Newbie Question.
 

Hello. I have a Pacific Tucson 18 Speed Mountain Bike. I bought it a couple years ago with the intent to ride. I rode a couple times for no more than an hour total and then put it up. My fiance and I are now starting to ride bikes. We went out once for about an hour and the shifter on my bike broke on the inside because it is cheap plastic. I know that it is not a great bike since I got it from the local Meijer Store, but I didn't have the money at the time for anything else, and I don't have the money now to get something better. My question is: Is it possible to buy an good aftermarket shifter to put on it to correct it's problems? It is easily out of warranty to have the company fix it. I actually like the bike a lot. I just wish they didn't skimp and use cheap plastic in the shifter. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sure, you can buy an aftermarket shifter. You can probably ask your local bike shop to order you a cheap shifter. They can check out the ratio for you, decide whether to order something like a Shimano Altus vs. SRAM X.3 (I think those are the two companies' least expensive offerings?), and then install it for you. But here's the catch: 1) that part + installation will probably cost you more than the bike is worth, and 2) you'll be out for another hour and something else will break. I know you said you don't have a lot of money, but even an old fully rigid bike off Craigslist will likely be an improvement over what you have. If you tell us where you are, we can check Craigslist for you.

Thanks for the reply. I live near Springfield, IL. I have been trying to shop around on craigslist as well. There is a Giant Iguana bike on there for 140.00. I read that Giant bikes are good bikes, but is that a decent price? Here is the link.

http://springfieldil.craigslist.org/bik/2981312217.html

It's better than what you have now, but it's a pretty old bike.

Almost same price, looks like a similar size (looks like a large to me). Also a little on the old side, but much newer than the one you just posted: http://springfieldil.craigslist.org/bik/2986966376.html

I appreciate the help, but the boss says that we can't afford a bike now since we have to pay for the wedding. Looks like I have to be bikeless.

Put bikes on your wedding registry then. Our whole registry was REI and gift cards. We asked that no one give us the usual "household goods" as we had already accumulated all that stuff anyway.

We pretty much have all the household goods that we need, but she wants "better" stuff than what we have. I only have a couple things that I want. Dehydrator and a meat grinder. I know that I could not sell her on putting a bike on the registry.

I went to a couple local LBS's today too. I learned that one has a payment plan. That could be the maker or breaker for me getting one. One was kind of a joke. I walk in there looking around at stuff, and no one comes up to me for help. I also have no idea who worked there to talk to them. I just left there, but the other one was much better I think. The guy came up to me and asked me what I was looking for. I told him everything and showed me a Trek 7000 from the 90's and they wanted 300 plus tax for it he said that in it's day it was around a 2k bike, and was very good. Granted I do not know much about bikes, but doesn't that seem a bit steep for a bike that old? I mean for a hundred or two more I could get a brand new bike with, more than likely, several improvements. I also told him where I wanted to ride, and he said that since there are a lot of locusts there I will need Kevlar tires since the thorns will go right through. Does this seem like a fair price, and a valid point about the tires, or is he just trying to milk a newbie for all he is worth?