+1. On the derailer tip you could even take it farther - Almost any non-RapidRise long cage derailer made since 1990 (EXCEPT Sram with numbers in the model name) plus a claw adapter would likely work. That's probably about 95% of the long-cage rear derailers sold.

If I were replacing it I'd probably just get a lowend Shimano with the claw already on there.

I can probably switch the shifter with SRAM, but will worry about it later. I am curious what their price point would be. If it's under $10, I will be a happy camper.

Anyways...will replace a very critical component today. The brake cables. The stock one's are very flimsy and keep stretching to no end. It may snap if you brake hard.. Got a pair of new cables for few bucks...and will be replacing it now.. It should make a huge difference...and not need any adjustment after every rides. :thumb:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_O...640/cable1.jpg

Left cable: Stock Cable; Right: Replacement cable. It's much stronger and thicker.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_O...576/cable2.jpg

My 2 cents:



Option 1: Go ahead and buy a Wal Mart bike. Keep it a 1/2 a year, 12 months or even longer. After that time you will have a better idea of what you would like in a new bike, if the break downs haven't frustrated you from continuing to regularly ride a bike. The component quality of this type of bike really is not good, and if you are regularly riding, like everyday, you will break something eventually. A bike is better than no bike, though.



Option 2: Places like Performance offer low end bikes of a better quality at about the same price, and can help guide you as to proper bike fit, which will greatly increase your cycling enjoyment. Even if you pick option 1 or 3, you should at least visit a bike shop to see what a bike properly fit feels like. You might be able to make a slightly too small bike work, albeit uncomfortably, but you do not want too large a bike. They can also make some recommendations that you may have not considered. Every shop offers a test ride, they usually require that you leave your license as a security deposit. Some shops also require you to sign a waiver of liability agreement, most do not. Some shops require the use of a helmet. Some shops will give you a discount on accessories if you buy them at the time of purchase. The shop I bought my latest bike from gave me a 20% discount on all accessories, plus a coupon for a future discounted purchase. Performance gives you points. When I bought my mountain bike through them, I had enough points to get a helmet without additional cost. Salespeople at bike shops are a distinct advantage over Wal Mart in that as cyclists, they possess much more knowledge. Your typical Wal Mart employee will probably give you a bunch of I don't knows. A bike shop salesperson should be willing to share information and help educate you. If they act like they are just trying to get the sale, or are talking down to you, walk out and go somewhere else. Once you have had a positive experience at a bike shop, you will never again go back to a department store bike.



Option 3: Get a used bike. If money is a limiting factor, you can probably get a better used bike than a dept store new bike. Craigslist is a great source, newspaper. It is good if you can visit some shops so you have an idea of what is a good brand, however brands like Mongoose also have low end models in Wal Mart as well. If you are trying to avoid a low end bike, avoid bikes that have really flashy paint schemes-In particular those that you see in Wal Mart as opposed to higher end bikes. You need to know what you are looking for, moreso than in a new bike, so make sure you are educated before you fork over your money.

I wonder if they used derailler cable instead of brake cable. From what I can tell, there is a 1.5mm difference.

BTW: Walmart even sells bulk cable:

- Promax Inner Cables for Brakes (100 pcs/ $120)
- Promax Inner Cables for Derailers (100 pcs/ $120)
- Promax Outer Casing for Brake Cables (97 ft /$23)
- Promax Outer Casing for Derailluer Cables, 4mm (97 ft / $38)

I'm not ready to buy that much stuff. But, it might interest someone.

Do you have links to examples of what will/won't work? I'd like to understand the difference between RapidRise (and non), or long/short cages.

Is this Tourney RD-TX31 ($12) non-rapidrise, long cage? Three out of four of my department-store bikes had this (non-claw version) and it worked really well.

Yup, they used the same cables for the derailleurs and brakes. The gear cables seem fine, but it's down right dangerous to have brakes with such weak cables.

Anyhoo...just finished replacing the brake cables and truing the wheels. I tightened the spokes to bring a level of consistency, and guess what, the rim got warped pretty badly. Luckily, I ordered a TS-8 truing stand, which arrived today. It was really a life saver. The brak pads dont always help truing badly warped wheels and fine tuning the wheel. The rim really feels light and cheaply made soft aluminum i think. Would like to see how it holds up...

The bike is now finely tuned. The next component to be replaced will be the nylon brake levers and the rear derailleur, but I would like to see how long it holds up before giving out.

I learned a great deal from this bike, no doubt about it...

u guys wouldn't want to see my bike shop, would ya? Got some new tools today.. :D

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O...2/BikeShop.jpg

I have one more bike to take care off tomorrow...and then off riding this season.

Cheers.

I almost added "someone will immediately prove me wrong" when I typed that. It seems GMC and several other brands are "made" by Kent International, although it's not clear who the actual manufacturer is.
http://www.kentbicycles.com/

I've seen identical cruisers labeled Schwinn, Pacific, Roadmaster, and Huffy down to the stitched grips. Then again, it shouldn't be any surprise that a simple bike like that would be so common. Wal-Mart sells the Huffy I bought under the Next brand online, but I think my local Wally World had the same bike under yet another brand; I was thinking it was HiLand, but I'd have to go back and check. The only reference I can find to that brand is a Panama-based company that farms out its production to China.

It's entirely possible that both the Hilands and Kents are still made by Pacific without revealing the true source much in the way Giant cranks out frames for higher quality bikes for just about everybody. Dorel has Dorel Independent Bicycle Dealer (IBD) Division for designing and producing stuff for LBS's and Pacific Cycles for "retail channels." Some brands are sold by both divisions (i.e. Schwinn) but are developed and built separately.

Incidentally, Giant started selling under their own name in the U.S. because they were mad that Schwinn wanted to come out with a low-end Chinese manufactured line; the LBS's weren't too pleased with Schwinn rolling out factory stores at that time, so Giant found a lot of willing dealers. Most '80's Schwinns are actually Giants.

I'm not sure if any of this is really proprietary. The Falcon grupo on the bike I have is a bit odd, but even if I couldn't get the parts the threads on the hub aren't proprietary so I could screw on something more common, or even go the single-speed route with a BMX freewheel (or suicide fixie!) thanks to the horizontal dropouts. The single-piece crank and expander stem are obsolete, but replacements pieces are readily available. If I really wanted to I could get a conversion kit to switch to a 3-piece crank.

As for innertubes, Bell tubes are -clearly- labeled Cheng Shin on the casing complete with the CST logo. Avenirs are made in Taiwan, and my Huffy has Taiwanese-made LHR tires which are clearly a knock-off of a Kenda tread design.

More confusion: A lot of the CST tires seem to use old Panasonic tooling.

2nd ride and the brake pads melted. (Actually, I diagnosed the stretchy cables wrong. It was the "rubbery" pads which gave that soft stretchy feeling on the brake lever). It's good I replaced the brake cables as well because it's not meant for brakes.

Total cost so far:

Bake pads (pairs)......=$ 20.00
Alloy Pedals..............=$ 16.00
Brake cables (Pair).....=$ 10.00
MTB saddle...............=$ 8.00
-------------------------------
Total cost................ = $54.00


Here's a pic of the worn down brake pad (left) and the (Tektro RBP series) replacement pad (right): (I will swap it when i have the time. The brake should feel solid after that.)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_O.../BrakePad1.jpg

ok. I think the problem might be even bigger. The wheel may not be 100% dished. I dont have a dishing tool, so I can't tell that for sure, but the wheel can't be centered 100% between the chainstays. I got it up to 95%. I will try again later. I believe this may be causing one of the brake pads to take more pressure.

Any idea whether to be sure the frame isn't bent?

I was able to get the wheel aligned, but i am doubting my rear axle may not be 100% straight.

I believe the reason why one of the brake pad melted was because the axle slipped on the rear left dropout, causing the wheel to go out of alignment. I have tightened the nuts, hopefully, it should not slip again.

None of my bikes have any adjustable rear dropouts. Any idea why some bikes include adjustable dropouts? If the wheel is 100% dished, trued and straight, you shouldn't need to any adjustable rear dropouts...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O...0/IMG_0821.jpg

That doesn't look worn to me. At best, it looks like the pad wasn't aligned and wore an angle (from the edge facing up in the photo).

Yes. I would agree. The wheel axle slipped on the dropout (see previous post) causing the wheel to lose alignment. (I should've tightened the nuts when i installed the wheel...my bad).

I have kept the front brake pads. Those seems virtually new. The stock brake pads does not seem as durable as the Tektro brake pads, but I would like to see how the front brake pads hold up. No need to worry about the wheel alignment on the front, and the pads are perfectly aligned with the rim.

On single speeds and internal gear hub bikes this was done to adjust chain tension. The practice carried over to derailleur-equipped bikes: many early derailleurs clamp on to the dropouts. Slowly they moved off of the dropout onto their own bolt hole eliminating the need for horizontal dropouts. (70's 10-speeds are used a lot for single speed and fixie conversions because they have the dropouts and they're plentiful.) This didn't completely disappear until the late 90's or so on LBS bikes.

Thanks for the info. I have two other bikes (surly & dahon), none of them have this type of horizontal dropouts. It's a pain to mount wheels on such dropouts. The wheel just keeps falling and if you tighten the bolt, the axle keeps shifting to the right. I hope i dont get a flat on the rear wheel ever..lol.

I've watched a mechanic do this. He snugs one side. Then clamps his hand onto the seatstay and tire, centering the tire and holding it firm using the seatstay as a leverage/clamping point. He snugs the opposite side, going back to tighten the first side, then tighten the opposite side. It doesn't look too bad.

Yeah. It's not that bad, I guess. It take some time to get used to it. I was looking at this thread, which should help me in future to mount and center the rear wheel on horizontal dropouts.

Regards,

EDIT: Nice video on how to mount wheels with horizontal dropouts.

When I have the bike upside-down I'll put my thumbs on the lower chainstays and push the tips against the rim. I can judge how straight the wheel is by where the chainstay is in relation to my thumbs, making it a snap to align.

I got the freewheel tool in today and was able to take my hub apart. There was more grease in the rear than yours, but not as much as I'd usually pack in an axle. The real problem was that the cones were too tight which was easy to fix. It looks like the hub uses ISO threads, so switching to a different freewheel should be no problem.

I took it on a ride. First impressions:

It took me forever to figure out why the bike wouldn't shift into first. It turns out the claw is slightly wider than the axle, so if it isn't tilted right when the axle is screwed down the derailleur and 1st cog are too close together to let the chain climb onto the teeth. I haven't been able to get the rear derailleur adjusted to both shift into first and go into fifth where it's marked on the indexed shifter. Shifting is OK. The gearing is wide enough that 15th is a little higher than 3rd on my 3-speed but 1st is low enough to crawl up very steep hills.

The front derailleur is fast and easy to use - a far cry from the old 10-speeds I'm used to. It is not indexed.

The brakes work far better than the 3-speed I normally use on these roads, but that's a bit like saying Anne Hathaway may be prettier and less drug-addled than Amy Winehouse.

The stem and bars are painted to match the allow rims. This paint ends right at the height mark on the stem.

I'll have more info and pictures once I take it on a real ride.

My bike won't shift easily on the 1st gear. It usually shifts under no load, but when i need my 1st gear, it's usually when I pushing really hard..lol.

Do you have the Huffy Blackwater? I recall you got a really good deal. Post pics...

I received the new ventura ASA saddle. This saddle seems much better than the stock, and the bike looks so much nicer and rides even better now. :thumb:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...7999481&ref=nfhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_O.../NewSaddle.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...7999481&ref=nf

Can those claw-mount derailers be aligned?

I made my own straightener for bolt-on derailers. The bolt-on thread is the same as many axles (10mm diameter with a 1mm pitch). I bought a Wheel's Mfg. Axle-20 (longest solid axle available). Also a hardened bolt at Ace Hardware, with some 10mm 1.0mm nuts and washers.

Using that and a t-square ($5 at Harbor Frieght) I was able to straighten my rear dropout and fix a shifting problem which existed out of the box on my Schwinn Avenue. I use expect to use the bolt primarily, especially for bending because it's harder. The axle for t-square alignment because it's longer and a flat surface.


I really like that Ventura ASA MTB saddle. Yesterday I rode the bike it's on and thought how good it feels. When I ordered it, I didn't expect much for $6. I even thought about how I wasted $6 a couple days later, waiting for delivery.

Another benefit is that I'm less concerned about the saddle being stolen (compared to a $30 saddle). I'm more inclined to use a thin seat-leash cable. Less likely to remove the seat and thread it onto a 10mm cable. I still weigh the circumstances, location, time of day, how long I'll be away from the bike. But, I'm less concerned about it.

It must be the wheel that went off-center after the axle slipped on the horizontal dropout, causing the shifting problems. I am pretty sure the 1st gear will start working once the rear wheel is perfectly centered in the dropout.

Yup. I had no idea what to expect out of a saddle so cheap, but it seems decent. Only time can tell how it holds up to abuse. Can't wait to go mountain biking this weekend. The bike should be solid this time. It's actually a very nice bike.

Since BSO's are for n00bz I took just one photo of the non-drive side. :) Removing the ugly Huffy graphics improves the look of the bike signifcantly. I added block pedals from my pile stash (normally $5-$10 and much stronger than the stock plastic pedals) and the Cloud 9 saddle from my 3 speed. I'm going to ride with one of my friends this weekend and I'll take more detailed pictures then.

Cost of the saddle I put on this bike: About $30. Cost of the bike it's now bolted to: About $30. Then again, I've already used this seat longer than this bike is supposed to last.

That's a very nice looking bike. I am very jealous of the fixed fork. I wish mines was fixed. Oh well...maybe some day i will swap it..

The saddle looks very comfy. Is this a MTB or commute bike? I agree on the stickers...it's just makes it look cheesy. Once you remove the stickers, it becomes more like your custom bike :)

One thing i learned, the DSB bikes are not really meant for new riders. It will just frustrate them and eventually discourage them from riding. Even though the DSP bikes have it's quirks, but you can fix it easily if you have the tools or know what you are doing. My bike would easily perform as a $250-$300 LBS bike would, but the amount of work and time i put in overhauling it, that's about the price I would be willing to sell it for (But i didn't buy it to sell it..haha ).

Happy Ridin!

Just received an update from PC support. The price for the rear deraillure doesn't sound bad. I might order a spare RD, just in case i break or smash the existing RD, the spare might come handy.

If anyone may need the info, here it is:

a lot of good advice on this thread why you should not not buy a walmart bike or any other bike from a department store. i you are on a bugdet i can not make any suggestion besides waiting until sept. or oct. to buy a bike because the quality will be so abysmal it will end up costing you more. i suffered through most of the 1970s with one bike because that is all i could afford & it had to be a touring bike. i currently own 1 touring bike, 2 sport touring bikes, 2 racing bikes & a greenspeed recumbent tricycle. my oldest is a 1975 raleigh super course mark 2. a woman came to visit for the summer in 1975 & i bought a super course for her to use but i did not sell when she left because i found having a demo which fit most of my female friends was a very effective selling tool. perhaps you have a friend who could friend you could lend up a bike. when i totaled my jaguar in dec 1979 i did borrow a bike for 2 months in the spring. attilio picked a nice nishiki at the salvation army, but salvation army does not carry a regular stock, but you can go look. attilio did you my super course for several months, he bought his son a kmart bike (another department store) & i am an above average bike mechanic & i could not get the sun race rear derailleur to work properly. today i could not afford so many bikes & the tricycle cost $6000!!!, i had never spent more than $3000 for my klein team super.