Does anyone tune up their own Road Bike? I got a cheapy from WalMart, Schwinn 700cc Varsity.

Question

The front brakes seem to keep moving a bit, changing position, and the front wheel is not true. I hear the gears making this clunk noise. I'm wondering can i adjust all of this myself with the proper tools, or do i need to take it to a shop.

Answer 1

First of all, get the wheel trued first. Without doing this first, it will make adjusting the brakes pointless. Plus the wheel will only get worse. I wish I could properly advise you on truing a wheel, but that's the only part of bike maintenance I'm not confident about. :(

Once the wheel is trued sort the brakes buy loosening the fixing nut with the appropriately sized Allen/Hex key, adjust to positing and tighten the nut. Try and put a lot of torque into it.

Regarding the gears - The gear cable has probably stretched (as it should do...unless you buy pre-stretched cables). I assume your rear-derailleur has slacked off slightly and is sometimes trying to drop the chain onto the next smallest sprocket (i.e. into a higher (harder) gear). Therefore all you need to do is turn the barrel adjust (where the cable enters the derailleur) a half-turn counter-clockwise. Test the bike out - If it still skips, give it another half rotation.

Answer 2

A bike shop will do it for $30-60.  If you're at all mechanically inclined, you could figure it out - just try.

Answer 3

I tune up my own bikes and its easy once you know what to do.

Bicycle Tutor is a very good site, they show you how to do almost anything.  You can get the tools you need from your local bike shop or on line. For now you probably ony need a spoke wrench.  A nice true wheel really improves the braking.

There should be adjustments on the brake caliper to center it

properly (should be a philips s***w adj).  When you turn it

you will notice the calipers move to one side or the other.

http://bicycletutor.com/

Sheldon Brown has a lot of good info.

http://sheldonbrown.com/home.html

Park tools has info on bike repair.

http://www.parktool.com/repair/

Most of the bike box stores just put the bikes together and don't bother with tuning them up.  You will think your riding a completly different bike after you tune it up, and you will be.  

Answer 4

NEVER buy a bicycle from Walmart ! You get what you pay for. You can probably find a book on bike maintenance at your local library. Taking it to a real bike shop will cost you more than the bike is worth.