I work in a shop and get to see a lot of bicycles. It is an interesting conundrum when I get in an old mountain, or road bike that in its day was an expensive, top shelf rig, but is in poor shape as it hits my stand. The question arises, “Should I fix this, or recommend a new bike?” Usually I end up doing about 50% fixes and 50% “tune it up as is” deals on these rigs according to customer preferences.

So, when is it a good idea to throw in the towel on a bicycle? That is a tough question and it can be answered several ways. Here are just a few things that have come through the shop I work at as examples.

The Last Rites: This one is an obvious one, but still hard to take for the owner. It might be a frame that is tweaked beyond repair, or that Sun Tour drivetrain that you can not buy parts for anymore. Maybe it is a proprietary part that isn’t supported by the manufacturer today, but is necessary to keep the bike original. Whatever the situation is, it usually isn’t a good one, and the bicycle may be a candidate for replacement by default.

The Upside Down Repair: This one is a little tougher. You get an older bike in that is so worn out, that you just about have to replace every part except the frame and fork. Or maybe it is a mid-level bike- a decent enough rig- but one that may not be worth a whole lot in good condition on the used market. It may need twice or even three times its worth in parts and labor to get it back up and running. These are toughies to decide on what to do. Especially if the drivetrains are outdated.

Making A Silk Purse Out Of A Sow’s Ear: These are actually a lot more prevalent today, now that the urban cycling trend has hit and gas prices went high, (well…..at least they were high for most of the year!) These can be fun, or a total waste of time. Are we talking a “mart bike”, or an old Bianchi with horizontal drops that is being “fixed”? (Pun intended) Is it an old Schwinn Traveler being set up as a commuter, or a heinously rusted out Murray? These repairs can go both ways, but the prevailing tide is towards fixing up these days, even though the rigs in question may be worth a pittance, even after fixing up, on the used market.

Classic Rock: These are always fun and probably well worth it to the owners, if not as an investment into a great old rig, at least for making the bicycle rideable. I’ve seen some cool iron roll through here, and some even get the full on restoration treatment, which can run into the thousands of dollars. For example: A Gios Compact that is getting the total resto to original by its owner right down to the custom reproduction decals. Cool!

When to say when? I don’t know, but it is fun to work at a shop and see all the different ways that question gets answered on a daily basis.