If I had $1000 to spend on bicycle parts ...

ReducedToZero

Lets say I only have $1000 currently to spend on bicycle replacement parts. Im assuming I have a full set of tools already. Where should I invest this?

Im no expert but, in order of importance... for 1 bicycle:

6 tires
10 tubes
2 Wheels
2-3 chains
Lubricants, Oils, Grease

SILENTTODD

Very good question.

My personal experience is reverse your tire to tube ratio!
Make sure all your tires are Kevlar, they last much longer!

Do you know how to True your wheels? (I just learned after almost 47 years of riding!) Get a Truing stand and extra spokes for each of your wheels.

Everything else, your good for the basics, which is all anyone can ask for.

As I have learned though, you can never learn too much on this subject. Consider what anyone else has to say. There are people with far more experience than me.

If you don't know this already. WD40 IS NOT A LUBRICANT!
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ReducedToZero

I have a very good bike shop which I am very loyal to.

Today I rode 35 miles with my 57 year old father (im 22). I got him to watch End of Suburbia last night and Im proud to say that in 2006 he denied everything and after two years he is a 100% peak oil believer now. Im proud. So we've been riding almost everyday trying to get in shape. We all have some really nice trek bicycles and ive been slowly putting together a travel bag or my bike ( with water, medical, tools, etc). We had a little accident and i completely destroyed my rear wheel and tire today and that got me thinking ...I only have about $300 spare to spend as currently on bicycle parts and Im wondering if it would be more cost effective to buy the stuff online or support my local shop. Sadly, this is a financial decision or I would clearly drop all the money on my local bike shop. How much is a truing stand? Any websites in suggestion?

americandream

Don't you guys have recycle shops at your local council dumps? I get all my cycle parts (just about everything actually) from our local recycle for almost next to nothing. I bought a reasonably good bike a while ago for $20. Still runs well and gets me from A to B without a fuss.
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SILENTTODD · Last edited by SILENTTODD on Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:05 am; edited 1 time in total

ReducedToZero

For anyone whos read Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintainance (Robert Persig)...

ZINN AND THE ART OF MOUNTAIN BIKE/ROAD BIKE REPAIR - best bike repair books on the market in my opinion. They even suggest different degrees of tool kits.

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1524

They used to say that a rich redneck had TWO old trucks up on blocks in the back yard. Not being too well of for money, nor knowledgeable about bikes, That's my strategy: Stash a couple new bikes, lotsa tires and tubes, and some junkers for parts. Got an extensive shop (business) and can make a lot of stuff, but will stock spokes, chains, shifters, cables, etc., that are hard to make.
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3aidlillahi

You might want to check out some online shops over the next couple of days. Given that it's 4th of July, there are going to be some sales. Performance Bike has my tube (Presta, 28-32*700) for $11 for a three-pack. In addition, it's 15% off for web orders over $50. They've got some tires on sale, up to 50% off. Same with wheels, chains, lube, etc.

Check around. There's bound to be good deals. Also check with craigslist if you're willing to go used (better get used to it).

I just started riding so I'm new to this. But why would you need to take your bike into a shop? What exactly would they be able to do that you couldn't do just by figuring out? I hadn't even thought of going to a shop when I had to change flats (changed tubes 3 times in a month). Bikes aren't monsters of machines. They seem like they can be handled and maintained by just about anyone.
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FourOfSwords

If I had $1000 to spend on bicycle parts ...you'd be spending too much!
30 year old single speed ridden daily, cost 3 sets of tires and inner tubes, cost of a small can of 3 in 1 oil. Thats it.
13 year old single speed MTB ridden recreationally, 1 set of tires and inner tubes.
My multi speed bikes, too much money and time. Nowadays I dont even change out the innertubes, just patch em up like I used too when I was a kid.
Too much money spent on new parts. Take a ride around your neighborhood with some tools. I've found more bikes in dumpsters, more bikes trashed and thrown out in woodlots and creeks to fill a small garage. I have salvaged enough bike parts from these castoffs to keep my bikes running till I'm dead.
Why spend the money when there is a 'natural' supply lying all around? It just takes some skill and knowledge to save money, that could be used for more important things like food...
Cheers
Alex
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kjmclark · Heavy Crude Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 318

OK, I've been biking to work/college for 22 years now, my wife bikes to work, we have 14 bikes for the 4 members of our household (though some are now out-grown), and I do all of the maintenance on our bikes. I'm sure I have more than $3000 in bike parts in inventory between the house and the garage, not including the bikes themselves. We live in fairly wet/snowy southern Michigan, and we bike to work all year long. Yup, even in 0F weather.

So, assuming you're planning to ride this bike for daily transportation, here's what I would recommend:

8 chains
8 tires
4 tubes
2 cassettes (rear gears)
8 brake pads/shoes
1 rear derailleur
1 crankset (& pedals if you use any kind of clip-ins)
2 spare helmets
1 spare pair of gloves
1 spare set of wheels
a couple bottles of wet lube
a couple bottles of dry lube (I prefer drip wax)
a couple bottles/cans of triflow or similar
a couple bottles of good solvent

I think that will use up your $1000. If you don't have a chain length gauge, add that to the list. If you have money left over, get:

spare brake and derailleur cables
spare cable housings
bottom bracket, headset, and wheel bearings if yours aren't sealed cassettes
more wet, dry, and teflon lube for cables
a tube of grease

My favorite places to buy parts right now are:
Bikepartsusa.com (though don't try to do returns)
Bikenashbar.com
Performancebike.com

You can get by with fewer chains if you are diligent about cleaning and relubing the chain, but most people wear out their entire drive chain by not maintaining the chain. Better to replace chains frequently if you don't have time to maintain the chain well. We get 6 months to a year out of a chain, even with maintenance. I replace chains at 1% stretch.

I also recommend cleaning the rims every time after biking in the rain or wet pavement. We use bar-end and grip shifters on almost all of our bikes because they're bullet proof. If you're using shifters that have springs (just about anything other than bar-end or grip shifters), you'll want to stock a replacement set of those as well.

vision-master

Convert your MTB with......... Xtracycle

The classic FreeRadical Hitchless Bicycle Trailer Kit comes with the FreeRadical base frame, two deluxe saddlebags (FreeLoaders), vertical loading racks (V-racks), a silk screened wooden passenger seat/load platform/cutting board (SnapDeck), cables, chain, and all the small parts you will need to convert your bike into an S.U.B. (9-speed drivetrains will need a new chain as well).

kevincarter

REgarding bicycles I think is best to have two or three models, but if I only had one model and were to spend 1000 usd on parts I'd mention a few things that haven't been said:

A thick chain so that the bike is not stolen!
A new fork
Hubs and all components that make a weel (learn to completelly unassemble and assemble the weels, spokes and everything, and calibrate them too so that they go straight)
Pedals
A seat
Brake system (the whole thing, wires/liquid, protection tubes... I don't know the name of the other parts in english but you get the idea)
Gear system, the whole thing again, plates and everything...

Check out that you've got all the tools you need, bikes often need very specifical tools.
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dunewalker

These are all good replies, so I'll take a slightly different approach with that $1,000 earmarked for bicycle transportation in an EOTWAWKI future: either buy 3 new mountain bikes @ $300 each, no less, or start collecting used mountain bikes from yard sales, craigslist, bike shops, etc rather than stocking new parts like tires, tubes, chains. Like Patience said, every redneck has a few spare pickup trucks...

Mountain bikes are the luxury vehicles of the future!

Paved roads are not a part of that future...
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frankthetank

Buy and extra bike or 2. Mtn bike tires last a long time. I had a bike that had tires that were close to 10 years old on them before i tossed them. Tubes i would stock up on, although again, i have popped VERY few mtn bike tire tubes...roadbikes are a COMPLETE different story. A set of wheels should last a LONG time. For the cost of a decent set of wheels, a person could buy another bike.
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Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 6237

$1000?

I think I would buy 10 cheap bikes from Wal Mart and call it good.....
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