please help the newbie - question time :)

[paul_H]

hi all

as stated in one of my other posts i have recently aquired an old bike that i have decided to restore to somewhere near its former glory, well improve on it if i am honest but i have now realised that even though I used to ride quite a lot back in the 90's I dont actually know pretty much nothing about the kit that goes onto a bike (be kind ) as one of the guys i rode with took care of my bike for me.

now here is the bike in question

as you can see it does need quite a bit of work but being handy with a set of tools i should have no problem fixing her up once i figure out what to buy from the classified section, so onto the questions

1. forks - what do i need to know when looking for some rigid forks, are they generally a generic fit or do they come in all shaped and sizes?

2. crank set, same question as above really

3. is there an idiots guide to shimano equipment? deore, LX ,xtr all gets a bit baffelling when reading through the for sale section, obviously dont want to be buying something from a £60 makro special

4. if you really want to help a quick list of equipment to keep an eye out for, for the above bike would be a great help on first inspection it needs a seat/seatpost, forks, brakes, crankset (think thats the term) is badly worn and the front and rear mech's are very worn. so what woud you recommend for it for use light offroad trail use?

thanks in advance sure there will be more questions to come

paul

 

[tintin40]

what's wrong with the forks already on it? I'd just change the seat post, pedals & chainrings

 

[FluffyChicken]

Forks, what's wrong with the one's you have now. They're rigid.

Cranks, goes with your bottom bracket They way they fix to it (square, ISIS, etc.. shoudl be on wikipedia the info on them)
And length of the bottom bracket axle, which is in the most determined by the crank you want to use.


Shimano line up. It does change per year but the line up is almost the same once you get used to it.
For retro year 90+ which you'll be looking at I assume go here I've centred on 1995 but the rest are there
http://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Herstelle ... en.html#95
left groupset is highest (XTR or XT, getting lower to the right and possibly the table underneath.
Modern is pretty much the same but XTR - XT - SLX or LX - Deore - etc... for stuff going on that bike.

 

[legrandefromage]

That head tube angle is quite steep in the photo - it might be kona-esque in requiring slightly longer forks or designed for suspension forks.

or it could just be the photo...

 

[barry2017]

It looks reasonable as is. Do the cranks and handlebars turn smoothly? It could just be a matter of a new chain and cables.

 

[dyna-ti]

Forks, what's wrong with the one's you have now. They're rigid.

what's wrong with the forks already on it?

Maybe they're too heavy or he wants straight bladed.Perhaps even a ..
different colour :shock:



The best advice i can offer is to put the better components in the areas that move constantly.namely the hubs,bottom bracket and the headset.
What to put on-
XT [2nd top shimano groupset]is considered about the best without going overboard with XTR [the top shimano groupset],its liable to be a bit cheaper too.
STX or STX-RC are also very good hard wearing components[i think the equivelent is 'deore']its a middle of the road,but still well made and liable to last for years.
It cant go wrong with getting a new seatpost[Does that one actually move :shock: ]
but overall it looks ok. I do think that seatpost and the fork are letting it down aesthetically :? ,the colour to me is fine,a powdercoater would breath new life into them though
Theres always some nice polished cranks on here,some new or rather newish chainrings

 

[paul_H]

Shimano line up. It does change per year but the line up is almost the same once you get used to it.
For retro year 90+ which you'll be looking at I assume go here I've centred on 1995 but the rest are there
http://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Herstelle ... en.html#95
left groupset is highest (XTR or XT, getting lower to the right and possibly the table underneath.
Modern is pretty much the same but XTR - XT - SLX or LX - Deore - etc... for stuff going on that bike.

brilliant, exactly the info i was looking for much appreciated

 

[paul_H]

Forks, what's wrong with the one's you have now. They're rigid.

they are wrecked, battered and rusty and beyond repair really. I am pretty sure they are just a really cheap set the guy who i got the bike off had lying around so i am going to find a set to fit that i can get powder coated along with the frame

The best advice i can offer is to put the better components in the areas that move constantly.namely the hubs,bottom bracket and the headset.
What to put on-
XT [2nd top shimano groupset]is considered about the best without going overboard with XTR [the top shimano groupset],its liable to be a bit cheaper too.
STX or STX-RC are also very good hard wearing components[i think the equivelent is 'deore']its a middle of the road,but still well made and liable to last for years.

sounds like very sensible advice to me I am going to keep an eye out in the classifieds and hopefully pick something up as the stuff thats on it really needs replacing. The wheels/hubs seem fine could probably do with a good clean out and regrease but should be ok.

It cant go wrong with getting a new seatpost[Does that one actually move :shock:

define move it does with the help of some wd40 and a hammer lol the seat and seatpost is top of the list, just need to remove it so i can measure it, the one currently fitted has actually been machined down to fit :shock:

but overall it looks ok. I do think that seatpost and the fork are letting it down aesthetically :? ,the colour to me is fine,a powdercoater would breath new life into them though

once i get all the bits i need i will be sending it off to the powder coaters, might as well have it looking its best. Once i figure out what i need and all the terminology that goes with it i will stick a wanted post up and see what comes up

Theres always some nice polished cranks on here,some new or rather newish chainrings

i will have to have a look at the crank, it seems ok turns freely but the chainrings are finished, quite a lot of worn teeth wouldnt harm to get a new crank as well though if i can figure out what i need

thanks again

paul

 

[Steve Kish]

.... and replace the chain with a shorter one!

 

[paul_H]

That head tube angle is quite steep in the photo - it might be kona-esque in requiring slightly longer forks or designed for suspension forks.

or it could just be the photo...

oh i see this is turning more difficult by the day to get this bike sorted. its just a shame i dont know exactly what model it is !!

is there anyway to tell for sure what sort of forks it was designed for? if i took it to a local bike shop do you think they could tell me?