Old bike/service issues

jeffk

Due to personal health issues and generally being overweight I dug out my old bike (Raleigh Chinook from around 2004) and set about cycling/losing weight

One of the lads suggested a service, so I did, got the bike back and have numerous issues(some id expect with age and being in shed since last used), whilst hearing from shop/my friend sure upgrade to newer/better bike

• Gears take ages/randomly change/chain fell off once
• Tires to me are almost flat leading to wobble at speed
• Front wheel squeaking and same when you break on back wheel
• Banging noise from around pedals when you pedal hard/up hill

Surely paying over €400 on a bike and it being a Raleigh its generally a good bike (all be it a heavy one) and these issues should be easily addressed during/after a service and be cheaper than few hundred plus on new bike?

irishrover99

How much did you pay for the service and what exactly did they do. If the bike hasn't been used for a long time and by the sounds of it, you haven't, then it could need some cables at the least changed

You could need a new bottom bracket for the noise around the pedals.

jeffk

Just a standard bike service so e30. The brake cable was changed, then said checked the bike over

On the main gear cog the cable attached to the arm gets very slack on lowest gear

Is that expensive to fix?

irishrover99

jeffk wrote: »

Just a standard bike service so e30. The brake cable was changed, then said checked the bike over

On the main gear cog the cable attached to the arm gets very slack on lowest gear

Is that expensive to fix?

TBH I could t say without seen the bike but if you go around any Allan bolts on the crank(pedal area) and tighten them up , that could help with the noise. Very easy to do. After that if the gears are not working properly then it's best let a shop fix them if you are not sure how to do it

jeffk

irishrover99 wrote:

TBH I could t say without seen the bike but if you go around any Allan bolts on the crank(pedal area) and tighten them up , that could help with the noise. Very easy to do. After that if the gears are not working properly then it's best let a shop fix them if you are not sure how to do it

I'll have a look so, thanks for help/information

moonshadow

Cable changed and a check over for €30 is fine , maybe they should have suggested you need extra work done....about €150 worth to leave it as expected, New BB , new tyres and tubes, full service including hubs if needed etc...

jeffk

moonshadow wrote:

Cable changed and a check over for €30 is fine , maybe they should have suggested you need extra work done....about €150 worth to leave it as expected, New BB , new tyres and tubes, full service including hubs if needed etc...

They seemed to be on the cycle and see, no point putting more money in, you're better of then getting a new bike

I'd have though the main issue of gears being so off would be a cable and tweak.

Basically it's around the area , not going to be crossing county borders or work each day

Kevincavan83

Jeff, sounds like the bike needs a good overhaul.
Basic service for €30 including a brake cable, sounds more like they just looked at it and didn't do much more!
I'd say if you were to drop it into a decent LBS you'll probably be looking at €200 max including new wheel/cassette and chain with indexing of gears.

jeffk

jeffk wrote:

They seemed to be on the cycle and see, no point putting more money in, you're better of then getting a new bike

All this info is great as I wasn't given price of what work I might need

Just here try that and if not buy another bike and all I can see and hear is 1k .

Not been shown a bike/price for my needs hasn't helped

beauf

if you are going to keep the bike I would learn how do sort out the basics yourself. If you mess it all up then bring it to a bike shop.

Don't spend to much on an old bike either.

elperello

You might consider investing in a spray can of proper bike oil as well.

jeffk

I use to do the basics when I cycled to work, had the red and black oil can, few tools in a box and the little multi tool

easygoing39

Sounds like you have the basic's to do a few adjustments yourself.I'd suggest you give the bike a tune up,if its worse after you finish bring it to a different bike shop to get sorted.

Kevincavan83

http://thebikeinstitute.ie/courses/

These lads are really good, they look after loads of cyclists bikes in mater hospital and won't rip you off
They used to work for Giant so the know their stuff.

They also run maintenance courses

Wishbone Ash

Regarding the chain - have you checked that there are no stiff links which may be affecting gear changing etc. If the bike has been laid up for a few years, the chain may need to be replaced or soaked in diesel overnight.

jeffk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Regarding the chain - have you checked that there are no stiff links which may be affecting gear changing etc. If the bike has been laid up for a few years, the chain may need to be replaced or soaked in diesel overnight.

The chain is grand from what I and the bike shop can see.

Its the arm thing and from what I see the cable, you say middle of h-l to go onto cog two, nothing for ages. Then change again and like clanging and might change to what you wanted earlier or what you want now.

ednwireland

The gears sound like they are possibly sticking in the cable housings. Do the front and rear gear changers ( the things that actually move the chain ) move freely?
If you put the gears on the two small rings are the cables flapping round or are the tight.
First few things I'd check.
How many gears at the back if it's 7 or less I find I can run my commuting bike and rarely have chain wear problems. On the 10 speed I'm changing cassette and chain every 12 to 18 months.

Buy a pump.

jeffk

ednwireland wrote: »

The gears sound like they are possibly sticking in the cable housings. Do the front and rear gear changers ( the things that actually move the chain ) move freely?
If you put the gears on the two small rings are the cables flapping round or are the tight.
First few things I'd check.
How many gears at the back if it's 7 or less I find I can run my commuting bike and rarely have chain wear problems. On the 10 speed I'm changing cassette and chain every 12 to 18 months.

Buy a pump.

The arm does move when not cycling, but then the cable attached to it looks very slack on the lowest, on the mid to high its tight

Back has six and the seems to move ok until maybe 2-1 its stiff

Ive a plunger pump thing that clips on, its great and fast to pump up with a guage on it

ednwireland

Gear cables should be tight on the smallest cog. The shifters (if the are click ones) are designed to move the derailleur a certain amount to match the number of sprockets. If the cable is loose you have to take up the slack before its starts moving and normally the gears will be all over the place.

saccades

Took at 20 year old bike into a quality rathfarnham bike shop (well two old bikes actually) - cost e80 for complete full length outer re-cable (gears/brakes) with quality cable, new brake blocks front/rear and a check on everything else.

Brilliant job and both bikes are working perfectly 12 months later.

Surely any decent bike shop it used to complete wrecks being brought in to be resurrected.

Type 17

jeffk wrote: »

• Gears take ages/randomly change/chain fell off once
• Tires to me are almost flat leading to wobble at speed
• Front wheel squeaking and same when you break on back wheel
• Banging noise from around pedals when you pedal hard/up hill

Surely paying over €400 on a bike and it being a Raleigh its generally a good bike (all be it a heavy one) and these issues should be easily addressed during/after a service and be cheaper than few hundred plus on new bike?

Gears take ages = stiff cables from sitting idle - put the chain on the biggest cog then, without pedalling, shift the shifter to the smallest cog, creating loads of slack in the cable. Slide the outer cable housings from their mounts on the frame and slide them along the inner cable to expose usually-covered sections of the inner wire. If these sections are white and furry (mild corrosion) or slightly brown (mid-range corrosion), clean them with wire wool and oil or grease them before sliding the housings back into place. If the inner wire sections are crusty and brown, get the whole cable replaced.

Soft tyres = pump them to 90% of the max pressure specified on the sidewall. Some superficial cracks in the tyres are ok - old rubber cracks rather than stretching, and the the nylon carcass of the tyre is what keeps the pressure inside, not the rubber. However if the carcass has failed and there is any visible bulging, then the tyre needs to be replaced.

Front wheel squeaking = bearings are loose (hub-shell rubbing on axle cones) or (in extreme case) bearings are dry enough to be squeaking and need replacing (along with fresh grease).
Rear brakes squeaking = brake pads misaligned (if they are also worn, it may be handier to replace them)

Banging noise from pedal area = Raleighs of this era still have open bottom bracket bearings - €35+ will get you a sealed bottom bracket fitted - most bikes had moved to a sealed unit by this stage but TBH, since the 80's, Raleigh has just been an old, well-regarded name being pinned onto rubbish bikes - sorry, but that how it is!. It's still worth fixing this bike though, if these are its only issues.

Chuchote

Turn it upside down, give it a couple of drinks of oil then keep turning the pedals and changing gears - back first, then front and back, then back again, then front and back - and it should get more efficient. You may need to tighten up the cable a bit - and check that the bolt holding it isn't stripped and letting it loosen off.