[dorlow]

Hi,

Does anyone know where to buy a cheap rear rim? The rim was bent when I bought it. I did take a hammer and gently hammered out the bend. It isn't real bad. Just when braking and I hit that spot in the wheel, there's a slight resistance and small thump. Kind of feels like when your rotors are messed up on your car when braking.

I just called a bike shop and they want $50 for a new rim. Kind of expensive seeing I paid $30 for the bike.

[dorlow]

BTW, I have an 18 speed, so there's 6 gears on the back. While I'm at it, can I change the ratio of my gears seeing I need to switch out my wheel? It seems very low geared. It is a mountain bike. But in the highest gear (and I can see its in the highest gear), it seems I'm pedaling way too fast and it's still too easy and I'm going too slow.

I know it's probably the way a mountain bike is supposed to be, but I have to do some road driving to get to the trails. That's when I notice it the most.

[photosbymark]

You can change the gears out, and if you are ever going to do it now might be the time. But if you only paid $30 for the bike its not going to be practical. You need a wheel that is compatible with the number of gears you decide you want in the back. You need to make that decision before you buy the wheel.

Then you have to buy either a rear cassette or freewheel depending on the type of wheel you get. If its a new wheel it likely will need a cassette. Now once you have the wheel and cassette, you are most likely going to need a new shifter. Then when its all together getting them properly adjusted might take a pro wrench. IF the shifter you get is different from the one that shifts the front chain rings you might have to buy one for that too. Some shifters twist, and some you push and pull levers. I guess you could mix them, but it sure would look odd.

Now you guess $50 for the wheel and its probably a good real world number unless you find a bargain. You are looking at 15 to 30 for the low end cassettes. I priced a set of shifters not long ago for about $50 I think it was, so you are probably looking at $100+ to get the number of gears like you want them.

My advise would be to take the hundred and put it in a better bike unless one of two things apply. If the bike has sentimental value, fix it. If you like tinkering with projects like restorations, and really don't care what it cost, go ahead and have fun knowing that full well up from. From what I read I seriously doubt upgrading a $30 bike is going to save you money. That doesn't mean you can't ride it to the wheels fall off and have fun doing it though

[trx1]

if its a old wheel the gears can b unsecrewed from the wheel.
if it casette do the same. get a used wheel and have the gears switched over.
why buy new when used will do the same thing??
don t let the rest do the talkin for u.

[wild]

You could allways look on craigslist for a bike for parts. I mised one the outher day $20 womans hardly used, But you will have to act fast as thay don't last long if tha are any good.
My .02 where is that 2 cent symbll

[billnuke1]

I never thought thaty I would say this...."Why not try making it a single speed MTB?" My very experienced neighbor has one, and it blows everyone away! While the other riders are grinding their way through the gears, he just pedals away!

[froze]

$50 bucks ain't bad for a rim. Nashbar has a rear MTB wheel on sale for $44.99, see: Nashbar MT2 Mtb Rear Wheel - Mountain Bike Wheels / Wheelsets

[dorlow]

There's no sentimental value to the bike other than I feel like I got a good deal. It's a sharp bike for $30. I found my wifes bike for $50 and mines a lot nicer as a 30 bike. I don't really care that much about cost to fix. If I put $100 into it and it rides as good as a $1000 bike, then that's good I guess.

I just put new tires on it because the last kid skidded all the treads off the old tires.

[momule]

If you put $100 into a $30 bike to fix it you'll need Tinkerbell to wave her wand over it to make it ride as good as even a $500 bike, much less a $1000 one. That is, unless of course, you managed to buy a $1000 bike for $30, but you don't mention what kind of bike this is which would be helpful information to have if we are to advise you.

You are quite the contradiction it seems. If you don't care about cost to fix then spend the $50 and ride your bike or buy a used wheel that will fit. As in most everything else one tends to get what one pays for.

[dorlow]

Originally Posted by momule

If you put $100 into a $30 bike to fix it you'll need Tinkerbell to wave her wand over it to make it ride as good as even a $500 bike, much less a $1000 one. That is, unless of course, you managed to buy a $1000 bike for $30, but you don't mention what kind of bike this is which would be helpful information to have if we are to advise you.

You are quite the contradiction it seems. If you don't care about cost to fix then spend the $50 and ride your bike or buy a used wheel that will fit. As in most everything else one tends to get what one pays for.

Well, the way I look at it, I bought a bike off of Craigslist, because I am trying to get my finances in order. A few years ago, I would've gone gun-ho and bought a $5,000 bike, would've had to take out a loan and then made payments on it for the next 5 years and probably screw up my credit.

I'm really trying to get my finances in order. So, a $30 bike made sense. I pedal it and it goes forward. If I have to put a few hundred dollars over time into the bike, that's fine. I'm not paying it all at once and I'm not financing it and making payments with interest. I'm making payments in the form of new hardware as I fix it up. I guess since I'm not an experienced bike rider, I don't know what a better bike is like. Last bike I had when I was 10... about 20+ years ago. It didn't even have a shock on the front like this one has, so this one is nicer. I remember that bike was $200 new. So, I feel I got an OK deal. I know there's a lot better bikes out there, but if I get too nice of a bike, it will be too easy. I need to loose weight, so I can't have too easy of a bike.