My first road bike!
 

Today I picked up a Schwinn WorldTour from my local thrift store for $20. It isn't as nice as the Puegeot I posted about earlier, but it was super cheap. It rides but the wheels have a little wobble, drivetrain is loud, and the brakes are weak. So I'll begin to restore it and learn bike mechanics with it. So far I'm thinking about doing new bar tape, new tires, new brake pads and lines, derailer tune-up and replace the lines, overhaul the headset, replace or overhaul the bottom bracket, and put a more comfortable saddle on it. What do you guys think I should do and if it's worth it to do all of that? And what do you think I should work on tonight to get it somewhat ready for my 6 mile commute tomorrow (if it doesn't rain). Happy biking!

Welcome to the forum! One problem...no pictures were presented (breaking an unspoken rule) so as far as we're concerned the bike doesn't yet exist.:crash:

Its worth it if its worth it to you. you are riding it, not us. :)

My one bike cost $5 and i have put almost $100 into it to make it ride worthy. It needed some serious TLC.

The wheel wobble could be loose bolt, need a tune, tire ware. You need brakes so dont ride until you fix them. Cant speak for drive train- thats past my bike mechanic education abilities.

Yes, pics please... :)

If you want this to begin as (and remain) a low-cost endeavor, you will need to use the parts that are on the bike. If you have a noisy drivetrain, you really ought to refrain from extended riding until you replace the grease and the bearings in your hubs, headset, and bottom bracket. If they are in good shape, they will stay in good shape with a good overhaul.

I overpaid for my first vintage bike, an old Peugeot UO-8, but I spent time patiently learning how to do everything on it, and I eventually sold the frame to use the parts for another bike. I don't consider it wasted money in the least. I learned a lot.

Welcome to the forums! If you get stuck, ask questions -- there is a lot of knowledge in these forums, and the folks are generous with their wisdom...

I know I know... Give me some time to get photos onto PC.
The brakes work, just not well, I'm guessing the wheels need trued.
Alright, so could you help point me in the right direction on re greasing everything? It steers smoother than my way newer BMX bike, so I would think the headset would be okay for a while.
Thanks for the quick replies everyone!

Brakes dont work well, What does that mean? They stick? They squeal?

and i still dont think you should ride it yet. Its not safe until its fixed ( with the brake issue and drivechain) you dont need either failing and you & a car become best friends, even at 6mi from home.

In my experience, poor braking is usually 50% hardened old pads,30% worn out or unlubricated unlined cabe housings, 10% corroded cables, and 10% unlubricated brake caliper pivots. Pads, cables and housings are generally inexpensive to fix or replace.

Since you have already test ridden the bike, then you know that it fits you and rides well. If it pulls to one side or the other, you might have bent frame or fork issues.

Lubrication is far more important and challenged than you might think. Oil, and more-so grease, loose their ability to lubricate with the passing of time. I have opened bottom brackets that had nothing more for lubrication than rusty dust. One bottom bracket even had a dweller inside...

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...ouseMouse2.jpg

The headset is fragile and should be properly greased and adjusted...

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...ild_Step_1.jpg

The wheel hubs and the mentioned bottom bracket should be greased and adjusted...

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...re_BBDone4.jpg

After that, spend away on cables, bar tape and the like. But don't assume the grease is good to go, because it is possible that it already went.

Try Niagara Cycle Works online for best pricing on tires, tubes, cables, brake pads and the other things that you might need. Order as much as possible at once to spread the shipping costs. You might even be able to get inexpensive tools, parts and supplies from Wal-Mart. YouTube has instructional online videos that might help you get through the repair work that lies ahead.

Welcome to C&V. Are you a Pennsylvanian? :)

May I ask what the hell that carcass turned out to be? GOOD GOD, MAN!!

Pretty much dead, as nearly as I could tell on first glance. Though I do not really know for sure, my guess would be a shrew, a lady shrew and someone's mummy.

Sorry for the poor humor. Truth is I was petrified when I first saw the poor thing. Of course, a dead shrew in the bottom bracket is so much better than a black bear chasing one's bottom (and that has happened, sort of, also - no pictures of that incident!).

Back to the OP's issues... How much wheel wobble are you talking about? A millimeter? a centimeter? Big difference. So much that the brake pads have to be so far from the rim that the brake levers run out of travel?

Noisy drivetrain? Squeaks or grinding? Rusty chain or sticking derailleur pulleys or grundged up BB? And you really should clean and lube the wheel bearings too. These aren't difficult tasks most of the time unless you can't get threads to come loose.

Be aware that the left side pedal has left-hand threads. The right side BB bearing cup should not be removed unless it is so pitted that you ahve to replace it. It has left-hand threads (at least on most bike, I don't know what Schwinn was doing then).

It's a Cicada shell.

welcome to the sport. you're in for a long ride ... enjoy!

my 2 cents: get the wheels trued by a pro. but new better braking wheels will stop better & don't cost a lot. safety is always worth spending money on

you remind me of me. started with a cheap old bike, put tons of time & money into it, even bought other cheap old bikes for parts, wound up eventually buying a good modern road bike that needed nothing for only $300. (speaking for myself) could have saved (myself) a lot all-that by just buying smarter the 1st time

but it appears to have ribs & legs

you're going to want to take this bike down to frame, which is a good time to take Meguiar's polish to the paint.
work touch-up, etc


If you don't have a repair stand, straps from the garage beams work great
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../aP6040005.jpg

Do Cicadas eat seeds? As you can see, this carcass had his lunch handy, just in case. Also, would a Cicadas have rib bones? Just asking as I am not much of an expert on insects.

Thanks for suggesting where I can get some parts.
Nope, from Illinois.
The noise is from the chain rubbing on the front de railer, and I think I hear the same noise from the back.
I might try truing them myself, because the bike was so cheap, but I may have to get them trued at the local(ish) shop.
Once I get it stripped down this winter when I'm not riding I'm going to really clean everything.

Thanks so much for all of the replies everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to reply, but I've been really busy this week.

Some of my reply got cut off...
Both wheels seem to wobble maybe a a millimeter or two at most, although I'm not sure. The brakes aren't crazy far out and they don't rub.
Could you point me in the right direction on fixing the derailers?
Thanks for replying.

One mm wobble isn't too bad, two is getting there. I'd want to true them better than that though. Trueing and even buiildinv a wheel isn't so hard. You need a spoke wrench and patience! If a nipple is stuck though it's harder.

About derailleurs, first, they have a pair of screws to limit how far they will move. You should have no trouble identifying them. Make sure they can shift as far as necessary but no farther. Oil them so they move and refurn easily. There is no great magic to it. If the csblex dkn't move eadily, replace them snd any housing. Good tools are essential, especially cutting cables and housing.