+1. All that's missing is a little tender loving bicycle care.

Congrats on your new ride. I wonder if Madison has a bike co-op where you can go and have them show you how to do what needs to be done. I learn better from watching rather than just reading, but that's just me.

Sweet...

OP...are those Suntour shifters? Anyway, tune-up that bike and start learning to wrench on it...and most importantly enjoy it again

He's just trying to say he hopes you know that there are bikes that give a nicer ride out there. I bet you do.

As long as all the bearings are adjusted properly and aren't totally broken down I'm sure your bike isn't a horrible ride. Heavy, but oh well.


Take the bike to your LBS and they'll fix it. They'll want money in exchange. Eat a couple PB&J's instead of Jimmy John's and that'll fund the extra cost versus cheap online retailers. Plus you'll get it fixed with the right parts instead of crossing your fingers that you ordered the right thing.

To OP, if you are near UWM then go to Bikesmiths or Cory the Bike Fixer. Both are on Murray St. and like old used stuff. If you are just buying cables/housing it might still be cheaper than online when you add in shipping. Cory might even let you use his tools.

For tires I would recommend Panaracer Pasela TG. Get the steel bead version as it's cheaper, easier to get on and with your bike you won't notice the weight difference. And it's availble in 27" with or without "Tour Guard", which is their name for a flat resistant kevlar layer like Hardcase, Armadillo, etc.

Okay , want advice? Look where the cable starts, look where it ends, buy a new one and replace it. Pretty simple. Might want to do all of them cause they are all likely in the same condition. If you can't or won't figure out how to do it then pay someone to do it for you. It's just not that hard. And was I really pissing on your parade? Seem a little sensitive there guy. You might want to HTFU cause a lot of mud gets slung around here though that was not my intention. Cheers.!

You can get a set of all four cables at Wal-Mart for about $5. For a bike like that, they will work fine. As for tires, you can get tires for maybe about $15 a piece at a bike shop. For maybe $25 each (and up) you can get "flat proof" ones like Schwalbe Marathons.

And for the record... nice bike.

Too late. You're a snob.

Just ride the bike, jpgroth. Hang around here and look at all the pretty pictures, and also be observant of bikes you see around there. Eventually you will figure out what you do to improve your bike and riding experience.

Not sure how your fit is, but when you pedal, your leg should almost but not quite straighten all the way out on the downstroke. That gives you good power with the least pain.

Also, when it comes to working on your bike, the Bicycle Mechanics and, since this is an older bike, Classic & Vintage sections might be better places to post questions. Your bike will be met with greater enthusiasm at C&V.

So what kind of bike do you enjoy riding on?
My point was not meant to be critical of OP's choice of bike. It was more a reflection of where most of us have all been and the delights of a well tuned and well made bike. And further that I hope he endures with the sport and grows into bikes that will continue to increase his pleasure of cycling. I remember my first serious bike, a used Peugot PX -10 purchased for 150 dollars. This replaced an old rusted Raliegh Supercourse that had taken me through New England. I loved them both , even the rusted clunker but the joys of that first ride on a quiet race-bike were never forgotten. If this makes me a snob and a jerk than so be it.

This kind of bike is great to learn maintenance on. You may struggle a bit with parts but with patience you'll find replacements, and as someone suggested 'WalMart' quality replacements are perfectly fine - cables, seat, tires, etc that will make the bike really fun. The nice thing is you don't have to deal with modern Shimano shifting which can't be serviced, 10 speed chains which if you mess up - off comes that $200 derailleur etc. This bike should be fun and relatively hassle free. Just make sure after all the love and care, that it doesn't get stolen on campus. So maybe Walmart lock too.

And so it be.

I would pretty much guarantee that jpgroth will get more smiles per dollar than the esteemed surgeon out of their respective bikes.

Your wisdom is so great, your knowledge extending across internet pages so penetrating. Now who is the snob? who is the jerk? Keep typing for the answer becomes more and more clear.

\

..as an aside, your sig is exactly why I can't renumber in the OFFICIAL steel thread, members have printed business cards, filled out Social Sec, forms, passport applications with the BF-STL reference etc... there will be repercussions...

Why do you need to renumber? If you do, just let me know. Sigs can be changed I think...


You need to learn to relax, surgeonstone. Have a beer. Get laid. Something.

Your quite right with that suggestion...I do need to relax. Sometimes it seems a difficult quest. Cycling does help. The forums at times probably hurt.
By the way... your photography of cycling at night is awesome.

That's not the answer I was expecting.

Are you talking about my blog? The Critical Mass ride? The Night Riders?

You need to check out the Milwaukee Bike Collective https://bikecollective.org/. I learned tons from the volunteers there, they are very friendly and helpful. It has to be the best option to learn how to do it yourself. Just get the cables first and take them with you, You'll need to go on a saturday afternoon 2-4pm (those are the winter hours)

One way or the other, it does make sense to hook up with people. As good as online advice can be, someone can show you something in 5 minutes that it would take three pages to explain on here. And all the little tips and tricks make more sense when you see them live.

Yes...the slightly out of focus shots, the lighting is gorgeous. Also loved the shots in the arboretum- where is it?

The indoor botanical garden? Buffalo, NY.

Yes, not in Buffalo very often but those shots are lovely. Nice angles.

This is a pretty easy fix... pull the shifter cable out from the shifter end and then release the pinch bolt on the deraileur to pull the cable out of the lower housing and pay attention to how it was routed.

It may be seized and if so you will need to replace the housing as well... and this is probably a good idea due to the age of the bike.

To reinstall thread a new shifter cable through the shifter the way it came out, run it through the lower housing and back into the derailleur... with the shifter in it's forward position pull the cable until it is taut and then tighten the pinch bolt and everything should work fine.

And for the snarly response... the problem with your bike is that it is an old Suteki 10 speed but for a college beater it is perfect for your needs and will probably handle more abuse and rough treatment than any plastic bike ever could and be much less likely to get stolen.

Tires are probably 27 inch and these are cheap enough... most regular bike shops will carry them and you can use 700:35 tubes if you can't find 27 inch tubes because they are the same thing.

The change of cable itself is easy.
BUT:
The degree of wear on this cable indicated that the previous owner didn't take care of this bicycle, for a long time.
This cable failure is a CLEAR WARNING for you to look at the BRAKE cables.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you to change the brake cables and housing as well, because if the brake cables fail instead, the consequence can be an immediate loss of braking power.

Unlike a motorized automobile, the bicycle is a very simple and light machine, with ZERO fail-safe system in its design.

Hence in my book, there are only TWO mechanical conditions for my bikes:

PERFECT, or UNRIDABLE.

..so all your bikes have ceramic bearings and Di2?

There is a fail-safe on the brakes- the front and rear brakes give you redundancy. But yeah, probably a good idea to replace them all. Like I said, you can get a set at Wal-Mart for next to nothing.