Restore/Repair it or buy a new one?

[Anthem24]

Those spokes look very rusted, so they're likely to start breaking. Instead of repairing one by one, new wheels would be worthwhile. It is all going to add up rather fast. If you're going to spend a few thousand, you could probably do better with a 2nd hand bike.

Best would be to pop into a couple of your local bike shops and ask them for a quote so you can decide whether it's worth the effort and expense. Olympic Cycles and Bridge Cycles might be best for this kind of bike. 

[DJR]

I recommend Woodstock Cycle Works if you decide to let a bikeshop sort it out. Just give clear instructions that you want to make it rideable, not make everything smart and shiny, or it will cost you more than the bike is worth.

[droo]

If you have any interest in learning to work on bikes, this is a good opportunity. You'll need a few basic tools, some grease and the Park Tool website. Start with looking up how to service hubs, BB and headset and see if the tooling is in your budget - there are kits from Bikehand that won't break the bank.

If you're going to pay someone else to do it you'll end up spending more than it's worth.

[Wannabe]

As Droo says, if you want to learn how to repair your older technology bike yourself, this is a great opportunity (if you are handy with tools). Having "revived" a few of these older/cheaper bikes myself, it is rewarding to bring them back to life, but they are not that rewarding to ride yourself. They take away a lot from the satisfaction of riding a bike.

I would go for a bike that is more recent, and in better condition. This specific bike will be a challenge for even an experienced DIY wrencher, especially those rusty V-Brakes.. 

[M. Yahya Sonnie]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback. I think I'm going to take it to a shop, get a quote and then see what I could maybe do myself, see if its worth and then go from there. 

I'll probably end up buying a bike sometime soon. If I'm looking for a bike at less than R3k 2nd hand, what should I be looking for?

(R3k should be good for a decent starter bike right?)

[Mamil]

3 minutes ago, M. Yahya Sonnie said:

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback. I think I'm going to take it to a shop, get a quote and then see what I could maybe do myself, see if its worth and then go from there. 

I'll probably end up buying a bike sometime soon. If I'm looking for a bike at less than R3k 2nd hand, what should I be looking for?

(R3k should be good for a decent starter bike right?)

Unfortunately not. A lot depends on your definition of decent and what kind of riding you want to do but you should probably budget a little more than that. I saw a second hand Trek marlin (a very entry level hard tail mtb) for 7k the other day. 

[Wannabe]

4 minutes ago, Mamil said:

Unfortunately not. A lot depends on your definition of decent and what kind of riding you want to do but you should probably budget a little more than that. I saw a second hand Trek marlin (a very entry level hard tail mtb) for 7k the other day. 

I just did a cursory search, and there are a couple of 26" bikes that looks in decent condition available in the "For Sale" section right now that is in his stated budget range..

Edited October 21, 2025 by Wannabe
Added content

[Shebeen]

On 10/19/2025 at 2:06 PM, M. Yahya Sonnie said:

Hi, bike newbie here 😊

Could anyone please advise if I should repair/restore this bike or if I should get another bike instead. This one still rides but I would not want to do anything more than a few km on it at a time.

My neighbour gave it to me a few years ago, but I was too short to ride it comfortably. Now I have grown and want to get into cycling and I really enjoy the feel of this bike, for the most part. It has some problems such as the back brakes not working and the front brakes barely resetting after engaging, and there is also a scraping sort of sound coming from the back wheel while I’m riding it.

Its super rusty and some parts are broken. So if I should restore it what are the parts that I need to buy? New chain, new brakes etc. (what specific type though) any advice would be appreciated. I will be happy to provide more photos if need be.

Also if I were to buy a new bike, 2nd hand would be a lot better suited and what should I be looking for? 185cm Male, wants a kind of all rounder type bike(or what ever this one is)

Thank you

I would say this bike is worth R0.0

That's because if you spend R1500 fixing it up, you will probably be able to sell it for R1500.

 

it's a project bike, if you want to start tinkering go for it. Avalanche had some great bikes in the 90s/early 2000s - i think this came after that. If the wheels wobble when you spin them, I'd walk away and spend your time and money on somethig else in your price range that has been ridden recently.

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

Double your budget at the asking price but a great starter bike. It’s a large 27.5” which should work for your purposes and it will be a fun bike to thrash. 

Link

 

And here’s another, this time a 29” L frame which will ride slightly bigger than the previous one. It says “barely used” but the fray on the cable at the back says otherwise. I would probably go for the GT in the first link before this one. 
 

Link

 

And then have a look at your local Cash Converters or Cash Crusaders. They sometimes don’t realise what they have and bargains can be had. You can also ask them to better the price - if you don’t ask, you don’t know. 

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

Here’s a good deal at Cash Converters in Montague Gardens 

Link

[Mongoose!]

5 hours ago, Shebeen said:

I would say this bike is worth R0.0

That's because if you spend R1500 fixing it up, you will probably be able to sell it for R500.

I have rectified the typing error.  Sad but true. I would rather spend my money on something like RobynE has, before spending any money on this bike...🤷‍♂️