# part swapping



## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

hey guys this is probably easy question but regardless before i start upgrading my bike. how can i tell whats compatible or not with my bike?


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

everything.


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## teflondog (Aug 23, 2011)

What are you planning to upgrade? I recommend investing in a bicycle repair book.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

If you go the do it yourself route, Sheldon Brown's (RIP) site is a good start, but generally speaking, the newer the bike, the more likely the current crop of parts/ components will be compatible. The opposite holds true for older bikes. However, depending on the planned upgrade, there are exceptions in both cases. 

If you provide some info as to the year/ make/ model of your bike along with components specs, what you're planning (and why) we can provide some advice.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Get a new bike. 

Wait, nevermind.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

tihsepa said:


> *Get a new bike*.
> 
> Wait, nevermind.


Stay tuned; you may not be far off...


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

PJ352 said:


> Stay tuned; you may not be far off...


Yah no kidding.
I have never bought a prebuilt bike. I dont get why people buy a bike then change everything. Just build it.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

victorscp said:


> hey guys this is probably easy question but regardless before i start upgrading my bike. how can i tell whats compatible or not with my bike?


A good guide is that if something specifies a size (or other spec.) in the description, you need to figure out what your frame supports.

I'm not going to start listing things, because as others have implied, literally every single component can have a compatibility problem. Some standards have achieved near-total market dominance, but, especially with older bikes, that doesn't mean you won't have bought a bike that uses some other standard.

Let us know what you have. Post pictures. Get up close and personal with any places where different components interface. Size your pictures appropriately. 

And, ask here or on the appropriate other forum when you're thinking of something new. With a few exceptions, upgrades replacing functioning parts don't improve performance enough to be worth spending money and time, IMO, especially when you consider how much better a deal the bike companies get than you or I. But, it can take some tinkering to get things that have to do with fit or preference "just so" and I think that's highly worthwhile.


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## minutemaidman (Jun 14, 2010)

tihsepa said:


> Yah no kidding.
> I have never bought a prebuilt bike. I dont get why people buy a bike then change everything. Just build it.


EXACTLY. I could not have said it any better.


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## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

so i have a schwinn varsity that i got off craigslist. its a decent ride but i find myself wanting to upgrade and swap parts out like go from a flat bar to a drop down that is the biggest upgrade i want to do and i know it is basically redoing the whole bike cause of components. i was just wondering would it be easier to swap parts out for it or just build my own bike.

this is my first bike and i can already see how building one could be more fun and comfortable but i bought the schwinn cause it was a complete bike for 100 bucks haha


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## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

this is my beast of a bike hahahahaha


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

Older Schwinn Varsities originally had "drop bars". If yours has "flat bars" it has been converted to have the position similar to a hybrid or mountain bike. If you want to return it to a "drop bar" style you'll need the bars, perhaps a stem, brake levers, brake cables/housing and handlebar tape. Take it to your local bike shop and tell them what you want to do and that you want to do the work. They will help you pick the parts to fit your budget and make sure any oddities the bike may have that can't be seen via the computer get addressed.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Pic doesn't work for me.

I wouldn't re-do a Schwinn Varsity. Lock it outside, replace only what breaks, and throw it out when you hit a repair that costs more than $100 (which you will, sooner or later.) 

I actually have had to confront this again myself, recently. I was commuting to school on a bike I bought for $95 in the Fall of 2008, and finally killed the chainstay. It's a mid-80s Raleigh, so it has similar (although fewer, I think) compatibility problems to what you're going to run into working on your Schwinn. Doing any major work on these bikes costs pretty close to what it does on a new bike, although you often have to kick in more of your time searching for NOS components or adapters, and you end up locked into either period or period-compatible parts. My bike, for example, has parts that I can't move over onto a new frame without spending extra time and money adapting them, sometimes not at all. The especially frustrating part is that I just replaced the handlebars, tape, brake hoods, housings and brake cables, and brake shoes - nothing like winter to make everything that's teetering on the edge go all the way to failure. I'll get a lot of it back in store credit, I think, and I always need stuff from a bike shop sooner or later. But still annoying. I even have a spare, nicer 6-speed freewheel on my shelf from my last team deal. 

You don't need to take this on faith, though. Figure out what you want to do. Make a list of what you need to buy to do it. Add up the prices. Don't forget labor if you're paying someone else, tools if you don't already own them, and your time if you value it. Now, compare that to what you can get in a complete bike.

I've decided that my new "sweet spot" for used bikes is the early '90s. Basically, 8-speed cassettes and forward. Excellent wheel and drivetrain cross-compatibility with contemporary bikes and few surprises with areas like the headset and bottom bracket.


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## tottenham21 (Nov 8, 2011)

You probably be better off buying a new bike, It's a lot easier I think. Just my honest opinion.


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## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

TWB8s said:


> Older Schwinn Varsities originally had "drop bars". If yours has "flat bars" it has been converted to have the position similar to a hybrid or mountain bike. If you want to return it to a "drop bar" style you'll need the bars, perhaps a stem, brake levers, brake cables/housing and handlebar tape. Take it to your local bike shop and tell them what you want to do and that you want to do the work. They will help you pick the parts to fit your budget and make sure any oddities the bike may have that can't be seen via the computer get addressed.


sorry this is the bike its the newer schwinn varsity
700c Men's Schwinn Varsity Road Bike - Walmart.com

i know what it would take to swap everything and i wanna try going with nashbar components for money reasons. im debating about just building anew bike or swapping this one


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Drop bars and flat bars have a very different reach. What this means is that most frames won't fit the same person with both drop bars and flat bars.

The flat bar road category pisses me off. I think some manufacturers just stick flat bars on a road bike, may or may not add a longer stem, and foist the result on less knowledgeable customers. However, some make the top tube longer, so that the bike fits appropriately that way. I wouldn't put it past Pacific to do something like that. While Schwinn still has some real bikes in its line, they don't list the Varsity on their web site, which is usually bad news...

Anyway, you need advice from someone who can see you on the bike in person. In addition to the parts TWB8s listed, you're also (probably) going to need new shifters. The new, integrated style are very expensive. There are other choices, of course - I can't tell from the picture if you can do downtube shifters easily, but you can do bar-end shifters on any drop bar bike. Sometimes you can finagle flat bar shifters onto a drop bar, but the diameters are different, so it's not a sure thing.

IME, changing the character of a bike in any major way is a huge pain. You really need to have a bike that's already roughed in to the role you have in mind, or you have to be willing to go to quite a lot of trouble and usually more expense than the project is worth.


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## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

i see the points you guys bring up and i guess i can resell it on craigslist and build my own bike from the ground up.


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

I was afraid it was the Walmart Schwinn. You'll be better served buying another bike. If you really want to do the conversion, here's what you're looking at for parts: 

Bars
Brake levers with integrated shifters OR brake levers and bar-end shifters
Brake and shifter cables and housing
Bar tape
A pair of QBP Travel Agents


It's only money that's stopping you. Or common sense.


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## victorscp (Nov 8, 2011)

^^^ hahaha


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

Keep it and ride it. Get a project bike and work on that as time and money allows.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

TWB8s said:


> Keep it and ride it. Get a project bike and work on that as time and money allows.


+1.

What do you want from a bike? I think you're probably best served by buying a complete bike that better serves your needs out of the box...


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Following this thread, I see four key points...

1. For someone that doesn't understand bike geo, a conversion (to drop bar) _could_ yield poor results - namely in fit/ handling. 

2. Conversions/ upgrades should only be done if you're willing to treat this particular bike (or project) like a money pit - again, possibly with poor (or mixed) results.

3. While a new bike build has a lot of positive aspects, if you're financially strapped, once you pin down intended uses, the complete bike route (new or used) is (IMO) the better alternative.

4. Keep your old bike (as is), repairing with like parts as needed. You're into it for ~$100, will likely not get much more for it and everybody 'needs' a rain/ commuter bike.


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