I have owned a 1993 Nayla and presently own a 1993 Broadwalk both which I really enjoyed riding partly I suspect due to the geometry and their lugged frames. Would these virtues also apply to a Timberwolf? At the same time I picked up another bike with very similar working components I could swap over of course as the Timberwolf has the better frame. My thought however is upgrading to better components and going from 6 speed to a 7 if not a 8 speed. Should i call it even and swap out equipment or should I upgrade? I will not keep the bike because it like the Nayala are just a bit small for me. Any suggestions are welcome!

Welcome to the forums. 15" is pretty small, but if it fits you it should give a decent ride. I think the Timberwolf and the Nyala share the same frame so the ride should be similar. Whether it compares to the Boardwalk will be difficult to say. The Boardwalk has better/lighter frasme tubing and the SuperLugg design, not to mention the larger wheels.

Repairing it to make it ridable is more than OK since you can always recoup most of your money if you don't like it and want to sell it. I don't see a lot of benefit to upgrading to 8spd unless you are really in love with it.

As always Bianchigirl you come through with good suggestions, sadly the bike does not fit me being a tad small which was the problem I had with the Nyala however knowing the Timberwolf has the same frame encourages me even more to make it roadworthy as I really enjoyed the Nyala even though it was a bit small. The Nyala inspired me to find the Broadway which I am much happier with.
My question to you is... should I switch the components of the second no-name bike to the Timberwolf which in essence the same low grade quality or should I upgrade? yeah a 8-speed is more than likely over-kill unless I stumble in the near future on some cheaply priced parts, maybe a 7speed up-grade a bit more practical. As far as making money in this case I could care less, my concern is 1)preserving such a nice steel lugged frame 2)finding a nice short person who will enjoy and take care of this bike. Thankfully getting the frame and donor bike for free helps in not losing money.

The coop suggestion is a great idea but sadly the nearest coop is 90 miles, much as I hate to switch lower end parts onto a lugged frame it needs to find a home as I have too many bikes already also at this moment do not have someone special in mind. Though I find the lugged frames to be very special (think about it if you buy a new lugged frame very expensive) the dynamics of the marketplace agree with your line of thought completely. Since I already have the low grade parts to transfer over I will and thankfully break even as I got the frame and parts for free.