Bike Fixed Up

I got my mongoose back from Sunflower yesterday. They put a new front wheel on it, a new chain and a new set of cogs on the back. The bearings had worn into the axle and it was cheaper to get a new wheel than to have them fix the old one. They looked the rest of the bike over, cleaned it up and determined that the chain had stretched a bit and that the 4th and 5th cogs were pretty worn out.

I also mentioned that the rear brake was a bit squishy; it didn't seem to grip as well as the front. They determined that the collar around right-rear canti was cracked. It still worked but the spring inside was flexing out of alignment because the collar was no longer keeping it in line.

All told, it was about $100, which includes a new bottle of chain lube. The bike shifts MUCH better; it had been getting hard to get it into a couple of the gears. I was flexing the shifter beyond the index mark. They usually stayed in gear, but the 4th and 5th gears had also been slipping a bit.

It was good to have it looked over. They made a couple of comments about how good the frame of the Mongoose Hilltopper was back then. (I've seen posts on some forums that they are worth picking up if you find one at a yard sale.)

I did have some problems while riding in this morning. While it shifted well, it still seemed to skip around about between 4th, 5th and 6th gear. I took it back over my lunch break and they said to give it a couple of days. With a new chain and rear cogs, it needs to break-in a bit. I didn't have any skipping on the way over to Sunflower at lunch or on the way home. So we'll see how it goes. He did tell me to bring it in again if it is still going on tomorrow. And to bring it in next week to check the wheel after a few rides.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with Sunflower. The service guys know their stuff and I didn't feel uncomfortable dealing with them at all. While I am out $100, it has been 13 years and I am using it quite a bit.