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#1
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Old bike maintanence?
Greetings:
I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. The seller told me it pedals and shifts smoothly so I'm hoping that I won't have to go inside it at this point. Also, where might I find some original Raleigh color (rootbeer?) touch- up paint, if such even exists? Thanks in advance for any help, I'm looking forward to riding this cool old warhorse! |
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#2
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 12:30*pm, HDGuzzi wrote:
Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg |
#3
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 9:43*am, landotter wrote:
On Apr 16, 12:30*pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thank you! Nice photo of the Sprite, too! As far as the new aluminum wheels, are these readily available and what should I expect to pay for them? It's going to need tires so I figure that if it's within my budget, I'll do the change-over then. |
#4
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 5:41 pm, HDGuzzi wrote:
On Apr 16, 9:43 am, landotter wrote: On Apr 16, 12:30 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thank you! Nice photo of the Sprite, too! As far as the new aluminum wheels, are these readily available and what should I expect to pay for them? It's going to need tires so I figure that if it's within my budget, I'll do the change-over then. Some Sun CR-18 rims in that old size will run about $30 each. They don't build bikes with that size wheel any more in most of the world, so no pre-builts. It's right inbetween "road" and "mtb" size. Worry not, with the wonder of the internet, tires and tubes are still available. You'll need to re-rim the wheels yourself or pay a shop about $40 per end to do it. It's not crucial, but with modern rims and tires, you drop near three pounds, and the brakes work far far better. I consider it a safety upgrade, it turns a neat old bike into a neat old bike that you can use as a daily rider. Here's the rim: http://www.ebikestop.com/sun_cr_18_2...iso-RM8494.php |
#5
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 8:45*pm, landotter wrote:
On Apr 16, 5:41 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: On Apr 16, 9:43 am, landotter wrote: On Apr 16, 12:30 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thank you! Nice photo of the Sprite, too! As far as the new aluminum wheels, are these readily available and what should I expect to pay for them? It's going to need tires so I figure that if it's within my budget, I'll do the change-over then. Some Sun CR-18 rims in that old size will run about $30 each. They don't build bikes with that size wheel any more in most of the world, so no pre-builts. It's right inbetween "road" and "mtb" size. Worry not, with the wonder of the internet, tires and tubes are still available. You'll need to re-rim the wheels yourself or pay a shop about $40 per end to do it. It's not crucial, but with modern rims and tires, you drop near three pounds, and the brakes work far far better. I consider it a safety upgrade, it turns a neat old bike into a neat old bike that you can use as a daily rider. Here's the rim:http://www.ebikestop.com/sun_cr_18_2...ed_rim_fit...- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#6
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Old bike maintanence?
the grease at the two headset bearings is gone and grease inside both
hubs. take headset apart, inspect for wear. replace bearings there then see if it holds together. front hub is simple. Parks Tool website has the instructions. if replacing rims then replace with 700c as tires are not available for 27" try painting the insides with Rusto if you get the BB off to relube and repack with new bearings. paint it Rusto Pro yellow or blue !! |
#7
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 10:31 pm, datakoll wrote:
the grease at the two headset bearings is gone and grease inside both hubs. take headset apart, inspect for wear. replace bearings there then see if it holds together. front hub is simple. Parks Tool website has the instructions. if replacing rims then replace with 700c as tires are not available for 27" Sports were mainly EA3 rimmed. I did have a DL1 that said "Sports" on the chainguard, but it probably wasn't original. Sprites were 27". You can fit a 700c rim in an EA3 rimmed bike...sometimes. I've done it with a coaster bike, tight with a 28mm ti http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/24...4298d83b_o.jpg |
#8
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 16, 1:43 pm, landotter wrote:
On Apr 16, 12:30 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thanks to landotter for the link, I didn't know Al 26x1-3/8 rims existed; but I have Cool-Stop Continental pads on my all-steel Sports and I find braking to be just fine in dry conditions. They are usable with caution in the wet; I ride with the brakes rubbing every so often, but have had occasional close calls. So while I'm loathe to tell anyone they don't need to improve their brakes, I'd recommend trying the Continentals before throwing your wheels out, especially if you're only riding in nice weather. Get good tires (your LBS may stock a poor selection; but more do exist) and replace the brake cables. Good pads don't help when the cables snap. I use 3-in-1 oil on the hub, 'cause it comes in a bottle with a long flexible tube. Harris Cyclery is your starting point for Raleigh parts, not that they're a well-kept secret. And there's lots of used and NOS Raleigh stuff on eBay. Not sure I'd pay much for 30-year-old touch-up paint, though. Chip C |
#9
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 17, 12:46 pm, Chip C wrote:
On Apr 16, 1:43 pm, landotter wrote: On Apr 16, 12:30 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thanks to landotter for the link, I didn't know Al 26x1-3/8 rims existed; but I have Cool-Stop Continental pads on my all-steel Sports and I find braking to be just fine in dry conditions. They are usable with caution in the wet; I ride with the brakes rubbing every so often, but have had occasional close calls. So while I'm loathe to tell anyone they don't need to improve their brakes, I'd recommend trying the Continentals before throwing your wheels out, especially if you're only riding in nice weather. Get good tires (your LBS may stock a poor selection; but more do exist) That's a dilemma in that size. Kenda tires are readily available for about ten bucks in that size, and they're as good as what came originally on the bikes, but with the the thick gumwall, the ride is really wooden. When I put alloy rims and really supple 27" Vittoria 1 1/4" tires on my Sprite, the whole bike changed in character--it ceased to have that jangly Raleigh feel and felt quite confident in curves, soaked up road noise, and was palpably easier to pedal uphill. The only really nice 26x 1 3/8 tires I'm familiar with are the Panaracer Col de la Vie from Harris for $30 each. If you're gonna ride the bike a lot, I'd say it's more than worth the investment, but for just a bar bike or an occasional rider, the Kenda gumwall type is fine. As far as the rim replacement goes, I believe the CR18 is close enough in ERD to just tape the rims together and transfer the spokes one by one--which may be a challenge if the old spokes and nipples are corroded or chewed up. Not a problem with the ones on my Sprite. If you do the work yourself, it's $150 bucks worth of rims, tires, and small parts--to get a vintage ride that's got modern practicality. |
#10
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Old bike maintanence?
On Apr 17, 9:46*am, Chip C wrote:
On Apr 16, 1:43 pm, landotter wrote: On Apr 16, 12:30 pm, HDGuzzi wrote: Greetings: I recently won an early '70s Raleigh Sports on e-Bay which looks to be in pretty good shape overall. It hasn't been ridden in a long while, and has what looks like to be some very minor rust/corrosion on some parts of the frame (near rear drop-outs) and on the 3 speed hub chain puller thingee. What advice might anyone provide with regard to clean up and lubrication? Should the cables be lubed? I don't really want to take the crank off or open up the hub unless absolutely necessary. You can search this group via Google Groups for detailed advice, but some quick tips: lube the hub with motor oil. Whatever you've got in the trunk of your Buick is fine. When the hub is done drinking, it will seep from the side of the hub. Squeeze in a few drops every couple months to top it up as it is a loss system. As far as the cables go, yes, you may want to lube the shifter cable with your choice of lube where it goes through the housing. You'd be best served to replace the brake cables and housing with modern lined and stainless kit that require no lubricant and will feel far superior. Don't forget to replace the brake pads. Modern pads may need some washers to reach the rim on a Raleigh Sports. Best upgrade on that bike, if you want to invest in it, is to upgrade to modern aluminum rims. Here's a Sprite I modernized:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/25...0ec18d_o_d.jpg Thanks to landotter for the link, I didn't know Al 26x1-3/8 rims existed; but I have Cool-Stop Continental pads on my all-steel Sports and I find braking to be just fine in dry conditions. They are usable with caution in the wet; I ride with the brakes rubbing every so often, but have had occasional close calls. So while I'm loathe to tell anyone they don't need to improve their brakes, I'd recommend trying the Continentals before throwing your wheels out, especially if you're only riding in nice weather. Get good tires (your LBS may stock a poor selection; but more do exist) and replace the brake cables. Good pads don't help when the cables snap. I use 3-in-1 oil on the hub, 'cause it comes in a bottle with a long flexible tube. Harris Cyclery is your starting point for Raleigh parts, not that they're a well-kept secret. And there's lots of used and NOS Raleigh stuff on eBay. Not sure I'd pay much for 30-year-old touch-up paint, though. Chip C- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Thanks for the input, Chip. And I'll be sure and check Harris' out. I do remember back in the "olden days" having trouble stopping in wet weather. I grew out way out in the western end of San Francisco and our Summers were always damp and foggy! |
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