One day I will remember this season as "The Summer of the Department Store Mountain Bike". It started with the RHINO then the MOTIV now the TRIAX PK 7. This bike needs a new back wheel, a better kickstand and a nicer saddle and some serious rust removal for the chain.
Above: The rear wheel proved to be beyond truing. I have not yet stripped the woman's GIANT Acapulco. But I did salvage the front tire for the Motiv. Which did not affect the future of the GIANT Acapulco as it had miss matched tires anyway. But salvaging one of the wheels has sealed it's fate. It will now be just another parts bike. And that's ok because I really needed another frame hanging from the garage/shop rafters.
Above: The aforementioned Ladies GIANT Mountain bike. I should have been stealing the tires off the TRIAX to finish this bike. But this is not the bike I am being asked to repair. So it goes...
Above: The FEMCO wheel worked out perfectly:) No need to swap free wheels or do any truing. So that solves the main problem. But the kickstand situation is a little weird. The mounting plate for the kickstand is mounted under the front of the swing arm. The only problem is the mounting plate is not on a level plane with the ground. So when you mount a kickstand on it the stand swings much farther forward than usual. And you could see the result of this set up looking at the grip ends. (I have a plan for those too) But I was sure I had a salvaged rear triangle mount kickstand somewhere in the shop.
Above: I could not make the original mounting bracket work. As I remember it was not fitted very well on the parts bike it came off of either. So I cut off the upper part of the sliding bracket with my hacksaw then used a typical bracket for tubing. You should be able to find these at any "real hardware store". I was able to use the original holes in the sliding bracket so no drilling was necessary. This worked out pretty well, as the bike stands up much straighter now.
Above: As is typical for a bike that has been dropped or fallen over several times the handlebar ends had cut through the ends of the grips. A cheap fix is to just cut out the remaining grip-end even with the end of the handlebar. Then just install a normal end plug. Not perfect by any means, but none the less an improvement.
Above: This always goes hand in hand with the damaged grip ends, the sides of the saddle tore up from the bike falling over or being dropped several times. In this case I suspect the crappy kickstand was the culprit. Don't you just cringe when you see some kid deliberately drop his bike on the pavement? I would never do that to my Candy Blue Schwinn Sting Ray when I was a kid. And God save me if my Dad ever saw me doing that!
Above: Here I have installed the unused saddle from the parts bike that was left over from Laura's Trek winter commuter build.
Above: Another typical thing you see on used department store bikes is frayed (unwound) cable ends. Here I just snipped off the worst of it using cable cutters. Then I rewound it "as best I could" and crimped on a cable end. I don`t know if the bike is worth all this love, but it just something I like to do. Cost? about 1 penny.
Above: As for the chain, I just sprayed it (in sections) with WD-40 and wiped it down vigorously using a terry cloth rag. The chain rust (surface rust) was not as bad as I originally thought. After it dries I will lube the chain with some White Lightning chain lubricant. As for the rest, it just needed to be wiped down with Armor All Cleaning wipes. I did take some slack out of the rear brake cable and reposition the shoes as well. I think it looks pretty good. For what it is anyway.
Above: The left side of the TRIAX. The red arrow indicates where the kickstand mounting plate is located. If you enlarge the pic you can see how the swing arm sweeps upward at this point. And I should mention, I did instal a Greenfield Alloy kickstand and the same thing happened. So the problem definitely was not with the cheesy kickstand, which is what I suspected at first. After a little cleaning I returned the bike to it's owner (who would like to remain anonymous) But she was very pleased and surprised that it came out so nice.
Above: We are finally retiring the 1987 Ford Taurus. It has been in the family since it was new. And for the most part the Taurus has been a good reliable car. But after 26 years it needs more in repairs and maintenance than it is worth. And the gas consumption is unacceptable even though I drive much less than 10 thousand miles per year. We are donating the old Taurus to The Purple Heart of Michigan.
Above: I will now be driving a 2007 Mazda 3, which also has been in the family since new. I have been really enjoying driving the Mazda so far. And I feel better about using much less petro (about 1/2) than the old Taurus. And did I mention the Mazda is a Blast to drive? Zoom Zoom Zoom! It looks like I am going to need a new bike rack for the Mazda. I do not think it would be wise to hook the straps to the Mazada's plastic rear bumper. I think a roof top rack might be the best way to go. This will also give me quick and easy access the trunk (boot). No more "on and off" with the rack every time I want to haul something.
We purchased the Mazda 3 from our son who just purchased the first 2014 Yaris SE (above) in Michigan. "at least that is what we were told". I really like the look of the Yaris SE and I know my son really loves the car. The Mazda is not my "mid life crisis".... I am too old for that :) I had mine when I turned 50 and purchased a 1985 Outlaw V MAX. That was tons of fun too!
Until next time, Please RIDE SAFELY and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh
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