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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » cheap Bicycles

July 25, 2010 4:39 p.m. 924guy Dork

okay, so i just spent the better of part of two hours trying to find a rim for my cheap mountain bike... there are millions of theses thing and i cant find a single replacement rim, what a headache..

my front rim is bent to hell, the bike was free and has been sitting in the garage for two years , but id like to start riding again, at least a little. its a magna excitor, i think they retail for around $100. not nearly the level of bike i had years ago, when I was really into in cross country cycling, but hey, it was free and im starting from scratch again. Why cant i find a front rim for it? is there a conspiracy thing going on to make you buy a whole new cheap made in china bike?

I figure it would be simple, cheap and easy to get it going, and of-course the bike shops are closed around here on Sundays. who knows what they charge though. any one have any ideas? the rim uses a 26x1.95 tire (1.95?? weird)
July 25, 2010 4:47 p.m. porksboy Dork

Hey, we live in a disposable society. TVs, computers, phones, spouses, bicycles. Dont even get me started on watches. "Throw it away and buy a new one, its the American way" Pisses me off no end. I will buy a more durable one for a little more $$ if it means I can get it repaired in the future when it needs one. I think it is cheaper in the long run.

I know my rant doesnt solve your problem but... Maybe try a pawn shop and see if you can pick up one with the part you need for cheap.
July 25, 2010 6:05 p.m. PeterAK Dork

Watch the bike section on Craigs List. Any 26" mountain bike wheel should work.
July 25, 2010 6:58 p.m. jamscal Dork

Local thrift shop should have a parts bike for $20.

I had to buy a $13 tire for my daughters $40 bike and wasn't happy about that.
July 25, 2010 7:39 p.m. novaderrik Reader

try straightening the rim.. back when i was a kid, i got pretty good at straightening out my bent rims..
July 25, 2010 7:42 p.m. nutherjrfan Reader

find the asshat that keeps stealing parts from my $70 Magna - what a loser.
July 25, 2010 10:40 p.m. neon4891 SuperDork

jamscal wrote:

I had to buy a $13 tire for my daughters $40 bike and wasn't happy about that.

Tell me about it. It would cost me close to $80 to get one of my old cheap bikes back up. Even more if I felt like getting the wheels trued or drailers aligned. And these where $100 bikes 10-15 years ago. If I fixed up one of these it would only be for mounting an engine.
July 26, 2010 12:40 a.m. VanillaSky HalfDork

If you were local to me, I'd give you a 26" wheel that I have sitting around.

If you're in the buying mood, pricepoint.com is pretty good.
July 26, 2010 8:01 a.m. Ian F Dork

You need a 26" wheel? I'm assuming rim-brakes and std quick release? I probably have one or two taking up space...

"Cheap bikes" can be misleading, depending on wants and needs... a dept store bike is pretty much disposable. Spares are available, but often cost as much as the bike did. A bike purchsed from a Local Bike Shop (LBS) will cost a bit more, but you'll have a few thigns going for it: the parts will be more available, the parts will hold adjustment better, and you have a much better chance of the bike being assebled correctly in the first place.
July 26, 2010 9:59 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I have an old schiwnn mountain bike laying about in parts. if the rim is close, you can have it for the price of shipping from me here in NJ

08234 is the zip code if you want to check
July 26, 2010 12:39 p.m. Tetzuoe Reader

govdeals or stealitback.com? you can get like 30 bikes for 20 bucks

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