Missing my old bike
 

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum, new to biking, and only 15 so please bear with me.

I'm not a hardcore bicyclist, nor do I know much about bikes, but ever since I was 13 I've been riding my dad's old Freespirit (I believe he bought it at Sears) mountain bike. I am not sure how old it is, but it's pretty old which is why I put it in the vintage forum. This thing is AT LEAST 10 years old, and I suspect it is much older than that. I also don't what model it is, since it seems some Freespirits were cheap quality while some where good, but it has Shimano parts for the shifting system and the brake levers say "LEECHI" on them. I've been using it 4-5 times a week to take one-and-a-half to one-hour trips for the past year and a half, and also just for cruising around town since I'm too young to drive. I always loved it, it's nice and simple, not too heavy, and it just feels good riding it. The only problem with it was that the chain would often fall off the front gears (the ones where the pedals attach) when I put too much force on it. Other than that though, It was an enjoyable ride.

My problem begins 5 days ago, when I was tying it onto a bike rack to go inside a store. My friend, who was being a dumbass, pushed me and I fell onto the back wheel. It bent horribly, and not only was it bent but the entire wheel is now very wobbly and moves side to side. I told my dad about it, and he said since it was a pretty old bike and a new wheel would cost "a lot", that I should just get a new one. I happily agreed. We went to Toys R Us and bought an $80 Dynacraft mountain bike.

It wasn't until I had gotten home, ripped open the box, and assembled it that I realized what a huge mistake I had just made.

The bike feels CHEAP!! I'm into computers, and I know there's a huge difference in terms of build quality and parts quality between a bottom of the line $250 eMachines and a high-end quality built Sony VAIO desktop. For some reason, I didn't realize that it's the same with bicycles. The new $80 bike is too flashy, it's too heavy, I hate the way the pedals feel, and the brakes barely work, no matter how well you adjust them. It was a pain in the ass to assemble, because the included manual is the manual Dynacrap includes with ALL their bikes, so it has generalized instructions for all mountain bikes. The front derailleur (sorry for the spelling) won't shift into the 3rd gear, only the first two. No amount of adjusting the screws or the wire that pulls it will fix it. The bike rides smooth, but I just hate the feel of this stupid crappy Chinese bike.

It wasn't until a few days after I assembled it that I realized how badly I miss my old Freespirit. It's sitting there right now, with the back wheel useless and in need of new brakes. The problem is that my parents know even less about bicycles than I do (which is saying something) and they think that the new Dynacrap bike is better "because it's new". They fail to realize that although the old Freespirit is much MUCH older than the new Dynacraft, it's still a much better bike. So now I'm stuck. I really wish I'd tried to fix the old (quality) Freespirit before buying the new (craptastic and cheap) Dynacraft. So I have two questions for you guys:

1. Do you think I can return the Dynacraft to Toys R Us? We bought it unassembled and put it together ourselves, so I doubt they would let us return it, BUT the front derailleur doesn't work. Would this be enough to get a refund?

and

2. Is the old freespirit repairable, and how much would a new back wheel cost? I don't a need a high-end wheel.

I really want to get a refund for the horrible Dynacraft and use the money to fix the freespirit, or at least put the $80 towards buying a decent bike at an ACTUAL BIKE SHOP.

I apologize for the long post and my lack of knowledge, I do a lot of posting on computer forums and I know how annoying it is when a complete n00b comes along and doesn't even know what things are called. Thanks.

I would suspect that for $80 at a bike shop you would get a rear wheel easily.

I just did a search on eBay and there are some sets of 26" wheels using freewheels (as the Free Spirit probably needs) for $50 plus $20 shipping for both wheels. So you should be able to get a decent rear for that at your LBS. Just be sure to let them know you are just looking to replace an old wheel, not looking for state of the art.

EDIT: Also good (especially in this forum) to list a location (not specific address, just a city and stay anonymous for safety) and if you are near someone with a spare wheel, they have been known to be offered for free, or low cost.

Also, the Free Spirit is an old department store bike, so pretty low end. If you like the ride, great! However, searching garage sales, thrift stores etc may lead to a bike with spare parts and/or a bike you like better for far less than $80... and give you a spare bike to start tinkering with. :)

ANOTHER EDIT: Depending on your location, bike co-ops or bike kitchens may be available to help you gain knowledge. Also 2 web sites have a wealth of information. http://www.sheldonbrown.com and http://www.parktool.com

Thanks Little Darwin, I'll probably give my LBS a call. I'm just worried about returning the Dynacrap - If they won't take it back, I'll be stuck with this POS bike forever and I won't be able to go back to the freespirit. It's just the way my parents are - they wouldn't let me replace the Freespirit's wheel if the Dynacrap was sitting there. Like I said, they think it's better because it's new. My main concern right now is that I need to get rid of the Dynacrap ASAP - my dad wants to throw the freespirit away *shudders*. I've had waaaaay too many good times on that bike to just throw it away. Also, I'm in North County of San Diego

You could really clear up the return issue with just a phone call to Toys R Us. Nobody here can answer that question for you.

Go to www.craigslist.com and find your area, then look for the bikes link. Look around there, you might be able to find a good vintage roadbike for sub 100.

I'm guessing Toys R Us will take the bike back. If they don't make up something about your not being satisfied, I doubt they'd say no in the first place.

Hey weirdlookinguy...:) I don't know where you live exactly, but is there some kind of community bike kitchen type place in your city? Where I live you could get free or very low cost help keeping your old bike on the road at the community oriented Bike Oven...

OK try calling here...

http://www.sdcbc.org/

I have one here too.
http://sacbikekitchen.org/
The wheel might just need to be trued (spokes adjusted), could be only $10 at your LBS, or just get a used rear wheel for it. But in any case you should return the dyna.

I'm just agreeing with everyone else--take the Dyna back.

If you're located where one of us is located, we can probably figure out a way for you to get a new wheel and to help you with your brakes.

You may be young, but you've got a lot of sense!

And welcome to Bike Forums!

East Hill

I would LOVE to return the Dyna... but I doubt it's going to happen. I just called Toys R Us and they said since I assembled it myself I would have to send it back to the manufacturer. However, all hope is not lost. I think the lady I talked to thought I was having trouble with it. I'll call back again tomorrow and make it clear that it works great, except it sucks and I want my money back. Also, I'm in Escondido California, which is near San Diego. It would be GREAT if there were some sort of bike kitchen around here - all I need is the back wheel off a trashed bike. I talked to my mom, she said if I fix the Freespirit maybe I could keep the Dyna around as a second bike. That's a great excuse to stick it in a corner and never touch it again while I happily ride the Freespirit! So please, if anyone knows of a bike kitchen around North County in San Diego, PLEASE let me know!

I live in Encinitas, about 20 miles due west of you. My local LBS, Leucadia Cyclery, sold me a replacement wheel for my son's 1992 Specialized HardRock mountain bike: $50, brand new, stainless steel spokes, sealed bearings, aluminum rim, quick release. Nothing special or high-end, but perfectly serviceable.

As you can read in my signature, I am hard-core retro where bikes are concerned.

First thing take the wheel to a shop and see if it can be saved. If not try the wheel off the toys r us bike and see if it fits. Too bad you didnt go to wallmart thay take anything back. At 15 a 10 yr old bike is realy old. For me at 43 a 1997 bike is one of those new ones.Its nice to hear from a young guy that knows that quolity is ageless. I have a trek 930 from around the same time as your bike and an 800 antelope from 1981 , you can get newer at wallmart but you cant get better.

Come on San Diego members help this guy out.

John, thanks for the info. If I can get a refund for the Dyna I'll run from Toys R Us to my LBS nonstop and get a new wheel. I believe they are 26". There's only one problem - the bike is a 10 speed, it has two "gears" (sorry for not using the right words) where the pedals attach and on the rear tire it has 5 gears. Do these come with the wheel, or do I need to remove them? I took the wheel off the freespirit and was able to remove the bearings and the nuts and washers that held the wheel in (I took pictures of how they were arranged, so I won't forget) but I don't know how to get the 5 gear "thing" off. I'll post a picture of what I'm talking about once I get some batteries for my camera.

Tolfan - thanks for the words of support. I've thought about just swapping out the wheels from the Dyna. The problem is that it all goes back to my parents - they see things as Newer=Better, so I can't get away with that. School let out two weeks ago, so I'll ride the (ugh) Dyna to my LBS and take the old wheel from the Freespirit to see if they can fix it.

The gears on the back wheel need a special wrench to be taken off. My local shop charges $1 to do it. If you are buying a wheel thay should put it on for you.

Thanks tolfan. I'll be going over to my LBS first thing in the morning tommorow to see if I can get the old wheel fixed, and if not, to look at the price for new wheels.

I'm 17 and the newest for me is 13 years old, while the others are from the 70's-80's.

But don't worry, you have two more years to get an older one. :D

Also, go to craigslist.org and find your area, keep looking at the bikes that are for sale, maybe even put a wanted ad for a rear wheel, start by offering something like $20.

Also a man with a lot of sense!

East Hill

I know how the OP feels, some of those bikes from the toy stores just cannot be helped. You could sell the Dynacraft on craigslist, ask for your parents help on this, and make sure they know how bad the bike really is. A key word to focus on is Toys R us. I have bought very nice older bikes for $10-$15, and had a nice riding bike for $80 or less. I see those Free Spirit mtb's all the time, and while not my cup of tea, some have looked to be well made at least. That is really a joke about the home vs. store assembly being a basis for a return. A good 90% of the bikes I see have dangerous mistakes in assembly or adjustment. The store puts them together enough so they look complete, and throw them on the rack. Lose the Dyna, and get the wheel straightened on the FS. Or better yet lose them both, and find something decent under the radar at a flea market or garage sale. Thrift stores have decent stuff for cheap too sometimes.,,,,BD

Case in point. This Specialized hard rock "cruz" was $20? A set of tires and cables, and a good cleaning, and it will be good as new. Doing the work myself, plus the cost of bike and parts, I will be out around $80, or barely over depending on tire brand.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/Cruzhard.jpg

Let them read this article, it might help sway them?,,,,BD

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...11/ai_n8625505

I'm 18 and I own two new bikes (an mtb from lbs and a motobecane from ebay/bikesdirect). I was given a peugeot by someone since I emailed someone on craigslist saying that I was looking for a 'beater' campus bike. They just gave it to me since they'd found it in a dumpster or something and it's a beautiful bike.

Good luck with your bike! Let us know how it goes. Heck, worst comes to worst, repair your old bike and sell the 'new' one on craigslist. Tell your parents to arrange that!

It's really nice to see all these young people with so much sense! I wish I'd had that much sense when I was that age :p .

East Hill

Haha, thanks East Hill!
Though, I'm not really sure what I'm doing yet. I might end up buying another bike off craigslist and taking it apart completely just to see how to put it back together. It should be a good learning experience. I hope I have the time and erm funds...

Good luck to the OP!

It doesn't really take that much time, and you get faster with experience. Once you invest in a few tools (BB tools and a few other esoteric items) the cost is mostly in new tyres/tubes and cables (the cables in particular always seem to need replacing). Really grotty bikes can take some time to clean up, but it's a great deal of fun when you find one that is virtually perfect under the grunge and clean it up. That can be profitable, too--or at least keep you going.

East Hill

Who can NOT like a bike named "Free Spirit" ??? :)

Just ride!!

I found an old bike boom gaspipe bomber in the trash that was in good condition (for what it was) and that is what I did to it. It started an obsession that led me across the country to attend bike school and now I work at a bike shop here called Re-Cycles (check out the new issue of Dirtrag). Ripping apart that bike gave me a sense that I could really understand the machine instead of just utilizing it. I feel very fortunate because of it.

To the OP, I just rescued a wheel that was tacoed with 5 broken spokes: it works beautifully and will give the rider many more years of service. Total charge: 12 dollars. Don't lose hope.
The other thing is, if the Free Spirit only has a five-speed cog on the back it is probably more than ten years old, something more like 30.

Rob