Hi all. Recently i've gotten the idea that i would like to start biking to school. Have always just had bikes from wal mart and the like, have done a little research but still need some help. I'll try to give as much info as possible.

First off, from my house to the university i attend is ~7miles. I've thus far done it a few times on a bike of my dads that sat unused in the garage for a number of years, a Motiv Stonegrinder mtb. Nothing special but better than a mongoose or something.

Few things i learned from the few times i've commuted on the bike thus far.

This is all city and suburban cycling but there are some hills. The gears on my current bike are not functioning correctly. It is stuck in 7th gear (21 speed). It will shift to 6th, but once i let off the shifter, it slips back to 7th. The left hand shifter doesn't work at all, cable doesn't even move. Not really sure what the deal there is. In any case a single speed wont work. I love the workout of the ride, but pedaling up one particular long, steep hill is rough and i'm in pretty good shape.

I like the light weight of the ChroMo frame.

While it is all paved, sidewalks and roads aren't perfect. I kind of like having the bigger knobby tires to soak up some of the bumps. How big of a trade off are mtb style tires vs the skinny, road tires?

Since i carry a back pack full of text books (and often times my netbook, too), my back and shoulders are SOAKED after the trip. I've seen some attachments to carry my bag for ~$70-100 so that may solve this.

And of course, my price range. I am a college student and aside from just enjoying cycling i am doing this to save some money so i'm not looking to spend big just yet. $300 is about top of the mark, i have no problem looking used but dont entirely know what to look for. I'd prefer to stay significantly under that but i also know you get what you pay for. Honestly if fixing the gears on this bike were an inexpensive fix i'd probably just ride this one for a while until i have more money saved up to buy a really nice bike because really i have very little to complain about this bike aside from that. I've never messed with the gear system on a bike. I am fairly mechanically inclined ( and a junior Mechanical Engineering student) and would be willing to tackle it if it was thought to be an easy-ish and/or inexpensive fix. It's an Shimano Altus if that helps, thumb style shifter. There is a LBS not too far off my commute, maybe i should stop in and have them take a look, but i fear that could get pricey.

Sorry to write an essay, but i figure the more info i give, the better recommendations you fine people can give me.

Thanks!

If that old bike of your dad's fits, then I say just fix it up, swap out the knobby for some city tires (what size are they currently?), throw a rack on it, add a couple of lights, maybe fenders, and call it done.

Check out Park Tool for some how to help on your derailleur adjustment (and anything else you might want to explore): https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

Hey Rob,

I'm sure the shifters on your bike can be fixed or easily replaced. MTB components are dirt cheap.

If you're really enjoying biking and have $300 to spend, I would look at getting yourself a nice road bike on craigslist.

Bicycles are wonderfully easy and fun to work on even if you aren't mechanically inclined. It just takes a little reading on the internet and you can do pretty much everything at home.

You can buy a top of the line racing bike from the 80's or 90's that will be smooth, fast and fun to ride.

The most important thing in a new bike is fit. Go test ride some bikes at your local LBS. They will guide you to which size will likely fit you best. You can then find a used bike in your size and go from there.


otherwise...i'm sure others can guide you in fixing your current bike. I just love the thrill of a fast road bike and think that everyone should experience it.

To Bike Forums, Rob59!

This could be easy. It all depends. Do you guys have a bicycle co-op somewhere, nearby?

Just locate your nearest bicycle co-op. Volunteer a few hours on the weekends in order to purchase membership with your volunteer time. Once you've established membership, you'll be able to bring your MTB bike into the co-op workshop for any mechanical adjustments or installations. You should replace your chain and both derailleurs (front and rear). However, don't use Altus. You might want to go with Alivio or Deore or something. When you do this, you'll be upgrading your bicycle with better components.

Let the co-op leadership know what your upgrading goals are after they've inspected your bicycle, before you make any component purchases. Let them tell you exactly what you're going to need to replace. It's quite possible that you might very well, not need the components that I've already prematurely suggested.

Good Luck!

- Slim

PS.

Bicycle co-ops have seasoned bicycle mechanics, who will help you to perform any kind of installation or make any type of mechanical adjustment on your bike.

Looks like all the bases are covered here.. moving on.

The tires are 26" if memory serves, under the seat it says 19.5". It seems to fit me well but then again i've never been "fitted" for a bike.

To the next post, I've been looking a little on craigslist but i don't know exactly what i'm looking for aside from name brands like Trek and Giant.

I'm also not opposed to fixing the one i have if i knew how. I'm not at all afraid to take it apart, worst case scenario i screw up a free bike. Like stated the 3 speed front gear is not working at all. I push the lever and the cable doesn't even budge. I'm assuming something internally in the shifter? As for the the 7 speed rear gear set, the bike is currently in 7th. If i push the lever to down shift it will go into 6th and the indicator will show 6th gear. However as soon as i release the lever, the indicator goes back to 6th and the bike shifts itself back to 7th gear. Not sure if the derailleur is just worn out and will no longer hold its place or if its in the internals of the shifter.

New bike or not i'd at least want to fix this so i can resell it for a little cash to put toward a better bike.

You mentioned the feel of a fast road bike. Aside from the tires, why is a road bike better for "the road". I would assume they would be relatively similar otherwise? If i am wrong feel free to inform me otherwise, really just still new to this.

I certainly think a trip to the LBS is in order. There is one that is actually not far off of my commute, i should probably stop in there on my way home one day and have them look the bike over and perhaps talk to them about what i need in a bike and then look at used stuff from there. First priority i think is fixing what i have.

Thank you all for your responses.

Do stop by the LBS. It'll probably be more economical to fix what you have, even if they do it for you, than buying a new bike.

And without knowing what model of bike you have, it sounds like a solid foundation to build a commuter on. Plenty of us prefer the older, rigid mtbs with slick tires. The one in my avatar is an '06 Kona Smoke, technically a hybrid, but is akin to an older rigid mtb. I have 26"x1.5" tires on it- with fenders.

Wait. What?! As a Mechanical Engineering student, you should have no fear over something as simple as a bike. Look at the mechanics, and see how it Works. The shifter pulls a cable that is routed through a tube and pulls the derailleur one way. A spring pulls it back when you move the lever the other way. I give it a 90% chance that the whole works just needs lubrication. Start with WD-40 on all the joints. Consider buying a cable lubricating kit, which will let you force some oil down into the cable tube.

Consider this your first practical exam.

If you can't figure it out, bring it to the bike shop, and have them fix it while you watch.

If you're set on a new bike for a max of around $300, I just bought my Schwinn Coffee 3-spd for $330+ tax. I bet you can do better if you try. But it has everything a good commuter should have, except a high top speed. (plan on about 20 mph, which is actually a good clip on a bike) It has enough gears to handle moderate hills and flats. It has fenders and a spring rack, and a nice easy riding position. Best of all, the gearing is internal to the rear hub, so it doesn't get frozen by neglect as easily as an external derailleur system. Letting the cables rust in the tubes will still get you, but the rest is well-protected.

Anyway, I hope I shamed you into applying your engineering mind and fixing the bike. Even if you DO end up getting a new one eventually, you'll get more for the old one if it is in good working shape.

It is a Motiv Stonegrinder. Nothing special by any means but it is a surprisingly good bike imo. Leaps better than say the mongoose mountain bike i had as a kid. All i know about it is that my dad bought it probably 10 years ago give or take and he bought it used to replace a bike he had from the 80's. My guess is the bike is from the 90's. My dad has no idea and didn't even remember it having issues with shifting. It is a 21-speed. All the components are Shimano Altus. The frame is 4130 Chromoly which i know from being an engineering student and engineering intern is quite strong and light, but not as resistant to corrosion. The frame right now appears to be in excellent shape, though. 26" tires. Completely rigid. I can take pictures tomorrow when it is light again if that would help me better identify what i am dealing with here. With record high temperatures here in SE Michigan (86 degrees tomorrow, average is high 40's) i will most certainly be riding the bike to school tomorrow.

I have no problem investing a little into this bike if i can make it suit my needs.

Hah. I suppose not considering at work i deal with V12 engines for Caterpillar among other things. Taking things apart and figuring out how they work and how to make them better is precisely what sparked me into wanting to get into this field. Like i said certainly not afraid to tear it apart, just have no experience with it. I also want it in full working order either way as like you said, it will sell for more that way giving me more money for a nicer bike. I suppose tomorrow after school i'll begin tinkering with it. I will post back with results.

I'm not an expert in mountain bikes. My understanding is that mountain bikes are made of heavier tubing so they can withstand off-road forces. The geometry is different (things like higher bottom brackets for clearance) longer chainstays? which greatly affect the handling and steering of a bike. The wider tires have more contact with the road so they increase resistance slowing you down. They also typically use flat bars which dont allow you to get low and out of the wind and i personally feel much more confident going down a big hill at high speeds of i can brace myself in the drops when i'm braking.

Take a nice racing bike for a test ride at your LBS. For commuting you would probably want something more cross or touring oriented as they allow for racks and fenders etc but for test rides, why not experience the difference.

Yeah i hadn't put much thought in the handle bar design. I definitely need a rack of some sort eventually to carry my back pack as right now i need to bring a spare shirt because my shirt gets soaked on my back and shoulders from the back pack. I've seen a few different setups people are using on this forum that aren't too expensive. Fenders are not really a concern right now as i pretty much only ride when it is nice out, i like commuting but i don't have to, i'll just drive on the days it isn't so nice. In the future that may change.


Now to update on the state of my current bike. I took some WD-40 and oiled the heck out of everything working it into the gears and such. This didn't help. So i took the right hand 7 speed shifter apart, squirted more WD-40 in there. Ended up kind of grabbing it and forcing it into 6th and then 5th gear as well as just jiggling things around trying to unstick anything that may be stuck but still could figure out precisely why it it wasn't working. So i put it all back together thinking maybe by manually turning the gear it may have did something. Well turns out it did. It down shifted through all gears flawlessly. However, when i went to up shift it up shifted to 2nd and then would do nothing and could feel the lever wasn't "catching" as it pushed freely. So i took it back apart and noticed a small spring wrapped around a lever on the up shifter that wasnt wound up tight. So i tried to wind it up tight the best a could, did a little more jiggling and put it back together. This worked! It now shifts up and down all 7 speeds very smoothly and flawlessly. The spring still seemed a little worn out, so it may eventually need replacement, but you wouldn't know it the way it's shifting now.

I didn't get to this until late evening so at this point i ran out of sun light and didn't get to try to fix the left hand 3-speed side. I also noticed yesterday that the front brakes were not stopping very good and assumed they were just wearing out. Well while lubing the bike today i noticed one of the front pads is missing entirely! So will certainly be needing to buy a new one. Where can i buy one of these? LBS?

Quite pleased with being able to fix that shifter. This at least gives me a few gears to work with. The 3-speed shifter is stuck in 2nd. Hopefully i can fix it tomorrow.

Here's a few pics just to show you guys what i'm working with. Actually nvm image shack is acting up. I'll get pics up as soon as i can.

Got it working, here are the pics.





Guts of the shifter. Hard to tell from the pic but the spring on the left side lever is worn.

Atta boy Rob!

If you got the rear going, and the front's on the middle, that's good enough for now.

I think part of what happened was that while you were taking things apart, the WD-40 penetrated a bit more and really helped out. Good job with the troubleshooting.

Regarding the bags, since you're in Florida, I think you'll sweat through your shirt no matter what. But it will at least get a chance to dry a bit more if there's no pack on your back.

I wouldn't even mess with the front derailleur too much for now. Just give the top of the cable a bit of WD each day, and it will work its way down eventually. Hit all the pivot areas too. The front is simple compared to the rear.

The WD-40 did its magic this time, but prolonged use of the stuff could make things worse. The stuff is a dirt magnet, so before you know it, you'll end up with a grimy sludge...

Lol I'm not exactly sure where you got that I live in Florida unless you are just being funny about the unseasonably warm weather. I live in Michigan. Metro Detroit. It was 75 degrees during my trip to school a few hours ago. I wore one of those shirts that breaths a little better. Idk what you call the material, made by reebok and the like and that along with taking my back pack off to let my back air out while waiting at cross walks and such seemed to help quite a bit.

Overall I was quite pleased with my ride today. A lot less sweating and a lot easier making it up the hills.

You've received a lot of good advice. To add a bit, you probably don't want knobby tires. The knobs don't soak up bumps, but as you note, the size does. Ditch the knobs for a good, wide street tire. Your speed, comfort, and enjoyment will increase.