Oops I did it again...
09-19-10, 05:36 PM
#1
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Oops I did it again...
picked up a bike just 'cause it was cheap and close.
It was a Specialized Hardrock 'Cruz' for $20, and that's a bike we have had several of, different versions, and I've been able to clean 'n' flip three or four of them. They are a very basic MTB but make good city bombers. So I picked it up Friday afternoon, and figured I'd have it on CL by Sunday.
Wrong!
As usual, too many other things came up, and the process of cleaning and fixing up has taken much longer than I thought it would. The bike is not done, much less have I gotten to working on my own bike as I intended to this weekend.
The big puzzle with the HR is the Accushift Plus RD shifting. (This must be an early 90s bike because wasn't Suntour gone by '95 or so?) I will have to experiment more with tightness of the cable, but the shifting is bizarre--it will find positions where the chain climbs to the top of the cog and STAYS THERE rather than go to the next, like it's doing a tightrope walk. At least it does so on the stand. Can't quite figure that out---is that one of the problems that plagued Accushift? Also I can't see how this thing will go into friction mode, I turned the little bezel but it is still clicking.
Also, I picked up a bottle of Meguiar's 'ColorX,' which is a polish/wax for 'restoring' deep color to cars with oxidized or worn finishes. There's evidently an abrasive in it and some kind of emollient to fill in the micro scratches and give it a surface. I have to say it works great, even on this very beat up bike; there are still deep scratches and scuffs but the overall paint (pearly white) actually looks pretty good now. The ColorX even got rid of some scuffs that 3M 'Swirl Mark Remover' didn't do. I don't know if I would put this on a pristine bike but I'll be happy to use it again.
It was a Specialized Hardrock 'Cruz' for $20, and that's a bike we have had several of, different versions, and I've been able to clean 'n' flip three or four of them. They are a very basic MTB but make good city bombers. So I picked it up Friday afternoon, and figured I'd have it on CL by Sunday.
Wrong!
As usual, too many other things came up, and the process of cleaning and fixing up has taken much longer than I thought it would. The bike is not done, much less have I gotten to working on my own bike as I intended to this weekend.
The big puzzle with the HR is the Accushift Plus RD shifting. (This must be an early 90s bike because wasn't Suntour gone by '95 or so?) I will have to experiment more with tightness of the cable, but the shifting is bizarre--it will find positions where the chain climbs to the top of the cog and STAYS THERE rather than go to the next, like it's doing a tightrope walk. At least it does so on the stand. Can't quite figure that out---is that one of the problems that plagued Accushift? Also I can't see how this thing will go into friction mode, I turned the little bezel but it is still clicking.
Also, I picked up a bottle of Meguiar's 'ColorX,' which is a polish/wax for 'restoring' deep color to cars with oxidized or worn finishes. There's evidently an abrasive in it and some kind of emollient to fill in the micro scratches and give it a surface. I have to say it works great, even on this very beat up bike; there are still deep scratches and scuffs but the overall paint (pearly white) actually looks pretty good now. The ColorX even got rid of some scuffs that 3M 'Swirl Mark Remover' didn't do. I don't know if I would put this on a pristine bike but I'll be happy to use it again.
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Last edited by Chicago Al; 09-19-10 at 07:30 PM.
09-19-10, 06:44 PM
#2
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I have three (late 80s ealy 90s) Hardrocks, and two Rockhoppers (early 80s and early 90s), didn't pay over $20 for any of them. Kinda hard not to buy them when they average $10 
As long as I have kids in the house the bikes get used, so it's all good.
Cheers,
Chris
As long as I have kids in the house the bikes get used, so it's all good.Cheers,
Chris
09-19-10, 07:10 PM
#3
Thrifty Bill
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Last one I picked up was $10 as well, even though I had already said "no more MTBs". I rationalized it as a way to use up a portion of my left over MTB stash.....
09-19-10, 09:14 PM
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I've run into the "tightrope" effect on Shimano drive trains also, it's usually resolved by adjusting the cable tension, but it might also be an indicator of a stretched chain.
My 90 Rockhopper has not been ridden or tweaked in a few months, and now it's beckoning me to be refitted with dirt drops and fenders. I mostly blame Sixty Fiver for that.
My 90 Rockhopper has not been ridden or tweaked in a few months, and now it's beckoning me to be refitted with dirt drops and fenders. I mostly blame Sixty Fiver for that
.
