Phil_gretz

Steve,
Where are you located? Any of us could do the work for you. Thanks for your service to our country. Phil G.

Retiredguns

I am located near Rockford, IL

SkyDog75

If you're happy with your current gearing, the only reason to change it is price & availability of a similarly-geared cassette. For $30, you can go with a 13-30 cassette and keep the same gearing. For about half that, you can do 12-28 or 12-32. Each of those would change your low gear by about 7% one way or the other. (All of the options cost considerably less than a new bike, though!)

As for the chain, you can go with any 7-speed chain from Shimano, SRAM, KMC, Wippermann, etc. I suggested the KMC chain because it has worked well for me and it's inexpensive. You can certainly opt for a Shimano chain if you'd prefer, but you won't notice any functional difference ...except the lack of the nifty connecting links offered by those other brands.

Retiredguns

Took it to the bike shop at lunch. Needs a chain for sure, but the tech said the cassette looks remarkably good for its age. He is going to put a new chain on and ride it. I'm having them change the brake pads, adjust the derailleurs & tune up whatever might be needed. They are going to charge me $42 if it doesn't need a cassette and $72 if it does. $72 for all is not bad.

10 Wheels

Nice..

70sSanO

Congrats on getting the bike fixed. $72 well spent. As noted, you can't find a similar new bike like that in any shop for anything close to what you have and will need to put into your Bianchi over the years. Just a decent new steel frame with a rigid fork would probably run around $400+ without any components.

John

gsms

Here's my thoughts on your question to update to get a new bike. I ride a chro-moly steel lugged bike that's over 25 years old. Had it built and even though it has 10's of thousands of miles on the frame set I just keep rebuilding/replacing/updating the components as needed or as I feel like it in some cases. The frame isn't broken, I'm not a pro or wannabe that has to for professional or compulsive reasons count grams but I do enjoy the perfection of the fit acquired from years of adjustments immensely.

DaveLeeNC

My bias here will show (see my profile to the left of this post). But on returning to cycling after almost 20 years away, I chose to upgrade (wheels and groupset) my quite nice EL-OS steel Bianchi - NOT an inexpensive thing to do and not something that 'makes sense' financially. But it is something that I would choose again without hesitation.

dave

Retiredguns

Picked my bike up today and a load of bad news. They couldn't/wouldn't replace the chain because he said it would skip on the old freewheel. Said it is impossible to find old Suntour freewheels. I saw some on eBay, but they are crazy prices! If I change out the wheel I need new derailleurs & a bunch of other stuff. On a positive note, they rode it hard and could not get it to skip a bit even though the chain is stretched.

They replaced a broken rear spoke (didn't know it had one), trued the rim, changed a cable, changed the brake pads, adjusted the brakes, adjusted bottom bracket and charged me $97.40. Higher price than expected for work I didn't really expect.

It rides, shifts and stops great, but now I am back to thinking about a new bike next season as I can see $500+ going into parts to make the old Bianchi new again.

Wish I could find one never ridden on Craigslist for $100....

Found a NOS freewheel on eBay for $112.50, but that seems like a lot. I wonder if it's even worth it. If I replace that along with a chain is it going to be that much better?

I looked at new bikes at the shop and I don't like the fat tubing.

Doctor Morbius

It's easy to get upside down when refurbishing something, be it bikes or old Marantz receivers from the '70s. It's really only worth it for sentimental reasons and if you plan to use the refurbished item for years to come. Sometimes you can end up married to it because you have too much money into it.

The new models should start coming out soon, so expect to see closeout deals on 2015 bikes. I've purchased a couple of bikes at big discounts that way.

And thank you for your service to our country.

ltxi

It's worth it if rebuilding and keeping the old trusty mount is what you really want to do. Having just kinda gone through this same thing, I feel your pain. Just couldn't part with the old hoss, myself, and ended up with both.

dedhed

I'd fix the old one. I just redid an old diamond back for a guy that he uses for his winter beater. I replaced the BB, crank, cassette, chain cables, brake pads and all the bearings (HS, wheels & pedals) for less than $200 in parts. Try Merlin or Chain reaction for parts.

CycleryNorth81

I think your LBS is trying to pull a fast one on you. They are trying to get you to buy a new bike when it isn't necessary. You can replace the Suntour freewheel with a Shimano frewheel with all parts needed less than $45.

Suntour Freewheel remover $10.29
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Free...words=park+fr2

Shimano freewheel $13
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Tourne...&keywords=tz21

Shimano Freewheel installer/remover tool $8.20
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Free...xgy_468_text_y

New KMC chain $10.92
https://www.amazon.com/KMC-7-8sp-chai...xgy_468_text_z

Video on Freewheel removal/ Freewheel installation $0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHOtrzjyMHE

The folks in the Classic and Vintage forum (C&V) will be able to answer any other question you may have.

CycleryNorth81

Add another $5 to the total if you need a chain breaker.
https://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-TM-Bicycle-Breaker-Repairing/dp/B008S8PSDA/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1434077305&sr=1-4&
keywords=Chain+Breaker+Tool

Video on chain breaker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgczpUJ_Jjk

cale

I'm not going to tell you it would be better to buy a new bike but there's something about wheeling a bike out of the shop that is well adjusted and with a bike shop standing behind it. (If this doesn't sound like the shop you visited... don't shop there.)

I rebuilt a old bike in large part because of sentimentality but was shocked when, within a year, I managed to ruin the frame (run over in a race, my fault). So, I understand the desire to do it.

But you needn't spend over $500 to get a really good bike, and you could offset that cost by donating your bike to a community donation center (write off a deduction on next year's taxes).

I know I'm swimming against the current to even discuss new bikes but I know these guys expect a little, heck even relish a little, arguments to the contrary and I'm happy to appease anyone.

Most eveyone here, myself included, has a box full of tools and a head full of experience from working on bikes. Sometimes it's hard to be patient with the idea of depending on a bike shop for repairs. Many of us are very sporadic in our LBS attendance. Haha

I think this is a great time to buy an inexpensive bike and the $500 price range ($400-600) is the most competitive in the industry. If you can put on your blinders to avoid all the visual/sensual "noise" coming off the high-end models, you will find bikes that shift great, roll great and have years of life ahead of them.

So, pardon my suggestion but this mountain bike is currently available for $430 (tax and delivery to WA included). https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...0052_578124_-1

MRT2

WTF are they talking about? Yes, Suntour freewheels may not be readily available but Shimano freewheels are readily available and cheap. I just recently had one installed on my 1997 Bianchi.
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-7-Spee.../dp/B00OJZPRVO

Retiredguns

Thanks again for the tips & suggestions. I will likely ride the year out with the old bike and see what happens this winter. If I was to buy a Shimano freewheel and new chain, will it mesh with my derailleurs & crank set?

If so, I may go ahead and at least do that. Maybe buy a new bike later and either keep the old Bianchi or give it to a neighbor kid or someone that will appreciate it.

Retiredguns

cale, that is a nice looking bike, thanks.

MRT2

Absolutely

CycleryNorth81

The Shimano freewheel will "mesh" with your derailleurs and crank set. The shimano freewheel with KMC chain is a good combo that works well together.

Retiredguns

Excellent! Thanks for all the links & tips. I am thinking my Suntour accushift freewheel will need the 4 prong removal tool. I could use the old punch method, but it might lead to scratches and blood some how.

I am going to order the slightly more expensive 13-28 since I have had that 13 for 22 years and am so used to it. Like the chain with it's easy install.

CycleryNorth81

If you are using Suntour Accushift, the shifting might or might not shift well with a shimano freewheel and suntour deraileur. The solution to this problem is to change the suntour shifters into friction mode.

If you post in the Classic & Vintage forum (C&V), the people there can provide more solutions.

Retiredguns

Thanks, posted in the classic/vintage forum.

Retiredguns

The folks on the classic forum were great! I didn't want to wait for parts online so I went to a LBS and bought a freewheel, chain, new bearings & a couple tools. It all came together great. Just a small tweak of the H screw and the new parts mesh perfectly with my derailleur & click shifters. I also found out that even though I bought the Bike in 1993, it is actually a 1991 model. Hope to get another couple decades out of it!

Nightshade

With this frame it's doubtful that you will ever need a new bike for casual riding. Lets not forget that steel smoothes out much of the road vibrations aluminum & carbon can't. Can you say strong as a tank?!?!

This really is a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"............