A thrift store in my city has a Kalkhoff Allround Jubilee 8R (sorry for Polish site – it's the best source for pictures I can find on Google) for €150. It's not a flashy bike, but it does have a Nexus 8 hub, a coaster brake and a hub dynamo, all features I've wanted for years but never managed to find cheaply before, especially not all three in the same package.
The bike could use some maintenance as there are signs of neglect from the previous owner, among which broken plastics, but nothing that can't be fixed with some tender love and care.
Problem: the hub doesn't spin smoothly. It shifts smoothly – surprisingly so, in fact – but whether pedaling or spinning the wheel by hand, there's obvious friction that makes the wheel stop spinning rapidly in the air.
I assume the hub was victim of the same neglect as the rest of the bike and hasn't seen an oiling in its life. From the wear on the back tire, that's probably around 1000-1500km. From the fact this bike seems to last have been sold in 2017, that's also at least seven years.
The big question is: given that the hub still spins and shifts, if I do a maintenance oil bath like this, can I expect it to go back to running smoothly?
My fear is that the internals might be more permanently damaged than I realise (or rusted?) and won't run smoothly again no matter how much I oil it.
by IronMew