What are the easiest things to repair/replace on a bike?

Question

I want to get a cheap used bike (probably some old road bike from the biking boom of the 70's) for commuting, and I don't mind doing some simple repairs if it means saving lots of $.

What are the types of repairs or part replacements that are the most "standard" or easy/cheap to do? What types of repairs aren't worth the price when the bike only costs $25?

Answer 1

yep, normal user maintenance tubes, tires,

Cable are an option but then are we also talking cable tension and tuning dérailleurs?

brake pads aren't hard to do and important to have!

Is the bike safe to ride?  Tires hold pressure, brakes work, chain goes round, gears shift?

Lube clean the chain and off you go!

Answer 2

Tubes and tires are the most likely thing you'll run across. Next, cables. Both brake and shift cables are fairly cheap and can make a big difference in the functioning of the bike. Many times saddles and either badly damaged, just plain crappy or both. Bar tape or grips commonly need replacing and are cheap and simple to do.

Answer 3

The easiest things to do are to replace old and worn tires and tubes. If you haunt the bike shops, you can find tires and tubes that are very cheap if you catch them on sale. Any repair that costs more than the bike doesn't seem worth it when you are talking about what is basically a beater.

HTH