I have a mid 90’s Schwinn High Plains that I purchased new, never rode, and actually only began riding around 3 years ago.

I purchased a road bike and sold it to buy another.

So far, I have not found a bike that I am ready to pull the trigger on.

in the meantime, I have put slick tires on my mountain bike and I’m riding it daily. My riding consists of riding in and around town, on sidewalks, paved paths, some minor roadways, etc.

I enjoy riding the bike and realize that probably any money I spend will not be a good return on investment. However, from a riding standpoint, I am thinking it might be worthwhile.

I have considered taking the bike down to the frame, installing a new bottom bracket or new BB bearings, replacing the bearings in the hubs, replacing the chain, etc.

If I do the labor myself, the cost for this is fairly minimal.

Will I notice any benefit in the riding, smoothness, etc. or am I simply nuts to even consider taking on this task?

If you enjoy the process, you will benefit. Forget ROI.

Not nuts, we do this all day long, everyday here, great sense of accomplishment and builds mad skills if you lean in.

You don't need to replace any bearings that are working ok, you may benefit from the practice and if oldschool cup and cone then you can change the grease.

the ROI can be good from the DIY aspect which we strongly encourage here.

Keep the the bike you're using and ad to the stable as you want and can.

You're in the wrong place if you want us to talk you out of it.

Thanks.

I have replaced the grease, the cables, the brake, calipers, and pads.

Some of my rides now are several miles, and I did not know if I would gain anything by replacing the chain and the bearings themselves.

Yes, the wheel bearings are cup and cones.

I appreciate your advice.

I paid $40 for a Bridgestone mountain bike. I spent an ungodly amount of time literally dissolving the seat post in lye ($16.99 for the bottle of lye), and another big chunk of hours taking it apart and back together for a full servicing. The bottom bracket threads where shot so I spend $20-something on a thread less bottom bracket. And then I found another bike I liked more (Mt. Fuji) so I'm going to try and sell the Bridgestone for $50. It was worth it because it was fun.

Hobbies cost money. Any attempt to calculate a return on investment is just crass rationalization on our part. Even if you get lucky and snatch a rare bike for cheap it will never make up for all the nickel and diming all your other bike endeavors sucked up.

I actually wasn’t concerned about the money.

You are correct. All hobbies are money pits.

I really was just wondering if I would be able to tell the difference in riding long distances by replacing the older parts with newer bearings, chain, etc.

Maybe, worth it, again maybe.

Marginal and infinitesimal gains can and do ad up but like chasing grams, ounces off oneself can be far more help.

Fit, tires and pressure can be huge and cheap, sometimes wheels too but not always cheap.

You'll be amazed playing with these, a psi or a mm can often make a world of difference when you hit an "AHA" moment but can be a 2 steps forward, 1 step back process, patience is key with much of this.

You might not be able to tell the difference but you’ll be wondering about it the whole time! So might as well get er done.

A new chain may be noticeably better if the old one was rusted. If not rusted, then clean and re-lube the chain. It will be quieter and shift better.

New brake pads are a must. Be sure to sand the pads to give a toe-in configuration. Clean the braking surface on the rims, too. This should be noticeable when braking.

New tires, modern, light weight, supple tires, with light weight tubes will also be noticeably better.

Things like repacking the bearings is important for longevity but is unlikely to be noticeable (if done correctly). It would have to be done monstrously poorly to ever notice.

P.S. - don't ride on sidewalks, ever, you are not a child.

I fully rebuild every bike I acquire. It's a rewarding process in itself that pays operational and spiritual dividends for years and years.

To me, it would be "nuts" not riding a bicycle ... or worse, hauling an easily repairable bike to a bike shop, hoping some random stranger has my best interest at heart among the hundreds of helpless folks that have neither the time or interest to turn a nut on a threaded bolt.

Correct. I’m not a child.

However, some of the routes here are along busy, four lane highways without shoulders, filled with aggressive, preoccupied drivers, driving 50-60 MPH.

The sidewalks are widened purposefully for cyclists and pedestrians to share.

As much as I respect your opinion, my safety and remaining alive are more important.

The biggest difference would be a 650b wheelset. Long story short; the biggest impact on rolling resistance is tire pressure. It just happen that bigger tires cannot take a lot of pressure. So, you want smaller slick tires that can take higher pressure, but doing so shrinks your tires which changes your bike geometry and you have to crank faster for the same speed (which some actually like). a 650b rim is a bit larger than a 26" with the end result that even with the skinnier tire (that can take higher pressures) you end up with the same tire diameter as the fatter 26" tires. The one caveat is that your brakes need to have enough reach to contact the bigger rims.

I'm currently building a former mountain bike into a touring bike with 32mm 650b tires and so far my daughter is loving it.

Ball bearings and races have to be in pretty bad shape before you will notice the difference, but once they start grinding they go bad pretty fast. Some people replace ball bearings regularly just because they're cheap, and you might as well replace them after you got all greasy taking the bearing apart. Keeping them greased and properly adjusted is the main thing.

A new chain will usually not make a noticeable difference unless the current one is skipping or otherwise behaving badly. Sometimes putting a new chain on old cogs will actually make it worse because the chain and the cogs wear together.

Maintenance is good, but I generally don't replace things unless they're clearly broken or I want something different.

When I was 40 and fit, I caused much anguish with the cat 2 racers in the hills, they just felt betrayed that a grey haired guy on a rigid mtb with slicks was keeping up and even dropping some.
‘that was 23 years ago. Now, just nice to have the low gears.

the way of things.

The investment you're making is in your mental and physical health, so yes, upgrading your bike is totally worth it. As for the chain; if it's rusty, you can get a new one for not too much moola. You can also get a chain checker for a few dollars that'll help you keep track of the wear. These old mountain bikes are extremely versatile, so whatever you want to do with it, it'll do it well; except for road racing. As for upgrading, you can upgrade parts as they wear out; you'll get plenty of use from them, and it'll spread the cost out over time.

I think we'd all love to see photos of your sturdy steel steed. Enjoy your ride!

Chain might be worn otherwise it’s a minimal investment. KMCs can be pretty inexpensive and durable.

If there is no rust or putting on the balls/cages, they are probably good to go...

With the thin tires and regreased bearings, just have fun, maybe add some fenders and a rack and it’s good to go!

My current steed on my latest and longest ride of 70 miles.

What’s the ROI on your health and general well-being? Worry about nothing — just ride. Then you’ll know when you’re ready for “upgrades.” —Yoda

Sweet ride [MENTION=543422]Basstar[/MENTION]! I love the wishbone seat stays. IMO, get yourself some (clip-on?) fenders and ride the snot out of it!

You are correct. A wise choice. I am an adult and I do the same.
And I have no problem explaining it to anyone.

You would be nuts. But I'm nuts too, so you can trust me as I speak from experience!


If you are a tinkerer, there is almost nothing better. If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt, there is almost nothing better.

If you are a 'I just prefer to ride my bike and enjoy the scenery' type of individual, it may be a waste of time.

Biggest Bang for the Buck will be tires. After that its contact points, ie saddle, pedals, stem and handle bars. All the rest of the consumables are necessary costs if you want a mechanically safe bike, to ride farther than you are ok walking home with.. of course living dangerously has its proponents. I really should carry a pump and patch kit.....

Sorry, but I disagree completely. The skinny tires + high pressure = low rolling resistance myth has been extensively debunked which is why so many racers have moved to wider softer tires (too many sources to list, but search for Jan Heine and tire pressures). Also, over inflating your tires is only going to have an infinitesimal effect on tire pressures and will not change either your bike geometry or the gearing in any way that is detectible by the rider.

As others have said, it's extremely unlikely the hub, headset or crank bearings call for replacement, given the bike's history. Cleaning and re-packing them with fresh grease when needed will help them last.

_Measure_ the chain for wear, and since you're riding it on longer rides, measure it periodically. There are tools for this, or you can use a tape measure / ruler (lots of info online). Replace when wear/elongation indicates, and the components it rides on will last MUCH longer.

Brake pade toe is set by the angle of the pad relative to the rim; no need to sand them to do that, that only applies to brakes that do not have an angle adjustment, such as (most) calipers.

If the hub and BB bearings have degraded to the point it affects enjoyment of riding, they are probably beyond serviceable (assuming they are serviceable type bearings). So those should be serviced +/- annually to prevent early death. A sticky or loose headset on the other hand will be easily detectable and can take all the fun out of riding your bike.