Please dont laugh

andy83

Ok I was given a diamonback wildwood by someone at work and it done me brilliant in the snow this year and was great fun, but the brakes, cassette and chain need replacing and it will be all good for another winter snow fest fun next year. Has anyone any recomendations on where to get the parts, i dont want to spend a lot at all as it just sits at work and is an emergency bike

it has them funny brakes where the cable comes down in a v shape (sorry forgot techinical term)

I know its easy to say chuck it but for riding in the snow its great

here is a link to the bike, it is fun to ride honest http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1998&Brand=Diamondback&Model=Wildwood&Type=bike

roger_merriman

that be the orginal cant brakes, easy enough to get new pads for, 7 speed drive chain, again easy enough to find parts. they are still made today on the cheaper hybrids.

if it's the hack then if the chain hasn't gone just let it wear. it's what I do with my hack at some point it will fail but it's had 4 years of abuse so far...

andy83

its definitely a hack and the chain has, well lets say died lol

to be honest thinking about it just need to replace brake cables and pads and should be ok, what cables would i be after?

would it be better to just get some new brakes? to be honest it has been in someones shed for nearly ten years and the gears still shifted ok, just my foot turned into a break towards the end of the snow, and its got horrible grip shifters which i dont like but dont think any need to change

roger_merriman

V brakes are popular now and have a differant pull so unless the cants really are shot, it's oil them up and give them new cables plus pads and they'll work lovely.

new chain/plus cassette wouldn't be pricey either as to cables easy enough from the LBS.

Stuy-b

single speed it and sort the brakes will be much more fun in the snow

andy83

lol check out the bike in my sig, thats my fixie for fun, its slightly too small for me but dont want to not use it (albeit only in snow) as the person from work gave it me and they still work there lol

looks like, chain, cassette, sort brakes with some oil and pads and the fun can begin

Fireblade96

Don't knock the value of an old steel-framed MTB as a commuter, I've been running one ('94? DiamondBack Sorrento) for years and it's still going strong.

7-speed components (chains & cassettes) are available from your LBS and CRC, Shimano gear/brake cables have changed little in the years and all appear to still be compatible, you should be able to fix it up for not much. Beware though that once you change the cassette/chain the chainwheels may also need replacing.

Enjoy !

supersonic

I had a 96 DB Traverse - very nice little bike.

jonnyboy77

Fireblade96 wrote:

Don't knock the value of an old steel-framed MTB as a commuter, I've been running one ('94? DiamondBack Sorrento) for years and it's still going strong.

7-speed components (chains & cassettes) are available from your LBS and CRC, Shimano gear/brake cables have changed little in the years and all appear to still be compatible, you should be able to fix it up for not much. Beware though that once you change the cassette/chain the chainwheels may also need replacing.

Enjoy !

I loved my 90's Sorrento, I bought it with money from my paper round, and finally sold it some 10+ years later after I'd ridden it all through University. I recently spotted one and snapped a photo for old times sake:



In response to the OP's question - a little bit of TLC would go a long way: clean, lube and then assess what needs replacing.

- Jon

Aguila

I recently did up an old MTB for lugging the kids in their trailer and for the snow. A mid '90s raleigh amazon. It weighs 3.8tons but still works well enough.

I got most of my parts off chain reaction cycles, they seem to have a wider range of old school parts, particulaly for 7 speed casette systems. Got new chain, front and rear mechs, new brakes/shifters/cables. Didn't come to much all in. Here's a few of the parts:

These were the shifters (which include cables, both inners and outers, not mentioned in the desciption):

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=38723

work nicely and seem decent quality.

Brakes:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=38378

which again seem good for the price.

A KMC chain, acera rear mech and an SRAM front (which I actually got from wiggle.

andy83

Thanks for that, ill look into getting a few parts me thinks

the tlc is not a problem as i built a bike and also look after current two well, just looking at the state of this sometimes makes me think is it worth it lol

The Rookie

Converting most canti to V is easy, and on all four cheapy bikes I've converted the levers have been fine and you get 3 times the breaking force!

Simon

andy83

sorry for reserecting an old thread but fianlly got round to upgrading my hack

it currently has stupid grip shifters so would it be ok to change to these

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=38723

also anyone got any 7 speed mechs or anything lying around

dont want to spend a lot as its just for rubbish weather

gbsahne001

what's to laugh at? it appears to be a better bike than the one I do most of my miles on!

andy83

there is a reason I havent put a picture up

its completey covered in rubbish, i think i need to MTFU and give it a good clean

sorry for any offence caused

The Rookie

Those levers will do you fine, same as my Daughters CBR is using, in fact hers have dual cable holes at the lever for the brakes so you can have the right pull ratio for V-s or Canti's, if they are V-only you may need to convert to V-s as the pull ratio is all wrong for Canti's.

Simon

PBo

andy83 wrote:

sorry for reserecting an old thread but fianlly got round to upgrading my hack

it currently has stupid grip shifters so would it be ok to change to these

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=38723

also anyone got any 7 speed mechs or anything lying around

dont want to spend a lot as its just for rubbish weather

won't you need to check the pull ratio??

Is the 7 speed mech a cassette or freewheel? Am I right in thinking an 8 speed cassette could also have a cog removed, and a spacer put on to make it 7 speed? so ask if anyone has an 8 speed mech too.... (apologies if wrong)

btw, my Asda's sells a Bell chain, and a set of all 4 cables/sheaths/ends etc. for £4 each - ie £8 the lot....

biondino

Andy, if the fixie is too small for you, it seems from the picture you have plenty of room to push the saddle backwards - that should give you an inch or two, and who wouldn't want that?

desweller

I may have a 7-speed Shimano trigger shifter w/ integrated brake lever at home that you can have for postage if you're willing to wait a couple of weeks for me to have a look (I am out of town at the moment).

Don't know if I've got any other goodies though.

andy83

biondino wrote:

Andy, if the fixie is too small for you, it seems from the picture you have plenty of room to push the saddle backwards - that should give you an inch or two, and who wouldn't want that?

Its not the fixie in my sig, I love that bike, its a very battered old diamond back i aint got a picture of

I may have a 7-speed Shimano trigger shifter w/ integrated brake lever at home that you can have for postage if you're willing to wait a couple of weeks for me to have a look (I am out of town at the moment).

Don't know if I've got any other goodies though.

that would be great, give us a shout when ya back if you can

thanks

desweller

andy83 wrote:

biondino wrote:

Andy, if the fixie is too small for you, it seems from the picture you have plenty of room to push the saddle backwards - that should give you an inch or two, and who wouldn't want that?

Its not the fixie in my sig, I love that bike, its a very battered old diamond back i aint got a picture of

I may have a 7-speed Shimano trigger shifter w/ integrated brake lever at home that you can have for postage if you're willing to wait a couple of weeks for me to have a look (I am out of town at the moment).

Don't know if I've got any other goodies though.

that would be great, give us a shout when ya back if you can

thanks

Dug that shifter out now, postponed my trip home by a week so a little late! If you're still interested, PM me your address and I'll get it in a box.