Spare parts for the taking - 3,740 Km
by Steve ~ June 23rd, 2008. Filed under: Riding the Bike.If you’ll recall, I bought a SC1800 for my daughter so that she could commute to university. It turns out she doesn’t like the bike. Big surprise, right? It’s only got 100 Km on it, if that. Ah, well, I now have a source of spare parts for the Bike of Doom, I guess. A near endless supply of spokes, a new chain, cassette, shifters, brakes, cables, frame. I don’t know whether to be happy or depressed. The thought of cannibalizing a relatively new and healthy bike, even a cheap one like the SC1800, to keep a beat up old monster like the BOD alive, seems a bit depraved. Like organ harvesting, or something worse. I feel like I’m living in a Larry Niven story, and I’m the bad guy!
Anyway, Kate has asked me to look for a used 10-speed or something similar to tune-up and let her ride, so that’s fine. I’ll do that. In the meantime, I’ll keep riding the blue beast of burden which is, at this writing, sitting at about 3,740 Km.
The bike is making some noise. Pedals are shot, I think. This is the original set of pedals that came with the bike. I had removed them once before, in a fit of pique, but put them back on a month later. Now it’s time to replace them permanently. The bike also needs a goog cleaning and lubrication. It’s shameful how neglectful I have become of the bike. Pictures, soon.
The BOD resides outside, by the way, in the fresh air, through sun and rain, as do most of the family’s bikes. I’m planning to build a bike shelter this summer, but I’m not holding my breath. Suggest you don’t, either.
Related posts:
When the bike dies — the long road to the landfill
BOD on Holiday — August 4th — 33 Km
June 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Ah well, at least she still wants to ride. I think I’ll have to get some new bottom-bracket bearings for my bike too, they’ve started making “skritch” noises as the left crank reaches TDC.
Still, 5800km isn’t bad for bearings for the relatively open-to-the-elements Astabula design.
BTH
June 26th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Yeah, at least she wants to ride.
Your bike has a single piece crank, doesn’t it? My middle daughter is currently riding somehing similar, a Department Store Piece of junk that has passed through her older sister… at least 10 years old. The single piece crank on it is still working smoothly.
The sealed unit I popped into the SC1800 is still working well, as you’d expect after less than 4,000 Km.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Yep, one-piece crank. I’ve seen a couple of seal designs that try to keep the water and grit out of the bearings, but you just can’t make a 1-piece crank as well-sealed as a 3-piece one.
Of course, I haven’t had all that many rainy day commutes around here over the past year, either. :-/
BTH