Fuji Absolute
 

Hi, I bought a fuji Absolute for 150 dollars today. The wires are kind of rusty, so it's fairly difficult to shift gears. How should I go about doing this. I don't want to spend 15 dollars per derailer to fix this.

Bell makes a really affordable wire pack that'll get you where you want to be.

Do I really have to buy a new pack of wires. And howmuch will it cost to replace it? I was just thinking of putting some wd on it

What highonpez said. They're sold at Walmart and cost around $5. THey aren't the best quality cables and cable housing, but they get the job done. BTW, the correct term is "cables".

If they're rusty, then yes, you'll want to replace them.

Not sure what model year you have but I flipped a Fuji Absolute a couple of years ago that had a 4130 frame with an integrated RD hanger. IMO these frames are of reasonable quality and worthy of upgrades. Replace the rusty cables and housings. You can get a cheap cable set at Wal-Mart for like $5-$10

Also........a drive side pic of said Fuji will help you get a lot more advice from the peanut gallery.

NO it's your bike however if you don't you WILL be walking soon

I dont really know how to replace the cables. I also spent 20 dollars buying an kryptonite u lock. I also bought a windstrom bell bike pump that i'll be returning soon. The problem with it is that the psi gauge doesnt register that well.


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Those are finished replace them bell kit $7.99 walmart let us know when you get the cables

I dont really know how to replace them. I also dont have wire clippers or the like. Maybe my dad does, not sure

Why even start a thread here?

spray some real oil on them. ride it. if they break, start a thread on how to replace shifter cables (without the use of tools :)), and where to buy them, or obtain used ones for free.

Thanks, Huey. I'll probably do that. It doesn't look like i'll need to replace it anytime soon

6.00 at WalMart. There it is.

A great Video
http://video.bicycling.com/video/Rep...ailleur_cables

Find all the DIY videos here
Cool Bike repair videos

That's a great cycle for $150!

Given the condition of the bike, you bought a project. I buy projects all the time, I enjoy working on them. But projects are best suited for someone with the tools/aptitude/time/access to parts to do the work.

Cables are just the tip of the iceberg. A bike with rusty cables is going to have bearings and grease that need replacement, immediately. That means wheel hubs, bottom bracket, and headset all need disassembled, cleaned, bearings replaced, fresh grease, and reassembly. These tasks all take specialized tools. If you do not do this work now, you run a high risk of damaging bearing surfaces = you will be replacing bb, hubs and headsets (100X the money).

The cables are actually less critical than the bearings. Rusty cables = crappy shifting. Brake cables are more critical as you need to be able to stop quickly. Bad grease/bearings = bearing surfaces will be damaged = serious $$.

I have bought over 300 vintage bikes in the last few years. 100% of the bikes I have bought in project condition like yours needed the bearing work, maybe 10% of those had damage where the bb or hub components had to be replaced (due to former owner neglect). Heck, most of the bikes that appeared to be in better shape needed bearing work.

Hopefully, you have a co-op in your area. Head there now, as they are a treasure. Not only will they loan you tools at little/no cost, but they typically have a volunteer mechanic who can provide advice. The tools to do the work I mentioned above can cost you $100 to $200. Much better to borrow the tools.

I love vintage bikes. But owning a vintage bike is like owning a vintage home or a vintage car. You need to be ready to spend some $$ on maintenance/rehab. And the more of this rehab work you can do yourself, the less it costs (often a lot less).