Thursday, February 25, 2010

I have a bike with a popped tire and the paint is peeling off. I want to keep the bike, but fix it, but how?

its about 5 years old. The front tire is popped, the paint is peeling and I need a new chain for the bike. Is this fixable, and if so where is a good place to have it fixed?I have a bike with a popped tire and the paint is peeling off. I want to keep the bike, but fix it, but how?
Any bike shop can fix it for you (ask for a quote) or you could have a go at fixing it yourself.





Repainting is the most difficult job because to do it properly you have to take the whole bike to pieces (including the crank arm) and strip the old paint off and respray the frame.. good fun if you're into that kind of thing but it's a big job. Still, you could just rub down the bad spots (emery/glass paper) and touch them up with primer.





Fixing a puncture is simple enough especially if it's the front wheel (the back is a little trickier) and there are lots of guides on the internet on how to do it - or better still buy a bicycle repair manual.





To fix the chain you need a chain-breaker; you can buy one in any bicycle store.





If it's a derailleur geared bike you'll need to study a manual to understand how to put the chain back on because when you take the chain off, the arm will spring up and the whole thing will look strange. It's actually quite simple but the way the chain loops around can seem confusing.I have a bike with a popped tire and the paint is peeling off. I want to keep the bike, but fix it, but how?
Chains are cheap.





Fixing a flat is something that any bike owner should and can learn to do easily. Note that if the *tire* is actually torn or split, you'll have to replace it; if it's just the *tube* inside the tire that has a hole, that can usually be repaired (see the link below).





Paint is more difficult. If it's just scratched it may not continue to peel off. I would actually be surprised to see paint 'peeling' off a bike unless it had been someone's handpainted job that they did with outdoor furniture paint. If you want to do it cheap and have it look good for a little while (and maybe have to touch it up sometimes), use automotive spray paint. Remember to take everything apart and paint *only* the frame. If you want it to be more durable for a long time, spend more money and get it professionally powder-coated.





If you want to take it to a shop and get it fixed, talk to local cyclists and find out what shops they use. I could tell you which shops in my city know what they're doing, which ones are friendly to commuters and couriers and which ones are snobby and only deal with athletes, and which ones are just incompetent. But that won't do you any good in another city.
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