Boston Ivy

So I've had this bike for the last 10+ years.

The previous occupants of my house left it behind when they moved out. I have no idea how old the components are, but they all seem to be Shimano Deore XT on a Gary Fisher frame. From some research, it seems that these components are actually pretty decent. At this point I should mention that my bicycle knowledge is minimal.

The bike has been used on and off as a casual bike over the years. Pretty much no maintenance has been done on the bike except patching inner tubes, and pumping in air when needed. The chain was sprayed more than a few times with WD-40 over the year (yes I now know that this is a big no no). The frame has a little rust which I believe is just superficial. The brakes are decent, chain has some problems on certain gears, I.E. makes clicking sounds. I measured 12" with a ruler from the center of a pin on the chain, and it arrives at 1/8" off from the nearest pin.

I'd like to start riding my bike a little more this season, and I want to be able to enjoy my ride and not have too much frustration with the operation of the bike. I'm considering buying a new bike for between $250-$350 Canadian. But before I do that, I'd like to attempt to fix up this bike.

So I'm interested in finding out is this bike is worth salvaging. Should I take it into a local bike shop and have them clean and tune it up? Do you see any part that obviously needs to be upgraded? If so what parts should I upgrade first? How much money should I put into this bike? As is, how much is this bike worth?

Thanks guys.

P.S. the rear parcel support is definitely be coming off in any upgrade/tuneup.
P.P.S. If you need any further photos of specific parts of the bike, let me know.


HERE IS A LINK TO THE GALLERY WITH ALL 29 PICTURES

http://img88.yfrog.com/gal.php?g=img0459j.jpg

Boston Ivy

Boston Ivy

Svr

That bike was top of the line back when this dude was President of the USA....




It's probably worth having a shop tune it up if you just want a reliable daily rider.

Business810

That's a cool old Fisher, but it has definitely seen better days. I would definitely agree that it's worth a tune up for an around-town bike or just riding on fire roads or rail trails, but I wouldn't sink more money into upgrading it.

To me, what to do with it comes down a lot to what you want to use it for. What kind of riding do you want to do?

C_Heath

lube that baby up and ride it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

artimus

Tune it and ride it. With $250-350, you'll be shopping at Canadian Tire, and Walmart. Those are not places to shop for a replacement for a Gary Fisher.

traitorhound

My buddy has that same exact bike. I think he said he paid 850 USD for it in like 1986. It's a pretty nice bike (I rode it for a little while on our local trail) but the BioPace chainrings are the weirdest feeling things in the world to me. They are oblong chain rings that have so you aren't pedaling the same gear ratio throughout the entire pedal circle.

Clean it up and ride it.

frankenmike 

A little TLC and you've got yourself a hell of a commuter bike there.

cleverendeavor

Agree with the other posters. But don't take it to your average bike shop - try to find one that specializes in older bikes and will have the knowledge to properly fix up the bike. If you can spend $200 and completely fix up your Gary Fisher, you will have a significantly better bike than something for $200 from a department store. Additionally, there is a market for the frame and some of the parts (for people who collect and build vintage MTBs.) At the very least, sell it to someone who can give it the care it deserves.

Daspydyr 

I just helped a friend restore a 1991 Jamis with oblong cranks. It weighs a ton, but rolls better than my newer Deore Hubs.

Boston Ivy

Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like I will take in for a tune up, and skip buying a new bicycle for now. This brings me to my next question, what should I have the bike shop do to the bike exactly? @cleverendeavor, you suggest spending about $200 to fix this bike up, could you please specify how I should spend that money?

I'm located in Toronto so I have 20+ bike stores to choose from, any recommendations?
My local bike store offers these services:

Pit Stop Tune Up: $35

• Full adjustment of brakes, and front and rear derailleurs
• Lubricate drivetrain which includes chain and derailleur pivots
• Check and adjust headset
• Inflate tires to proper pressure
• Check all bolts for proper tightness

Full Tune Up: $50

• All services from Pit Stop Tune Upplus
• Check and adjust front and rear hubs
• True front and rear wheels
• Check and adjust bottom bracket
• Surface wipe of bicycle

Full Overhaul: $120

• All the services of a Full Tune Up plus
• Overhaul of front and rear hubs, headset and bottom bracket
• Complete clean and lube of the drivetrain
• Complete clean of the bicycle

http://cyclepathnorthyork.com/service/main-service.html

gnome 

go for the full overhaul since this bike has had minimal maintenance over the years.

cleverendeavor

Couldn't agree more. And if you don't end up liking it, get someone to part it out and sell it on ebay!

Boston Ivy

Thanks again for advice. When I get it all fixed up I'll post some new pics if anyone's interested. Also I found this link if anyone wanted to see this bike in a brand new condition: http://www.mombat.org/1987_Fisher_Montare.htm