Hi everyone,

I bought an old Timberline on craigslist, brought it home and found out it is extremely difficult to ride. I have replaced tires and tubes.

I thought converting it to single speed would fix this issue. What do you all think?

If you agree with me on the conversion, do you have any web links that clearly explain how to go about doing this?

If not, do you have any recommendations on fixing this old bike so that I can ride it without immediate thigh pain?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

No it will not converting to a single speed will likely make it worse. You need to make sure the bike is in good basic setup with gears and brakes working properly.

I am assuming that this is a 3 speed bike? Many older 3 speeds had too tall gearing, as in a 46 tooth crank and 18 tooth drive sprocket. Changing the drive sprocket to a 20 or 22 tooth sprocket often solves the issue, giving you a more usable gear range. You would also have to get a new chain to accommodate the larger sprocket.

it is a three speed. thank you very much!

thank you so much!

There is also the issue of bike fit. Use this site to research "bike fit " if you are unsure about what I am talking about.