Help needed to overhaul my 1993 Saracen Sahara Elite.

[jah1610]

I am new to this site & I am looking for some help & advice.

I have a 1993 Saracen Sahara Elite which I have had since new. It has spent the last 8-10years gathering dust in my loft.

I have decided I want to get back into biking. I am now unsure if I should go out & purchase a new bike (can’t really afford this option) or to overhaul my trusty Saracen.

As it has been tucked away for so long its now looking rather sad & sorry for itself.

My questions are these –

What do I need to do in order to use this again?
Will it cost me more in replacement parts than buying a new bike?
As I don’t have much spare time I was thinking of taking to a local bike shop, will this cost the earth?

If you have time to respond to this I would be very grateful as I really could do with some advice on how to proceed.

Thanks.

 

[mikeekim89]

double post, sorry.. typo.

 

[mikeekim89]

logically mate, if it was in good nic when you put it away, all it'll need is a oil of the chain, a new chain at worst, pumped up tyres or maybe changed tyres and tubes, and a general service, e.g. resetting all your gears and breaks, checking for rusty cable etc. hope this helps pal.

 

[MartinYorkshire]

My local bike shop charges around £30-50 for a full check up depending on whats needed. It should be in the condition you left it assuming it was dry stored but its wise to have it serviced, if only to keep it in good condition for the future.

 

[marin man]

If you bump your own thread a few times you will be able to upload some pictures and then we could probably help you a bit more

 

[JohnH]

I have a 1993 Saracen Sahara Elite which I have had since new. It has spent the last 8-10years gathering dust in my loft.

Same here, jah1610. My '93 Sahara Elite was also in the loft for many years, but now I ride it regularly. Here's the story with pictures...
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63266

 

[FluffyChicken]

Have a look at the local area rides (in your area) and pop along with it to see what they say. They may even help out.

It may just be pump the tires up, oil the chain and cables and off you go with a slight tweak to the gears as you go.