2,000 Km on a $99 department store bike
by Steve ~ August 25th, 2007. Filed under: Maintenance & Repairs.2,000 Km — who would have thought? Not me, anyway, when I first bought this thing.
Back to work after a two and a half week holiday, and the commuting mileage is adding up on the SC1800. This week, with three days of commuting plux extra rides, I put on 157 Km, roughly 100 miles. The replacement of the bottom bracket, rear wheel and tires has turned the Bike of Doom into a reasonable ride.
VP Modus BC-73A bottom bracket — smooth and quiet, and only $8.25 CAD.
I swapped the pedals off my Giant Boulder and put them on the SC1800. They, too, were replacement pedals I’d put on earlier in the season. Let’s face it, pedals on new bikes, no matter what the quality, are the sacrificial lamb… kept at the lowest quality to shave a few dollars off the price. The replacements were $8 from MEC. They’re not great, but they’re okay.
Newish pedals, swapped off my Giant Boulder — $8 at MEC.
The used freewheel I put on the bike is noisy. I don’t like it. I may swap back in the OEM cassette, even with its broken tooth, and try to order another one. I have this thing about noise.
Specialized Crossroads tires — perfect for commuting with Kevlar flak jacket, smooth tread and 80 PSI inflation.
Maintenance performed this week:
* clean bike
* clean and lube drive train
* inspect wheels and brakes
* Adjust brakes
* Top up air pressure in tires to 80 PSI
* Adjust front derailer and gear cable
* Adjust rear derailer and gear cable
The SC1800 Bike of Doom — Ready for my daily commute.
In general, my confidence in the bike has been restored. I should never have subjected it to the rigors of Riding Mountain. As a commuter beater, the SC1800 is adequate for the job; as a thrill ride, it leaves much to be desired.
Related posts:
Sheldon Brown on department store bikes
What advice do you give to a person riding a department store bike?
August 31st, 2007 at 6:56 am
[...] you reckon you could go 2000km on a $99 department store bike? Well, Steve George has on his Bike of Doom. You know, there is some sense in that—if [...]