[coop923]

I’m pretty new here too. I’m newly back into mountain biking after not riding for many years. In fact, I’m getting my feet wet again with my 20+ year old bike. I’m interested in knowing how you like the 29; it’s a way off for me, but that’s the direction I’m thinking about going in. Welcome, and let us know how that new bike does!
-Mark

[coop923]

Thanks for the input everyone! Thursday’s ride might be tricky… it’s getting cold and dark pretty early this time of year -better take the bike to work to ride as early as possible. 😃

[coop923]

"element22" wrote

Now looking at the photo that is 6spds in back…Thats pretty old…

Yeah, It’s from 1987 IIRC. It was pretty much top of the line then. It’s not high tech, but it’s what I rode when I was really into mtn biking. If I could get it working like it used to, I’d be happy until I can afford a new bike. For now my skills are as worn and rusty as it is. 😆

It was one of the first mtn bikes to use a cassette instead of a thread on freewheel and I think I saw new cassettes available somewhere online. I could also try some sort of Frankenstein operation as described here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#transplant

My set up is the 6-speed Uniglide. The "8 of 9" process looks interesting. What do you all think?

[coop923]

So does it look like normal wear on the back gears? (I know the one tooth is missing) Do I need to replace them right away? Are the chain rings in worse shape comparatively speaking? I guess in a perfect world I’d replace the cassette, chain and chain rings all at once. Is there any one thing that’s obviously bad? -or is it all obviously bad?

[coop923]

It looks like I definitely have some wear. When I checked the chain carefully, there was a spot that something’s not right. It doesn’t seem like there’s a tight link, but maybe there’s a twist or bend or something. At any rate, a new chain probably wouldn’t be a bad investment. I’ve included a couple pictures of my gears and hope that some of you who know more what you’re looking at can tell me what you think. Looking at them now, they look pretty hammered to me, but I don’t know (note the broken tooth on the second gear in). I rode this bike literally thousands of miles, a lot of them weren’t easy ones, in the late 80s and early 90s and hope it can be my ticket back into the sport.

Anyone remember these "Biopace" elliptical chain rings? IIRC they were a pre 1991 idea.. kinda like the U-brake (don’t mind the chain rings, but never liked the U-brakes)

If I were to put a new chain on these gears, would it ruin the chain quickly or would I be OK for a short time?[/img]

[coop923]

"Goo" wrote

can you tell where the chain is skipping? is it skipping up on the big ring, or back on the cassette? the way your talking it sounds like the cassette, and if it is only slipping when you are in the littlest gear, my guess would be that your derailleur is not adjusted correctly. it may be set just a tad too tight, and not allowing the chain to settle all the way down into the littlest gear, so to speak. loosen up the proper bolt and it should help.

Yes, it seems to be skipping on the freewheel. I will check the chain again for a stiff link, although I didn’t notice any when I tried to quasi-clean up the chain. The chain seems pretty gummy; any chain cleaning tip?

[coop923]

"steve32300" wrote

I’ll second the nishiki being a decent bike,I’ve rode one for a little while years back,about 20 of em,hahahaha,I think that was the bike I rode to work in high school.I think Goo is right,ride the nishiki and get what you can for the pro flex,and save,save,save.Maby do a lay-a-way,
How much do you think you could get for the pro flex?

I don’t really know how much the mid-90s Pro Flex is worth. I feel like I’m way behind the learning curve coming back in to this; been away too long. Technology and equipment have really changed. My guess is $100-150, it hasn’t been ridden much, but it’s probably pretty outdated. What do you all think?

[img][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z227/coop923/IMG_0947.jpg[/img][/img]

[coop923]

Dropout width is 126mm. Assuming the deraileur is still good, should I blast it out with carburetor cleaner and lube it with a spray type lubricant, or are there more specialized products now I should be using? It wouldn’t be worth it to me to do any major frame modification, but I would replace any worn out components if need be (and replacements are still available).

[coop923]

I’ve never tried it, but I’ve also heard of people using denture cleaning tablets to clean their bladders… has anyone tried that?

[coop923]

A neat trick that I just learned for getting the bleach taste out after a thorough cleaning is to use two teaspoons of lemon or lime juice and two teaspoons of baking soda in water (it will foam up…kinda cool). Screw on the lid, swish it around and let it sit a while -I left mine overnight. Drain it and you’ll have no bleach taste at all!

[coop923]

Thanks everyone! Here’s a couple pictures of my relic bikes:

The Nishiki Pinnacle I bought used in 1989 and really liked. I loved the geometry and the way it handled. I would like to restore it at some point, or make it into a pavement trainer-type bike. I always thought the metal flake camo paint job was cool too.

[img][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z227/coop923/IMG_0945.jpg[/img]

[/img]

The Pro Flex Is what I’ll be riding. I’d imagine it’s pretty archaic as far as suspension bikes go, but it’s my ticket back in to mountain biking for now.

[img][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z227/coop923/IMG_0948.jpg[/img]

[/img]

-Mark

[Author]

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