There comes a time in the lifecycle of a bike when the cost to replace certain components becomes unjustifiable. New derailleurs, chainrings, cranks, bottom brackets, cassette gears and other parts can quickly add up to several hundred dollars.

I faced this very conundrum last month after deciding to resurrect an old 21-speed Schwinn mountain bike as a city cruiser. The bike, which had seen much abuse over the past 10 years, had a crusty, barely functioning drivetrain and a frame flecked with rust.

At a friend’s recommendation, I wheeled over to One on One Bicycle Studio, a shop near my home in downtown Minneapolis, for a diagnosis. Opened to the public in 2003 by former professional bike racer Gene Oberpriller, One on One caters to urban bike commuters, messengers and single-speed fanatics, so it was little surprise when the shop recommended I convert the Schwinn to a single-speed configuration.

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