What to do with my well-worn Steve Bauer Chinook?

if you enjoyed your bike, you will enjoy riding the rebuild 10X more
so

a Shimano puller is an artful device, low cost and repays immediately
against LBS labor costs.

You need a propane blowtorch for heating nuts held on with rust or
locktite.

Utube may have a rebuild tutorial....

now is the time for buying rebuild and summer stock-tubes/tires/chains/
deray pulley wheels- parts from Nashbar, Jenson, Universal Cycles

ach !

Loosescrews




biketoolsect

On Feb 25, 12:20*am, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Feb 24, 6:55*pm, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

Ed Treijs wrote:
On Feb 24, 2:54 pm, Sir *wrote:

A new square taper cartridge bottom bracket can be quite inexpensive
depending on which level you get. MEC has some at very low prices.

Did you remove the lockring on the adjustable left hand cup of your
bottom bracket?

I got as far as getting the chain side crank nut off. Other side nut
doesn't want to come off. Is it RH or LH thread?

Niether do I have a puller to pull the cranks off the axle.

Not sure if it's worth buying the tools to do this.

I was in the "fix the old bike" camp until this post of yours. *Now I
think you have too little experience to pull this off in a reasonable
time.

It sounds like the bike is worth approximately zero on the open market.
* So don't sell it or trade it in. *Stash it in your basement and just
get yourself a decent bike to ride now.

Then slowly start taking this bike completely apart, greasing it where
applicable, and putting it back together. *Don't even spend money on
replacement parts; put the money instead into a good book on fixing
bikes, plus the necessary tools. *Use the bike to learn bike mechanics,
and once it's more or less fixed, either keep it for emergencies or
loans, or give it to a kid who has no bike.

I wouldn't make the investment in tools for a thirty year old bike --
not if I were going to get a modern road bike. Headset wrenches, BB
tools, crank puller, cone wrenches, etc., etc. *Most of that stuff is
totally unnecessary with a modern road bike with boxed wheels. *You
can fix a modern road bike with a pocket tool.

I'd consider the purchase of some tools to be worth it on educational
grounds, similar to asking students to buy their own multimeter,
micrometer, etc. Yes, some of the tools needed to work on old bikes
might not be needed on a 2012 model; but I'd say a person who couldn't
pull a square taper crank (for example) isn't a competent bike
mechanic. Odds are the next bike he'd encounter with a BB problem
would have a square taper. Until those completely go away, the tool
is worth having.

And incidentally, I wouldn't necessarily buy a complete set of bike
tools (although my son-in-law chose to do that). Instead, I'd buy
just the quirky tools with no work-arounds. I was completely
disassembling my bikes before I bought a headset wrench or a bottom
bracket wrench, for example, because I could get by with general
purpose tools I already owned. But I couldn't adjust hubs without
cone wrenches, and I couldn't pull cranks without a crank puller...
once I'd moved away from cottered cranks, that is!

- Frank Krygowski

On Feb 25, 9:25 pm, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Feb 25, 12:20 am, Jay Beattie wrote:



On Feb 24, 6:55 pm, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

Ed Treijs wrote:
On Feb 24, 2:54 pm, Sir wrote:

A new square taper cartridge bottom bracket can be quite inexpensive
depending on which level you get. MEC has some at very low prices.

Did you remove the lockring on the adjustable left hand cup of your
bottom bracket?

I got as far as getting the chain side crank nut off. Other side nut
doesn't want to come off. Is it RH or LH thread?

Niether do I have a puller to pull the cranks off the axle.

Not sure if it's worth buying the tools to do this.

I was in the "fix the old bike" camp until this post of yours. Now I
think you have too little experience to pull this off in a reasonable
time.

It sounds like the bike is worth approximately zero on the open market.
So don't sell it or trade it in. Stash it in your basement and just
get yourself a decent bike to ride now.

Then slowly start taking this bike completely apart, greasing it where
applicable, and putting it back together. Don't even spend money on
replacement parts; put the money instead into a good book on fixing
bikes, plus the necessary tools. Use the bike to learn bike mechanics,
and once it's more or less fixed, either keep it for emergencies or
loans, or give it to a kid who has no bike.

I wouldn't make the investment in tools for a thirty year old bike --
not if I were going to get a modern road bike. Headset wrenches, BB
tools, crank puller, cone wrenches, etc., etc. Most of that stuff is
totally unnecessary with a modern road bike with boxed wheels. You
can fix a modern road bike with a pocket tool.

I'd consider the purchase of some tools to be worth it on educational
grounds, similar to asking students to buy their own multimeter,
micrometer, etc. Yes, some of the tools needed to work on old bikes
might not be needed on a 2012 model; but I'd say a person who couldn't
pull a square taper crank (for example) isn't a competent bike
mechanic.

Must every bicyclist be a "competent bike mechanic"? Where in this
thread does it indicate that as an objective. (And I think the OP
indicated that he *could* pull the crank if he had the tool, and
having tools is not a competency.)

(Sorry, but you were being supercilious again.)

Odds are the next bike he'd encounter with a BB problem
would have a square taper. Until those completely go away, the tool
is worth having.


Worth having - certainly. But is it worth buying? I got lucky and
scored a full complement of tools in one (not inexpensive, but very
valuable) purchase. But I was lucky.

And incidentally, I wouldn't necessarily buy a complete set of bike
tools (although my son-in-law chose to do that). Instead, I'd buy
just the quirky tools with no work-arounds.

Then you'd be constantly stymied again and again until you got around
to getting that tool. Your "learning to work on bikes" would be
severely impeded, and you'd spend a lot more buying tools when the
demand side of supply and demand was most pressing.

I was completely
disassembling my bikes before I bought a headset wrench or a bottom
bracket wrench, for example, because I could get by with general
purpose tools I already owned.

I got the impression that the OP is similarly "competent".

But I couldn't adjust hubs without
cone wrenches...

What, no file to make your own cone wrench? :-)

, and I couldn't pull cranks without a crank puller...
once I'd moved away from cottered cranks, that is!

On Feb 26, 12:49*am, Dan O wrote:

Must every bicyclist be a "competent bike mechanic"? *Where in this
thread does it indicate that as an objective. *(And I think the OP
indicated that he *could* pull the crank if he had the tool, and
having tools is not a competency.)

(Sorry, but you were being supercilious again.)

And you're being stupidly argumentative again. Did I _say_ that every
bicyclist must be a competent mechanic? Did I even say that the
original poster must become a competent mechanic? No! I simply
recommended learning.

Obviously, there are plenty of people who see no need to learn _any_
bike mechanics, even though they ride bikes. I've saved dozens of them
from calling taxis or walking miles pushing their bikes.

You may think those folks are brilliant. Fine. But my recommendation
stands: I think this stuff is good to learn if you're going to ride a
bike. Anyone, including you and the OP, is free to choose otherwise.

BTW, your further comments on tools were even more foolish, and thus
not worth response.

- Frank Krygowski

On Feb 25, 10:15 pm, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Feb 26, 12:49 am, Dan O wrote:



(Wherein Frank bemoans yet another perceived lack of "competency".)


Must every bicyclist be a "competent bike mechanic"? Where in this
thread does it indicate that as an objective. (And I think the OP
indicated that he *could* pull the crank if he had the tool, and
having tools is not a competency.)

(Sorry, but you were being supercilious again.)

And you're being stupidly argumentative again. Did I _say_ that every
bicyclist must be a competent mechanic? Did I even say that the
original poster must become a competent mechanic? No! I simply
recommended learning.

Obviously, there are plenty of people who see no need to learn _any_
bike mechanics, even though they ride bikes. I've saved dozens of them
from calling taxis or walking miles pushing their bikes.


What a hero.

You may think those folks are brilliant. Fine. But my recommendation
stands: I think this stuff is good to learn if you're going to ride a
bike. Anyone, including you and the OP, is free to choose otherwise.

BTW, your further comments on tools were even more foolish, and thus
not worth response.


Whjeeeee! :-)

On Feb 25, 10:15 pm, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Feb 26, 12:49 am, Dan O wrote:



Must every bicyclist be a "competent bike mechanic"? Where in this
thread does it indicate that as an objective. (And I think the OP
indicated that he *could* pull the crank if he had the tool, and
having tools is not a competency.)

(Sorry, but you were being supercilious again.)

And you're being stupidly argumentative again. Did I _say_ that every
bicyclist must be a competent mechanic? Did I even say that the
original poster must become a competent mechanic? No! I simply
recommended learning.


You recommended the purchase of tools. Your reasoning was that a
person who couldn't pull a square taper crank (for example) isn't a
competent bike mechanic.

Obviously, there are plenty of people who see no need to learn _any_
bike mechanics, even though they ride bikes. I've saved dozens of them
from calling taxis or walking miles pushing their bikes.

You may think those folks are brilliant.

I really couldn't say; they're *your* dozens.

Fine. But my recommendation
stands: I think this stuff is good to learn if you're going to ride a
bike.

I thought you were a bicycling advocate. Now you think they all ought
to be competent mechanics?)

snip

Op 21-2-2012 18:58, Ed Treijs schreef:
Steve Bauer Chinook, an upper-mid-level sport bike from 1987. Looks
the '80s as well, with a salmon frame (ha ha it's a Chinook, get it?)
and yellow bar tape and water bottle/cage. Cyndi Lauper would be all
over this.

It's been in pretty hardcore commuter duty the past decade or so,
sometimes in crappy conditions. Some maintenance has been done, but
nothing comprehensive.

I tore it down (as far as I could) over the weekend and got pretty
depressed.

1. Front wheel:hub is brinelled. Oddly, the bearing balls in the front
wheel are a size smaller than the bearings in the rear wheel. Huh?
This wheel/hub is original 1987, I think the hub is Shimano and the
rim is definitely Araya.

2. Bottom bracket (an SR item), with the chain removed, spins freely
with a pronounced growl. It's never been overhauled, so undoubtedly is
dry.

3. Derailleur jockey wheels have worn to have basically sharp, pin-
like protusions instead of teeth

Headset and rear hub/bearing seem in good shape. Oddly, the chain has
only stretched about half a rivet's width: one end of my 12" ruler is
in the middle of the rivet, then at the other end it's just touching
the edge of the rivet. I am assuming that my freewheel and chainrings
can be reused after cleaning.

Other known issues/irritants:
1. Downtube shifters, already replaced once, are not working that
well, and some bit fell out of the front shifter a while back that
lets it slip and thus grind the front derailleur after every bump.
Rear indexed shifter is still indexed, but dodgy.
2. Quill pedals have bad bearing seals and get the grease washed out
very easily--they also spun easily with growling
3. Brake hood gum rubber covers are disintegrating, and I don't like
the black rubber replacements I'm offered--would ruin the '80s bright-
colour vibe of the bike
4. Shimano side-pull brakes work very poorly in the wet, despite
adjustment and the use of Kool-Stop salmon pads....not so great on a
commuter bike that travels through congested downtown traffic
5. Avocet Touring II saddle....originally purchased for my Bianchi in
the early 1980s....leather has peeled off the sides, though top is
still comfy.

So I see four choices he
1. Pay to get everything fixed up....I imagine that means replacing
the bottom bracket and front wheel and a set of downtube shifters.(ha
ha, need seven-speed--bike was originally a six-speed, and that became
obsolete, so it's been fitted with seven-cog rear)
2. Get a new bike that may be more commute-friendly (I am envisioning
disc brakes and multispeed hub)
3. Grease/oil what I can and just ride on the bad bearings, it's not
like they can get much worse and I am not aware of catastrophic
failure modes--if there are any, please let me know!
4. Find a better/less-ridden Chinook and do some parts swapping.

(Idea #4 prompted by the comments at
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca...-road-bicycle/
)

I don't mind the riding position, and I like the light weight of the
bike. I am always the fastest person off the red light--downtube
shifter goes snick-snick-snick every second or two and I'm up to
speed.



There are 2 reasons to fix a bike with so many issues:
1. you take pride in fixing it. Buy the tools and parts and go for it,
2. financial reasons.

It is wrong to think that you can't have a new bike with the same
(riding) properties.

Lou

add f

yeah but beyond the visible...rebuild equals understanding in a deeper
psychological sense where the uh energy sum of bicycle system' begins'
only begins mating or meshing with the rider's system.

from this plateau, if sympatico develops, if, caws you may not climb
up right off, you and bicycle system can move forward, upward to new
areas of thought,, activity, riding, awarenss of riding
environment....basically deeper satisfaction from this life's
experience.

the simplicity access here is one of the bicycle system and motorcycle
system's significant experience advantage over the motorcar
experience, which has become not so simple in any category, time
money, space,

our RBT attitude is if you donnah try it .....

On Feb 21, 12:58*pm, Ed Treijs wrote:
Steve Bauer Chinook, an upper-mid-level sport bike from 1987. Looks
the '80s as well, with a salmon frame (ha ha it's a Chinook, get it?)
and yellow bar tape and water bottle/cage. Cyndi Lauper would be all
over this.

It's been in pretty hardcore commuter duty the past decade or so,
sometimes in crappy conditions. Some maintenance has been done, but
nothing comprehensive.

I tore it down (as far as I could) over the weekend and got pretty
depressed.

1. Front wheel:hub is brinelled. Oddly, the bearing balls in the front
wheel are a size smaller than the bearings in the rear wheel. Huh?
This wheel/hub is original 1987, I think the hub is Shimano and the
rim is definitely Araya.

2. Bottom bracket (an SR item), with the chain removed, spins freely
with a pronounced growl. It's never been overhauled, so undoubtedly is
dry.

3. Derailleur jockey wheels have worn to have basically sharp, pin-
like protusions instead of teeth

Headset and rear hub/bearing seem in good shape. Oddly, the chain has
only stretched about half a rivet's width: one end of my 12" ruler is
in the middle of the rivet, then at the other end it's just touching
the edge of the rivet. I am assuming that my freewheel and chainrings
can be reused after cleaning.

Other known issues/irritants:
1. Downtube shifters, already replaced once, are not working that
well, and some bit fell out of the front shifter a while back that
lets it slip and thus grind the front derailleur after every bump.
Rear indexed shifter is still indexed, but dodgy.
2. Quill pedals have bad bearing seals and get the grease washed out
very easily--they also spun easily with growling
3. Brake hood gum rubber covers are disintegrating, and I don't like
the black rubber replacements I'm offered--would ruin the '80s bright-
colour vibe of the bike
4. Shimano side-pull brakes work very poorly in the wet, despite
adjustment and the use of Kool-Stop salmon pads....not so great on a
commuter bike that travels through congested downtown traffic
5. Avocet Touring II saddle....originally purchased for my Bianchi in
the early 1980s....leather has peeled off the sides, though top is
still comfy.

So I see four choices he
1. Pay to get everything fixed up....I imagine that means replacing
the bottom bracket and front wheel and a set of downtube shifters.(ha
ha, need seven-speed--bike was originally a six-speed, and that became
obsolete, so it's been fitted with seven-cog rear)
2. Get a new bike that may be more commute-friendly (I am envisioning
disc brakes and multispeed hub)
3. Grease/oil what I can and just ride on the bad bearings, it's not
like they can get much worse and I am not aware of catastrophic
failure modes--if there are any, please let me know!
4. Find a better/less-ridden Chinook and do some parts swapping.

(Idea #4 prompted by the comments athttp://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/sport/steve-baue...
)

I don't mind the riding position, and I like the light weight of the
bike. I am always the fastest person off the red light--downtube
shifter goes snick-snick-snick every second or two and I'm up to
speed.

Hey Ed. Is it okay if I send you an email? I have apossible solution
to offer.

Cheers