My Bike....

[ragtopW]

OK so I have had this bike for.............. 8? 9? years...
IT has been fun
I have spent at least $500 on it.. (not including the purchase)
probably twice that...
the injection excess is not even off the tires..
let's see..

tires flat.
seat broke.
tires flat
pedal broke (fell off it was on wrong)
tires..
crank broke..
tires..


Plus I have had it "tuned up" at least 3 times.. and every time
THEY had to fix something..
so OK I put slime in the tires.. they have held for two weeks!!!!
I rode it over 50 blocks last weekend..!!! (the very most it has ever gone
without a break down)

today??? ten blocks up... five blocks back.. push it home..
the tire has bulged out of the rim.. AND the
rim is bent.. (nowhere near the bulge)

that's it.. it goes.. NOW I need to decide how..
and so the poll

[Staredge]

WHat kind of bike is it, and how about more info on the breakdowns? Have you checked the tires when you fix the flats? That many flats, sounds like something is in the tire and you don't get it out. Rim could be bent if you rode it on a flat. Hard to tell.

[ragtopW]

WHat kind of bike is it, and how about more info on the breakdowns? Have you checked the tires when you fix the flats? That many flats, sounds like something is in the tire and you don't get it out. Rim could be bent if you rode it on a flat. Hard to tell.

It's a Murrey.. an 18 speed mountain bike..

the rim was good on the last check up.. we have goathead thorns here..
I really think the bike is not set up for my 300 pound SSA....

and I check the tires prior to a ride.. new tubes every flat..
and no I don't fix the flat's, I have it done as the Goatheads are nasty
lil things..

[MammaBear]

For tax purposes...donate it to a thrift shop and get a receipt.....

[Staredge]

Murray? Take it to the scrap metal dealer. No sense inflicting it on someone else. Head to a bike shop and get a good bike. $350 or so should get you something that will hold up a he!! of a lot better.

I ride a Schwinn road bike and I'm up around 350. Good bike will hold up to the weight.

[mommar]

RTW, I agree with Staredge go to a Bike Shop check out your local Schwinn dealer, but also check out some of the other bike shops around. I've had dept.store bikes and they served me well, now that I'm older and weak, the weight of the bike is an issue for me. I've had 2 Schwinns which I loved, (they're typically a little too heavy for me now) but now my latest bike is a Trek which I'm more than happy with. When I was looking (in '02') Schwinn (10 minutes from my house) didn't have what I wanted, so I traveled about 45 mins to an hour away to a great bike shop and got last year's model Trek with a great savings I was/am very happy with it, one of my cousins who rides a lot more than me thinks I bought a piece of junk, he told me if I was going to buy a bike, get one like his $1,000 ish I don't ride like that. After I got my new trek, hubby wanted a new bike too.........he went to Wal-Mart and got an $89 12spd Roadster...........it still works!, but he doesn't ride nearly as much as I do/did. My whole point here is just do a little shopping, ask the different dealers all kinds of questions, don't be in a great rush and buy a bike that's going to serve you, not have you serve it. Good luck, and post pics when you get your new baby

[Staredge]

Key is to get a Schwinn from a bike shop, not Walmart. THe Walmart Schwinns aren't as bad as...say, Roadmaster....but that's roughly akin to being the top turd on the pile. Yes, you'll pay more at a bike shop. The bikes are better and more importantly, the service is better. I've seen some terrible things at box-marts with bikes: forks installed backwards, brakes not hooked up right...my favorite: Walmart. Bike on a workstand. Kind of a surprise. Schwinn put a road bike in the box shops. Two people looking at it. Young couple. Older Walmart employee is talking to them. THey ask about a little adjustment knob on the front brake. (it's designed to open the brake so you can remove the wheel)

"What's this for?"

"Oh, thats the parking brake. Thats so you can lean it up against something & it will hold it so it doesn't roll away."


True story. I about fell over.

[Staredge]

.......got last year's model Trek with a great savings I was/am very happy with it, one of my cousins who rides a lot more than me thinks I bought a piece of junk, he told me if I was going to buy a bike, get one like his $1,000 ish I don't ride like that.

Good for you for recognizing that. Buying a Trek, Schwinn, Cannondale, Fuji, Specialized, or any other bike from a bike shop.....you're gonna get a decent bike. My bike was $1200 in 2001 when I got it. It does what I need it to do. It's not the bike you need, necessarily. (of course, I was working at the shop so I didn't PAY 1200 bucks, but I digress. )

[Triathlete-Parakeet2]

.......got last year's model Trek with a great savings I was/am very happy with it, one of my cousins who rides a lot more than me thinks I bought a piece of junk, he told me if I was going to buy a bike, get one like his $1,000 ish I don't ride like that.

Good for you for recognizing that. Buying a Trek, Schwinn, Cannondale, Fuji, Specialized, or any other bike from a bike shop.....you're gonna get a decent bike. My bike was $1200 in 2001 when I got it. It does what I need it to do. It's not the bike you need, necessarily. (of course, I was working at the shop so I didn't PAY 1200 bucks, but I digress. )

$1200?? Thats peanuts!! I know plenty of people that pay twice that just for wheels......

[Staredge]

$1200?? Thats peanuts!! I know plenty of people that pay twice that just for wheels......

So do I....and I might if I had it. I couldn't replace my bike right now if I wanted to. I wouldn't replace my wheels though. Velomax Circuits (now owned by Easton) Around $500 for the wheelset, and lighter than a lot of $1500 wheelsets. And, I've never had a problem on them even at my weight.

[OceanCityGirl]

This is the bike my son bought this year. It rides very nice and cost $350. I've used it and love it. He's over 6' and around 220 so not a small guy.
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp? ... Z2360A.jpg[/img]
I have a diamondback delta cruiser which I'm pretty happy with after a series of junk.

[citcat]

Oh, honey.....get a new one !!! It'll be like Santa giving himself a new toy !

[ragtopW]

Oh, honey.....get a new one !!! It'll be like Santa giving himself a new toy !

[blowinupinmissoula]

the best thing to do would be recycle it for parts. im not sure where you are, but here in missoula there is a place where people donate their bikes, then people in need of bikes can go there and build one themselves. there is a small fee, or one can simply volunteer at the place for 5 hours and build as may bikes as they want. its a good setup...

[Grams]

Try to trade it for a better model.. If that doesn't work just donate and like someone else said take the tax break. Sounds like you got a lemon!! I woner if there is a lemon law on bikes??? I think I would like to own a bike again but I'm not sure I would really use it. Of course with gas going sky high I might just ride it around town for errands!!! That could be a silly sight!!! Good luck with the new one and let us see it!!!

[dnw]

Get a new one Santa.

[surprise#3]

let someone steal it.. instant Karma..

[ragtopW]

let someone steal it.. instant Karma..

[PartofthePhlock]

Santa, it is better to give than receive.... Sorry to say the thrift shop may not take it off your hands.....but a bike repair shop may make give you a discount off on another bike. Ahhhh, I got to ask is your sleigh broken too.

[ragtopW]

Santa, it is better to give than receive.... Sorry to say the thrift shop may not take it off your hands.....but a bike repair shop may make give you a discount off on another bike. Ahhhh, I got to ask is your sleigh broken too.

my truck needs some love too..

I really don't want to give it to a thrift shop
my fear is they get a new wheel on it..
and someone who isn't too well off
needs it to get to and from work..
and it strands them..