As mentioned in an earlier "strange clicking noises" forum, my 1987 Bauer road bike makes a clicking noise. Apart from that, the chain started slipping on the second largest freewheel in the back.

The mechanic exchanged bottom bracket and chain, and trued the front wheel. It took him 6 weeks.

Result 1: Clicking was still present, now all freewheels slipped and the trued front wheel, after a couple of kms, was totally whobbly.

So I returned the bike to the shop. The mechanic added a different set of freewheels and a different chain, and trued [=tightened spokes of] both wheels.

Result: slipping gone, clicking still there, and both wheels totally whobbly after minor usage.

The mechanic was of the opinion that the spokes were dangerously loose and the wheels were prone to collapse, although the wheels were totally fine to me. In my opinion, he attempted to fix a non-problem. He explained that the spokes were so old that only some hold tight while others do not. As a result, the wheels become totally untrued instantly with usage after tigthening. The last thing he is trying to do is stabilising the spokes with ?linseed oil. If this does not work, I was asked to find some new wheels in the bargain finder!

Bottom line:
1. Both wheels, which worked prior to the now 8 week ongoing repair, are dishing like crazy and touch the brakes. The bike is not usable.

2. If the mechanic does not get the problem under control, so that I will have to get a new set of wheels, he will have left the bike damaged. Nevertheless, I was charged for trueing and a new set of freewheels which would be useless in a dysfunctional wheel.

Question: how can the wheels be saved? I cannot believe they are broken after a "specialist's treatment".

Last but not least a word to the new bottom bracket: the axel is so short that the small frontal cog is only 1/5 mm away from the frame transferring chain lubricant onto the latter. I have not ridden the bike hard because of the ongoing repair, so I do not know the flex of frame and cog...I hope both will not touch. What did go wrong here? Is the old frame not suited for the out-of-the-box bottom bracket? What other axel sizes are there for a road bike?

Delicately, I had purchased this bike second-hand from that store two years ago. It was owned by one of their mechanics [who had left in the meantime]. The bike was only good for 250 kms. It was my last second-hand bike.

Jurgen