Bicycle Adjustment.

[Missourian]

I bought an old bike at a yard sale yesterday, as I live in town now within easy cycling range of nearly everything.

I wanted a cruiser, a bike you sit on in an upright position, so I read a lot of reviews for new bikes in my price range, under $150, and found little more than a plethora of bad experiences, broken parts and poor customer service.

So I decided to find a cheap 2nd hand bike and ended up buying a $10 Western Flyer that, while serviceable, needed some TLC.

Somehow, in my youth, I skipped right over bicycle mechanics and proceeded directly to gas powered machine repair. With the help of Youtube and a couple of good bicycle websites I corrected this oversight (for the most part) and figured I'd share the websites and videos I found helpful in the event anyone decided to dust off their garage bound 10 speed this summer for a spin around the block.

Names of bicycle parts: Bicycle

Click 'forward' on the bike parts page to get close-ups of the more complicated areas.
​

Video on adjusting gears and derailleur: YouTube - How to install and adjust rear derailleur-FULL guide



Video on how to adjust brakes: YouTube - How to install and adjust rear derailleur-FULL guide



Video on fitting your bike to you: YouTube - How To Fit Your Road Bike Video



Video on adjusting seat height: Bicycle



Video on adjusting handlebar height: YouTube - Bicycle Maintenance & Repairs : How to Install a Quill Stem for Your Bike


And a troubleshooting site: BikesZone - Cycling • View forum - Bicycle troubleshooting

$10 Western Flyer​

​

 

[midcan5]

My first love - a bicycle. I used to take the entire bike apart and and lovingly clean and oil each part when I was a yout. I think that experience set the stage for pretty much fixing anything, even today. I now have four bikes, all American made and have ridden double centuries and commuted for 25 years on one or actually a few as I wore out every part at one time or another. I want to do a 24 hour challenge before I die. Bikes have become so fancy today and so organized, and yet I still see boys heading out. Traffic too has changed. Thanks for links.

 

[strollingbones]

nice work on that 10 bike...

i want a scooter...there is a chick around here...uses a scooter...old fashion board on wheels with a control handle....my hubby pointed out it would kill me...

 

[editec]

This nation needs to create INTERSTATE biking and hiking trails.

It is inexcusable that serious people powered transport isn't supported and encouraged.

For example, I should be able to take a bike (or a hike) from where I live in Maine and basically following the path of US route one, be able to bike down to Key West FLA.

I should NOT have to risk my life sharing the same roads with tractor trailors and cars to make an excusion from point A to point B anywhere in the USA.

The cost of this system wouldn't amount to a hill of beans and the benefits to the people of this nation would be enormous.

This is one of those kinds of projects that this STIMULUS package could be doing.

Of course we don't this sort of thing because it makes too much freakin sense.

If I could seriously travel by bike, I would.

But since every trip a bicyclist takes on a public highway is a leap of faith in the goodwill of the people in their infernal combustion machines, most sane people don't even consider such a means of transport.

 

[midcan5]

But since every trip a bicyclist takes on a public highway is a leap of faith in the goodwill of the people in their infernal combustion machines, most sane people don't even consider such a means of transport.

That was the question I was always asked, aren't you afraid? Truth is you have to be a bit gutsy and stare them down. The worst are the morons on cell phones swerving all over the road or the kids that throw stuff at you, change, soda, spit. And then there are the nuts that actually try to side swipe you, but overall most people are ok. The pot smokers used to make me wonder though.

 

[Sarah G]

We have bike trails throughout the metropark systems here and I wouldn't ride anywhere else.

It's too easy to get hurt on the road. The bike is nice though, good buy.

 

[alan1]

This nation needs to create INTERSTATE biking and hiking trails.

It is inexcusable that serious people powered transport isn't supported and encouraged.

For example, I should be able to take a bike (or a hike) from where I live in Maine and basically following the path of US route one, be able to bike down to Key West FLA.

I should NOT have to risk my life sharing the same roads with tractor trailors and cars to make an excusion from point A to point B anywhere in the USA.

The cost of this system wouldn't amount to a hill of beans and the benefits to the people of this nation would be enormous.

This is one of those kinds of projects that this STIMULUS package could be doing.

Of course we don't this sort of thing because it makes too much freakin sense.

If I could seriously travel by bike, I would.

But since every trip a bicyclist takes on a public highway is a leap of faith in the goodwill of the people in their infernal combustion machines, most sane people don't even consider such a means of transport.

Are you willing to pay a tax on your bicycle to build the roads?
After all, the roads cars travel on are paid for with fuel taxes.

 

[Missourian]

This nation needs to create INTERSTATE biking and hiking trails.

It is inexcusable that serious people powered transport isn't supported and encouraged.

For example, I should be able to take a bike (or a hike) from where I live in Maine and basically following the path of US route one, be able to bike down to Key West FLA.

I should NOT have to risk my life sharing the same roads with tractor trailors and cars to make an excusion from point A to point B anywhere in the USA.

The cost of this system wouldn't amount to a hill of beans and the benefits to the people of this nation would be enormous.

This is one of those kinds of projects that this STIMULUS package could be doing.

Of course we don't this sort of thing because it makes too much freakin sense.

If I could seriously travel by bike, I would.

But since every trip a bicyclist takes on a public highway is a leap of faith in the goodwill of the people in their infernal combustion machines, most sane people don't even consider such a means of transport.

Are you willing to pay a tax on your bicycle to build the roads?
After all, the roads cars travel on are paid for with fuel taxes.

It wouldn't take a lot of money. The bike paths could be laid over abandoned rail road track beds...right of ways are already in place.

Abandoned Railroads of the US

​

As for hiking trails, The Appalachian Trail provides the planning framework for interstate trails. The A.T. was completed in 1937 and today uses both public and private monies for maintenance by volunteers.

" The trail is currently protected along more than 99% of its [2178.2 mile] course by federal or state ownership of the land or by right-of-way. Annually, more than 4,000 volunteers contribute over 175,000 hours of effort on the Appalachian Trail, an effort coordinated largely by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) organization."

Appalachian Trail by state - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
​

The groundwork for new interstate trails is provided by the "National Trails System Act" (Public Law 90-543) passed by Congress on October 2, 1968.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Trails_System_(United_States)
​

I literally just finished Bill Bryson's book about his experiences on the Appalachian Trail "A Walk in the Woods" yesterday. It is both informative and hilarious. I highly recommend it.

A Walk in the Woods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
​

 

[Toro]

Awesome. Good for you. I love cycling. I paid $500 for mine so you got a better deal than I did.

 

[alan1]

This nation needs to create INTERSTATE biking and hiking trails.

It is inexcusable that serious people powered transport isn't supported and encouraged.

For example, I should be able to take a bike (or a hike) from where I live in Maine and basically following the path of US route one, be able to bike down to Key West FLA.

I should NOT have to risk my life sharing the same roads with tractor trailors and cars to make an excusion from point A to point B anywhere in the USA.

The cost of this system wouldn't amount to a hill of beans and the benefits to the people of this nation would be enormous.

This is one of those kinds of projects that this STIMULUS package could be doing.

Of course we don't this sort of thing because it makes too much freakin sense.

If I could seriously travel by bike, I would.

But since every trip a bicyclist takes on a public highway is a leap of faith in the goodwill of the people in their infernal combustion machines, most sane people don't even consider such a means of transport.

Are you willing to pay a tax on your bicycle to build the roads?
After all, the roads cars travel on are paid for with fuel taxes.

It wouldn't take a lot of money. The bike paths could be laid over abandoned rail road track beds...right of ways are already in place.

Abandoned Railroads of the US

​

As for hiking trails, The Appalachian Trail provides the planning framework for interstate trails. The A.T. was completed in 1937 and today uses both public and private monies for maintenance by volunteers.

" The trail is currently protected along more than 99% of its [2178.2 mile] course by federal or state ownership of the land or by right-of-way. Annually, more than 4,000 volunteers contribute over 175,000 hours of effort on the Appalachian Trail, an effort coordinated largely by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) organization."

Appalachian Trail by state - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
​

The groundwork for new interstate trails is provided by the "National Trails System Act" (Public Law 90-543) passed by Congress on October 2, 1968.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Trails_System_(United_States)
​

I literally just finished Bill Bryson's book about his experiences on the Appalachian Trail "A Walk in the Woods" yesterday. It is both informative and hilarious. I highly recommend it.

A Walk in the Woods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
​

I don't have a problem with bike roads as long as the bikers are willing to pay for them the same way I pay for the roads for my automobile to travel on.