superbadger
Über Member
Another option would be to look for a 'spares or repair' bike for sale! You may find one cheap that doesn't have gear problems? 
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Is this a silly idea or what? Cycling London to Paris on a battered 1985 Raleigh Record Sprint.
- Thread starter mollipop
- Start date
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bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Depends on condition of existing chain. Easy to check wear on the chain. Personally I would try it first [though I'm a tight git], if the chain starts jumping get rid. A chain is only about £7 on e-bay. Just don't buy a shimano one.
Bigjim, I more meant cos of the new block you suggested being a 34 toother. The current chain would be a bit short, maybe. I'm just guessing of course - I don't know original spec for the Sprint and after 25 years, the current set-up could be anything. It's a pity we don't know the number of teeth on the biggest sprocket on the block.
superbadger
Über Member
Another option would be to look for a 'spares or repair' bike for sale! You may find one cheap that doesn't have gear problems?
Just read mine back.... I didn't mean to replace the Sprint,I meant to add onto it.
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Yea sorry. I should have said. Depends whats on it now and how much spare length is in it. If I remember rightly I got away with adding a couple of links to mine. But like I said a new chain is cheap enough.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Silly idea. I would say ditch it or if you want let it remain in the shed. Buy a new cheap bike instead whether from Halfords say a Carrera general purpose hyrbid or a cheapie second hand tourer on Ebay. Nostalgically looking at this bike thinking you can recommision it cheaply is not really viable. You replace one or two things which will turn into 5 or 6, you may as well buy a much newer bike. The wheels will be crap as well, might even fail on your randonee to Paris. Ditch it, you could spend as much on this old jallopy as on a much newer second hand or brand new bike. Have you factored in equipment such as rear rack and panniers to carry your luggage to Paris? Presumably you will continue to use it after this trip?
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Your choice which way you go of course but I totally disagree with the above and I can only speak from personal experience with two of these bikes. How can somebody come up with such things as "the wheels will be crap". No they won't! They will be 36 spoke good solid wheels capable of carrying a great deal of weight and soaking up a lot of punishment. I don't see any cheap bikes on the market that will come anywhere near the quality of the bike you have. I am of course assuming the bike is in very good condition. If it is a rustbox then of course the quoted statement applies.
Bodhbh
Guru
Spoiler, in case the OP doesn't want to see pics of a refurbed one:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=129820&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
I was just interested in the project and googled it a bit, if it can be done cheaply, why not looks like a fine bike.
weighed in at 25lb
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Errr ...... look mate neither of us have seen this old bike. The Op was asking what we thought not what you think about my response. A big clue is in the first paragraph,
Focus on the bits I've highlighted - 1985, knackered, replacement of whole groupset, total faith, may as well buy a new bike, I'm determined.
It will cost a lot more than £25 to do up and certainly will not get the OP to Paris unless it is methodically and properly serviced and tested before hand which costs time and MONEY.
Tell me how 26 year old factory built wheels, that have been sitting in a shed for years even if they are 36 hole are going to be as you claim, without seeing them I hasten to add,
?
They are not going to have the strength of new spokes or rims and certainly the rims will be worn. The OP doesn't say what recent cycling experience they have with only 2 posts. Maybe they last rode in the 80s which is why they want to ride this old bike again?
I am not talking crap I am being realistic about what it is going to cost to re-commission this bike. The LBS is actually talking sense although if you did all the work yourself you won't pay labour charges, but you will need the skill, experience and tools to strip it, examining, cleaning, regreasing and replacing components where necessary. You are pretty sure to spend nearly as much as what it would cost to buy a newer or brand new cheap bike. Period. Components such as the Brookes saddle can be swapped onto a newer bike. If you want to give the OP misleading advice then go right ahead I am not stopping you or criticising your rose tinted specs view of these old timer bikes. I speak from experience having re-commissioned an old Raleigh Carlton some years ago. I did the bare minimum to get it working again which still cost the best part of £250. The frame was rather rusty (from the inside as well) and if blasted would have resembled a sieve so re-enamelling was pointless, the wheels were crap which I replaced as spokes kept breaking, the drive train was shot so had to replace that and the handle bars and stem needed replacing as I didn't trust pulling on them too hard for risking them snapping and me hitting the deck.
If all the OP really needs is a bike to get him to Paris safely, and maybe back as well, he doesn't currently have many cycling miles in his legs, then I would suggest he goes for a cheap and cheerful hybrid from Halfords or even Evans which has new metal and may also be more suited to fitment of a rack, panniers and mudguards etc or a much more modern bike from Ebay. A modern bike will have far better brakes and indexed gears unlike this Raleigh Record Sprint which would not be the best riding to Paris anyway if you have to carry gear with you. Sure the OP should do up this bike up if he wants, but he should be under no illusion, it will cost him an awful lot more than £25 which is probably the amount he was thinking of spending. Nostalgia does not come cheap.
Btw my Raleigh Carlton after a few years riding, the head tube snapped around the lower lugs as I was riding it up either Whinlater or Hartside Pass just below the top. Can't remember which but it was bloody frightening and fortunately happened when I was going up rather than down hill
. The Weinemann centre pull brakes were so awful they required praying and devine intervention to stop. Modern brakes such as V brakes and even side pull Ultegra or Chorus brakes are sooooo much better in comparison and then there are super powerful and reliable disc brakes which are from another galaxy in comparison. Looking at a bike such as this you realise acutally how refined a machine the bicycle has now become although pretty much the same design bikes of today are so much better than 25 years ago. Ok the Appollos aren't.
Zoiders
New Member
- Location
- Ice Station Zebra
Actualy wheels on a Raleigh Record from 85 if they are the usual black anodized mavics with stainless spokes that I have found on a lot of Raleighs from the period will probably he just fine to ride as long as you service the hubs.
85 is a good year for retro kit that runs.
An older Carlton and a Raleigh Record from 85 are two entirely diffrent beasts, yes they may both be steel but I have refurbed enough 80's Raleighs to know that they are in fact not that pricey to get running again as the kit tends to last well enough.
Avoiding the LBS and using a recycling project and ebay I think it's a perfectly cheap job to do, it's not going to be £250 by any stretch of the imagination - you didn't do the "bare minimum" to the carlton you simply built a bike up around an old frame, thats not quite the same thing as just getting a bike running again.
It's the triggers broom argumemt and I don't think think OP has that problem with the bike he is describing, this is why I asked him for pictures of the bike.
85 is a good year for retro kit that runs.
An older Carlton and a Raleigh Record from 85 are two entirely diffrent beasts, yes they may both be steel but I have refurbed enough 80's Raleighs to know that they are in fact not that pricey to get running again as the kit tends to last well enough.
Avoiding the LBS and using a recycling project and ebay I think it's a perfectly cheap job to do, it's not going to be £250 by any stretch of the imagination - you didn't do the "bare minimum" to the carlton you simply built a bike up around an old frame, thats not quite the same thing as just getting a bike running again.
It's the triggers broom argumemt and I don't think think OP has that problem with the bike he is describing, this is why I asked him for pictures of the bike.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
You are not wrong there! Pictures would go a long way to assisting us with giving advice. For me the main thing is the condition of the frame. If this is ok then anything is possible. The Raleigh Record Sprint didn't have awful cotter pin cranks and cups and bearings bottom bracket like it's brother the Carlton did it? Jees they were awful, made be the Devil himself. Cartridge bottom brackets are sooooo much better.
Zoiders - how much do you think it will cost to refurb this bike then?
My old 10 speed 1979 Dawes Galaxy got as far as Beauvais. My three speed Brompton also got nearly there before converting itself into a single speed to finish. OK these were via Newhaven/Dieppe but the message is that gears are useful but not essential.
So what's wrong with the gearing? The most important is to have a granny gear for the steepest hill (is your route hilly?). It also depends on how much you carry. The easiest thing all round is to take almost nothing beyond a toothbrush and a razor, puncture/basic tool kit and a change of underwear (if you wear any!).
And granny gears just allow to pedal up a steep hill. You can still get up on a higher gear by honking. And there is no shame in walking the very steepest hill. Changing up on chainring on the old Dawes was always challenging, but you can find a knack and take pleasure in it.
Now I've got a 30 gear triple - the bees knees. Its easier, you have those intermediate gears to keep a constant cadence on slight changes of gradient - but its also more trouble working out the right gear and changing. On a long ride where time doesn't matter too much then simplicity and relaxation is good.
So don't think you have to change. Spend the money celebrating in Paris. Food & drink there beats any groupset. You have a retro bike. Why not retro gears?
So what's wrong with the gearing? The most important is to have a granny gear for the steepest hill (is your route hilly?). It also depends on how much you carry. The easiest thing all round is to take almost nothing beyond a toothbrush and a razor, puncture/basic tool kit and a change of underwear (if you wear any!).
And granny gears just allow to pedal up a steep hill. You can still get up on a higher gear by honking. And there is no shame in walking the very steepest hill. Changing up on chainring on the old Dawes was always challenging, but you can find a knack and take pleasure in it.
Now I've got a 30 gear triple - the bees knees. Its easier, you have those intermediate gears to keep a constant cadence on slight changes of gradient - but its also more trouble working out the right gear and changing. On a long ride where time doesn't matter too much then simplicity and relaxation is good.
So don't think you have to change. Spend the money celebrating in Paris. Food & drink there beats any groupset. You have a retro bike. Why not retro gears?
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
What the OP needs to do is sit down and make a list of what needs changing to reach his objective of having a rideable bike that's fit for purpose.
There will be some changes that will have knock on effects:
Changing the front chainset to one with smaller chain rings might also need a new bottom bracket and front derailleur.
Changing the rear free wheel to a 32/34 tooth max one will also need a new rear derailleur.
Recabling the brakes and gear changers is also advisable.
Already the bill is approaching £150 if the OP spends time shopping around on the Internet.
Like Crankarm, I refurbished a bike, a Flying Gate, but took things a few steps further and I ended up with a bike that cost perhaps 70% of a brand new equivalent but it had a 20 year old frame at the core. Had I not compromised and used some lower spec Shimano components than I would normally use and striking it lucky with some s/h parts I'd have nearly matched the new price.
The desired end result is to have a bike that can be trusted to get to Paris without mechanical problems. Without a major refurbishment I would not attempt a ride to Paris on the Raleigh whereas I'd be perfectly happy to set off on a three month tour on my refurbished Flying Gate.
There will be some changes that will have knock on effects:
Changing the front chainset to one with smaller chain rings might also need a new bottom bracket and front derailleur.
Changing the rear free wheel to a 32/34 tooth max one will also need a new rear derailleur.
Recabling the brakes and gear changers is also advisable.
Already the bill is approaching £150 if the OP spends time shopping around on the Internet.
Like Crankarm, I refurbished a bike, a Flying Gate, but took things a few steps further and I ended up with a bike that cost perhaps 70% of a brand new equivalent but it had a 20 year old frame at the core. Had I not compromised and used some lower spec Shimano components than I would normally use and striking it lucky with some s/h parts I'd have nearly matched the new price.
The desired end result is to have a bike that can be trusted to get to Paris without mechanical problems. Without a major refurbishment I would not attempt a ride to Paris on the Raleigh whereas I'd be perfectly happy to set off on a three month tour on my refurbished Flying Gate.
