hankaye

Howdy All;

Taking a while but I learning how to ask questions on this forum.

Here' a basic description of my needs;
Needs = a few miles a day (not every day ...), able to strap a fishin' rod to the top bar to go fishin', maybe
do a Post Office run (2.5 miles each way), or just do some laps around the farm field off the back side of
the property (2 miles around). Just need to keep joints moving and pull some extra air into the lungs as
sitting around doesn't do much of the other... I don't care about speed nor distance records just like to
peddle my furry butt around. At 67 and with COPD that's about all I need to keep me active. At the moment
we'll see what happens once I get used to movin' around more. The wrenching is just gravy on the project.

Basically, my want is singular, I want to know what Frame Manufacturers to look into and those to shy away
from. My price range is modest $100.00 to at the most $200.00. Also what models or series are the ones to
"be on the look out for". Gotta be a diamond in the rough out there somewhere with my name on it ...

Reckon I might ask these questions first;

Steel or Aluminum frame ? Why? What to look for in either ?

Thanks for thoughts and suggestions.

hank

rfmarotti

Fit is going to be the most important thing to consider. Old steel MTBs from the 90s are probably the best bet in your price range. These two are nearby-ish and show some promise:

https://lascruces.craigslist.org/bik/5554842455.html

https://lascruces.craigslist.org/bik/5538989821.html

If the Gary Fisher fits you, that's definitely the better of the two.

hankaye

rfmarotti, Howdy;

Thanks for the links I've already sent them emails and waiting for replies also checking the dark side of
internet yard sales ...
The last few I checked on down there were already sold, the sellers "forgot" to remove the ads.

hank

Ronsonic 

Any of the better brands out there Trek, Fisher, Specialized are the bigs. When browsing bikes I'll look at the drivetrain quickly. For the vintages we're talking about all will have triples up front, 80s bikes 6 speed in the back and 7 in the nineties. The components will almost all be Shimano branded and we're looking for the model line "Deore" or "Deore LX or XT."

I wouldn't bother looking for a suspension fork for that era or price. The "good" forks of that day weren't much and will need rebuilt by now.

hankaye

Ronsonic, Howdy;

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still just looking for a frame to 'build-up' into a complete bike.
However, ... should a 'deal of a lifetime' pop-up, I'll certainly jump on it...
So, ... in the meantime, anyone have any thoughts on Aluminum frames? Names to look for or avoid???

Thanks again for y'all's thoughts.

hank

FrozenK

Aluminum frame? I'd recommend a 2006 Giant Boulder.

osco53

$100,,,$200 for a frame,,,
Call It:
Frame $150
Wheels tires n tubes $150
Decent comfort low duration seat $35
A lower end non clutched 3 x 9 drive train shifters and all, used, will be problematic,
A new single Narrow wide chain ring and a 1x9 system $125
Bars, grips Crank,,Say,,$100

$560 ,,, really ?

Get a brand spankin new Hard Tail Trek, Raleigh, Giant, Specialized, All these come with modern geometry, quality parts and being a current bike easy to fix,,, need I go on ? In just about,,every bike shop out there $550-600 will get It done,,,,

I missed a few things,,seat post, pedals water bottle cage kick stand,,,, you know,,, things new bikes come with...

hankaye

FrozenK, Howdy;

your to funny ...

hank

hankaye

osco53, Howdy;
Ok, but ... where is the fun of building one up from a frame? The thrill of the hunt for parts, barkin' (skinning), a knuckle or 2,
getting your hands all greasy then havin' your nose start to needing a good scratch... you know, ... all the fun stuff or maybe
you don't know those joys. If the latter be the case then I feel sorry for you. Another plus is it spreads out the payments, buy
what you can when and when your done ... it's all yours and you assembled it yourself.


hank

arex

Like @rfmarotti said, an early '90s mountain bike is a good bet. Cheap, sturdy, very rebuildable, and just plain good.

The standard go-tos are Trek 800-series (820, 830) and 900-series (930, 950, 970), and Specialized Rockhoppers and Stumpjumpers. The Trek 900's and the Stumpjumpers are the best picks, but the 800's and Rockhoppers are decent, too, and cheaper to obtain.

Assuming they haven't been brutalized or left outside to rust, a teardown, cleaning, and lube are likely to be all the service they need, aside from tubes, tires, and maybe a saddle.

hankaye

Howdy, All;

Update, just found a bike on ebay and c'sList, Think it should fit and if not it can go back up for sale ...
Here's what I found and just concluded the transaction for. Checked it on a few different sites and it
comes up as a 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper FS
https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/bik/5555439021.html
Now just need to wait for it to ship and arrive.
Only problem I can foresee in reassembly is the peddles, any special tool(s) required???
Thanks to everyone that kind enough to offer suggestions and recommendations. Figure I can swap
out tires or add a rack(?), develop this as I find what will be more useful to my wants & needs.
Again, many thanks!

hank

PS. Ok, Seller took down the C'sList advert. so here is a link to see the specs.;
https://knowyourbike.com/specialized...jumper-fs/1995

FrozenK

If you paid $250 for that bike, that needs a tune up and has a busted fork you paid way too much. That bike is worth about $150 in that condition.

You will need a 15mm pedal wrench to install the pedals.

hankaye

FrozenK, Howdy;

Thank you for the positive feedback.
I figure that it probably needs new cables as well, and the re-assembly from the shipping container will lend
itself to the tune-up. A front fork that "needs serviced" ain't busted, just needs normal maintenance. Information
that I have already found here; https://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekatal...uals/mag21.pdf But then I am
considering a ridged front end as has been suggested by one of the other members here. Either way I'll be happy.

hank

osco53

True, Very True,,,

I do all my own work,,mostly and don't mind but I'd rather be riding.

It's just that In my experience I get so much more for my money buying a complete bike, then I save a few pennies as I ride and do a few choice upgrades..

If I make it to retirement or win the lotto I will build a bike just because of our exchange,, Thank you

hankaye

osco53, Howdy;

If you've read the rest of the posts since then you'll see where I DID actually purchase a complete
bike. It shipped today so I' should be getting my hands on it about a week from this Friday at the latest.
Also, will be evaluating all the bits-n-pieces for either install or replacement. Should be fun, ... getting
to know the bike and all of it's working bits is a fun thing for me and removes anyone else from blame
should anything go wrong, ... short of an accident.
I did find my way to the nearest co-op, 2 hours one-way. So I'll have the proper tools to use and make
a shopping for future purchases. Added plus is if they have any parts there that I can use then the hunt
is short and they are a non-profit so that also helps cut some costs.
Once assembled the only things that should prevent me from riding are normal preventive maintenance
and bad weather. Keep it clean, keep it lubed, keep an eye on the rest of the bits-n-pieces and all should
be hunky-dory.
Good luck with the lotto, retirement ain't what it's cracked up to be ... now I gotta figure out what to do
evvvvery day ...

hank

hankaye

Howdy All;

Ok, bike arrived today! Seller put out for 3 day , !!!
Un boxed and assembled. All it needed was to put the handlebars on, mount the non-drive peddle, set the seat
somewhere near to my required height and get the tires into place. By the way, an adjustable wrench fit the bill
for getting the peddle on and snugged both.
As expected the front end is shot, re-build a RS Mag-21 or go for the ridged front end??? Thinkin' go for the ridged.
Also needs new brake pads and will be taking the wheels into a shop to get them trued (peace of mind thing).
One of the brake arm mount bolts has the first 2 threads stripped so need another one. New cables for everything
as well.
Did I mention somewhere in this entire forum that I was looking for a project??? Well, I got one. One that won't take
to much to make it something I'll like to get me out and about or is the oot n aboot?
Any suggestions for the front end ???
Thanks for watchin' keep the cards an letters comin'

hank

Ronsonic 

Looks like pretty good spec's for it's day.

Rigid fork makes sense for what you're doing. Might replace the headset while it's apart. I'm learning to really like Cane Creek for those. Their headset finder is easy and will tell you just what you need and the Ten series is excellent and very affordable. Shopping the fork you're looking for a 1-1/8" steerer that's long enough and an Axle to Crown length that won't mess up your handling. Most of the rigid forks you'll find are "suspension corrected" meaning they're long enough to go on a bike with a suspension fork.

There's also lots of used, recent, suspension forks out there. Some nearly new pulls from bikes that were upgraded. Also not a bad option.

hankaye

Ronsonic, Howdy;

Thanks for the tip about Cane Creek, I'll do some looking there. Looks like I'm driving down to
Las Cruces today...

hank