How should I go about fixing up my mountain bike?

Question

I have a mongoose dual suspension mountain bike thats about 4 years old. It looks about like this one http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8399259

. I want to fix it up, but I dont know how to start. The bike has been ridden a ton, probably an average of 5 miles a week since I got it, so it is pretty worn out. What would be the best to replace first, and what would make the most difference for the least amount of money. I'm willing to spend a couple hundred dollars to fix it up. Or would it be better just to buy a new one? Also, would it be possible to saw out parts of the frame that aren't a necessity to make the bike lighter?

Answer 1

Honestly, the best would be to save up another hundred bucks and buy a new bike. The bike in the picture is extremely heavy, but any sawing or grinding on it would put you at definite risk. A bike from reputable shop will be much lighter. You can count on that. Ask around and find a local bike shop you can trust. If you buy a bike from them you usually get lifetime tune ups for free and they'll set the bike up to fit you properly.

Answer 2

do not saw off any parts! you will permanently damage the bike.

To fix up a bike, it all starts with a bike maintenance manual you can purchase from a local bike shop $10 or less.

depending on the wear of your bike you will spend a lot of money on tools + replacement parts...

That $10 on the bike maintenance manual will be a great way to see if the repairs on your bike are worth your money.

the ideal (tuned) bike:

- little or no noises

- wheels are "true" (no wobbling between brake pads)

- no rust, especially on the drive-train (gears/chain)

- brakes / shifters working properly (if any)

do not wash your bike with water, this usually rusts the bike's metallic pieces - you should always hand wipe your bikes!

Answer 3

you should save up for a new bike and start looking on ebay. i got a $5000 for $875 and it was in great condition. so u should start looking.

Answer 4

Get a new bike and avoid department stores this time. You can get a reasonable quality bike for about $250 from a bike shop.

Forget full suspension of you are riding on the road or offroad on groomed trails. Keep in mind that when you look at bikes in particular price ranges that when you add something (like full suspension) something else gets downgraded to make up the price.

Also, every time you pedal a full suspension bike the suspension eats up some of your energy, so instead of providing forward power, the energy is lost. Suspension is not for comfort- it is to keep the wheels on the ground for better handling.

Answer 5

Get a new bike.  

A decent hardtail (front suspension only) wouldn't cost too much, would weigh lot less, and would ride much better. Trust me, unless you are willing to spend AT LEAST $1000 you are not going to get a decent full suspension bike. They will be very heavy, very inefficient climbers, and the rear suspension barely even moves at all on downhills.

Cutting parts of that bike is going to make it structurally unstable and unsafe to ride. It's almost always cheaper to upgrade to a new bike rather then upgrade specific parts, especially since the parts on that were cheap parts 4 years ago... good luck trying to find any replacements.

Just go to a good bike shop and talk to them about it. Maybe they will even let you trade in your old bike for a slight discount or something.

Good luck!