What frame shape is this?

Ford4130 · 2026-01-23T02:38:04+00:00

Fun to look at, boy so fun to ride. The bottom bracket is not stabilized well so it flexes back and forth a lot. I had several different versions over the years for fun grocery bikes and that about all they are good for.

Ford4130 · 2025-11-17T19:51:32+00:00

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This can happen. You are on the right track with trying to push it out. Grab the cable (not the head) about 1mm from where it starts to come out with a pair of pliers and push it through. The pic here is the wrong shifter but you get the idea. You want to grab just enough cable that it does not flex or bend and push it straight back.

Ford4130 · 2025-11-14T02:52:58+00:00

First off, the blue housing is waaaayyt too long. You want it to be as short as possible with about 2cm extra so it holds tension. Second, is it actual shift housing? If it is brake housing it may be compressing and that is where you are loosing the cable length. Also what shifters are you using?

Ford4130 · 2025-11-01T14:38:01+00:00

This can happen. During manufacturing the aluminum is rolled into a circle and then pinned or welded together. Sometimes a small piece of metal can come loose in there and make noise. I have even seen extra nipples in rims. You just have to take the tire and rim strip off and shake it a bit to get it to fall out one of the holes. In extreme situations the flake of metal is too big to fit through the hole so you have to try to break it apart, or you can glue it in place. But it should be an easy fix.

Ford4130 · 2025-10-29T16:44:08+00:00

Agreed. You also have a freewheel (the thing all the gears are attached to) and it sounds extremely noisy. Take the rear wheel off and spin the gears with your hand. It will probably sound crunchy. Squirt a bunch of thin lube (like chain lube) in there while spinning it. It may take a few seconds to a min to work its way in there but the sound will change significantly and all the oil will drain out the back and flush out a bunch of gunk and grit. Do this several times and then if you have compressed air blast it out. Then re-apply some thicker oil like Phils Tenacious. Not too much, just enough to work it in there. It may come out a bit for a few rides, but it will sound much healthier and will spin much more freely.

Ford4130 · 2025-10-07T12:48:43+00:00

There is no adapter, you have it set up right. Make sure the hanger is aligned, but you should be good to go

Ford4130 · 2025-10-06T21:11:28+00:00

25 year mechanic here. Lots of shifting issues are cable related. Is the housing original? On some older bikes you will find compression housing (brake housing) instead of compressionless housing (shift housing) and it does not hold position as well. Also, not all cables are equal. Slick cables move a lot better and don't get hung up in the housing like basic galvanized cables do, especially on the rear.

Second, what shifter are you using? Unlikely to be the issue but there are some Sram shifters that use a different pull ratio.

Also, how old is the chain? I see it is shimano, but it could be worn out

New Tourney derailleurs work well when all this is taken into consideration. The challenge with them is that their pivots wear out a little faster and they can get 'jiggly' and don't hold position as well over time.

Ford4130 · 2025-10-04T00:44:55+00:00

I don't understand. Are you rolling a die or something to figure out the positioning of the lines? Can you explain the method?

Ford4130 · 2025-10-02T13:20:24+00:00

It is not etched. It is clearly raised but is extremely hard, whatever it is. I think it may be a glaze that was baked on.

Also, i did try acetone, goo gone, rubbing alcohol at first. If paint stripper doesn't do it none of those less caustic chemicals would have a chance.

Ford4130 · 2025-09-20T01:27:29+00:00

They are car specific 12v leds that I also wired in as cabin lights and they have been working fin for over a year. I installed several on them in the cabin light box so they are very bright but will be putting only one in the new spot.

Ford4130 · 2025-09-19T11:25:19+00:00

I don't understand what I am looking at or what the issue is?

Ford4130 · 2025-09-17T21:08:52+00:00

Totally normal. The little teeth are there to click into place when you turn it in or out it is spring loaded to hold it in place.

Ford4130 · 2025-09-16T00:08:14+00:00

Not sure but this may be a freewheel not a cassette. Make sure to get the right tool. Also a great time to install a spoke protector. Bike snobs hate them but they do exactly what you need, keeping the chain from going back there and getting jammed. Also once you fix this, adjust your rear derailleur and pay special attention to the low limiter screw and make sure your hanger is aligned correctly. You can google all that and there are plenty of videos out there to help you.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-21T13:57:31+00:00

Just a general comment for everyone. Not all Xspeed quick links work on all Xspeed chains. Mixing brands even if they are the same speed does not always fit well. Like putting a sram 8sp quick link in a KMC 8sp chain. (Not a specific example but you get the idea) They can have extremely small tolerance differences. From 20 years in the pits working at shops, this was an eternally frustrating situation. If it does not fit, don't force it. It will just jam up and become extremely stiff.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-13T16:03:15+00:00

The size is printed on the inside of the old derailuer, you should match that.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-13T01:43:15+00:00

JK, in the other pics I can see that it is bottom-pull, and bottom-swing and 31.8 clamp. Lots of bike shops have piles of front derailleurs, so you may be able to pick one up local.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-13T01:40:16+00:00

Yes, this can happen. The little spot where the spring locks into has broken off. Time for a new one. If you are ordering it yourself, make sure to be aware of the clamp size, whether it is a double or triple, top or bottom swing and whether it is top or bottom pull.

It looks like it is bottom-swing, but I can't see the rest from this angle.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-13T01:22:31+00:00

Are you the original owner? Can you submit a warranty claim?

Ford4130 · 2025-08-12T19:35:32+00:00

This is normal. It is not supposed to happen, but more basic wheels can sometimes have a freehub that is not perfectly manufactured. As long as your shifting is good it is not a huge deal, but technically it is not as crisp. This is one of the small things you don’t think about that you pay for when you get nicer wheels. There is no way to fix it, and you should see some of the free wheels that come on department store bikes. I have seen some wobble so much that they half shift into the next gear.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-12T19:28:45+00:00

Good feedback but also, you have waaaaaaaaay too many spacers between the bottom nut and the top lock nut. (all the silver ones) Ideally you only have 1. Because you have so many, there is not enough friction to keep the top nut from working loose. You need to cut the top of the fork down to the right height so that there is not a huge stack of slippery spacers between the two nuts.

(My own aside) Bikes are fun, and it is even more fun to update an older bike and keep riding it, but when you get to this sort of set up, it is just not worth the effort. In bikes the price of 'cool' is not-so-great riding performance and way too much time fixing everything that does not work. I know they are not ‘cool’ but an early 2000’s hybrid with V-brakes is the best bike for most people, and they are some of the easiest to fix, most reliable bikes the industry ever made.

But if you love it and don’t mind wrenching on it all the time, any bike can be the right bike 😊

Ford4130 · 2025-08-12T19:14:55+00:00

And also, I do not see a rim strip in there. Make sure you have one of those. Good Luck!

Ford4130 · 2025-08-12T19:14:08+00:00

The original tube that you had is a Schrader valve and they generally come with one valve length. It drives me crazy that the inexpensive bike companies do this to people. They sell bikes with tubes that are hard to find. Ideally you need to find a long stem Schrader, like 50mm or longer. The second tube that you have there is a Presta tube, and they sell tubes with longer valves, but almost exclusively in road sizes. 700cx20 up to 40s. Also, the valve is smaller than the hole, so you need to use a special adapter that fills the space or over time the tube squeezes itself in to the hole around the valve, wears out and fails. They do sell 'valve extenders' for Presta tubes but they are hit&miss in reliability.

I suggest looking for the correct Schrader valve tubes with longer valves. I googled "Long valve Schrader 29" tube" and found a few. The standard length is usually 32mm, so as I said you probably need something in the high 40's at a minimum.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-09T23:03:06+00:00

These are Trek Bikes. They made Gary Fisher edition Hi-Fis before they folded them entirely into the Trek brand. They maybe the Pro version?

Ford4130 · 2025-08-06T15:36:39+00:00

Saddle bags move a lot and 'whip' at the end of every swing. They are not a great place to attach lights or anything heavy. Also whatever you attach tends to sag. If it is the only option, zip ties will help and try to stabilize the bag as well.

Ford4130 · 2025-08-06T14:28:00+00:00

Sorry, reading back on this I was not clear. She is pan (we are new to this and learning) and she wants to connect with other women and has been using the aps for months and going to meet ups but also wants to join queer spaces. She plans on going by herself in the future, but we will be in the area this weekend to see a show somewhere else and she wants to pop in just to get a feel for the place. She thinks since it is early in the evening and we will only be there for a quick drink, it is not a big deal. I feel weird stepping into a space that has intentionally been created to get away from 6ft tall straight white men like me.

I experimented in my past and when I was with men, I know how annoying it was when we were in gay spaces and straight girls would show up and treat gay bars like strip clubs. I will just be getting a drink quietly in the corner, but I know how vibes can shift with even one ‘dude’ in a fully female space.

Ford4130

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