Is this bike ok?

[Calaerial]

Ok, i know pretty much nothing about bicycles these days, obviously i had a few as a kid but thats about it.
I tried using a bike to commute to work a couple of years ago, and at the time i lived in a hilly area so i bought MTB with dual suspension (A Baraccuda i think, reduced at Halfrauds from £300 to £150) and found it hell. The bike didnt work properly from day one, but because my car wasnt big enough to transport the bike and my bike was too knackard to travel the 4 miles to the store, i pretty much just gave up on it.

The brakes were the only thing that worked well, but the suspension was like riding a bouncy castle, the gears only engaged in ratios 8-21 (A significant problem in a very hilly area) and even when it went into gear its chain jumped about like a madman every few rotations. Plus somehow it seemed to take a herculean effort to peddle the thing any distance.

Anyway, i came back to the idea of commuting now that ive gone back into education to get me to uni and back and save fuel in my Roadster, and i remembered how much more awesome my old racing bike was when i was about 13, it was a Raleigh of some description and i remember that while the other kids may have mocked me for not having a BMX, it was just a better way of getting about.

So ive bought an old Raleigh race bike from eBay, a "Mercury" apparently, 14 speed. It looks in moderately decent condition, some rust on the rims but otherwise fine. I paid £51

Are these any good? And will they take my weight. Im a large chap (21st)

Also i note that the tyres definately need some air in before its ridable. But the tyre says it needs 130PSI. Am i going to need some sort of special pump for this? Because that seems a ludicrously high pressure to me.

 

[cyberknight]

Without pictures it is hard to tell , the bike will certainly take your weight .

If the bike is from ebay i would check that everything is working and how old are the tyres and inner tubes as they may need replacing . 130 psi i s high but doable pressure for a tyre although i would be tempted to ride with a slightly lower pressure as you will feel every bump.I ride at 110 psi.


To get your tyre up to pressure you can get a track pump like ...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=4949

For road side flats many people carry a mini pump that will give you enough pressure to get you going again, there are many sorts and i currently use a road morph for commuting

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28858

and on the club run i carry a smaller pump which will also give you enough pressure.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=47015

 

[Bobtoo]

Pictures or a link would be helpful.

The Raleigh will be just fine, and it'll take your weight no problem as long as you don't crash it over potholes and off kerbs. 130 is quite a high pressure, but that's a maximum. A decent track pump is what you need but if you don't want to spend that kind of money, and I'm guessing every pound will be a prisoner if you're going back to uni, a footpump with an adapter will get close.

 

[Calaerial]

Ah yeah didnt occur to add pictures, i mainly meant is this a bike thats secretly made of cheese that will break instantly as soon as i actually use it.

Also how old is it? Its quite old fashioned looking, in fact it bears a strong resemblance to my old racer, but it has a derailleur gear system whereas if i recall correctly mine had a 3-speed drum.

Anyway here are some pics

Front brakes:

Rear Brakes

I'm guessing this is a Presta valve? Thats what wikipedia seems to suggest:

Pedals:

Rear Tyre:

Rear rim, fairly corroded but it looks only cosmetic:

Rear Derailleur:

Front Derailleur:

Handlebars:

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Great buy for £50! Mid-eighties I would say, judging by the brake lever extensions.

I don't know anything about that particular model, but the frame will be steel so will take your weight ok.

I would check the spokes though: if they're the original wheels the spokes might be corroded and nearing the end of their life, especially with 21 stones on top. Also check the bearings: spin the wheel and listen for rumbling.

A rebuild should cost less than £50 a wheel, but you might want to get quick release skewers for convenience; in which case you'll need new wheels: around £110/120 for a reasonable pair. They'll likely be lighter than what you have now which will help up hills.

The tyres look to be pretty recent and 25mm is a sensible compromise between speed and comfort: do check the inner tubes are recent too and talc the inside of the tyres while you're at it.

You might want to replace the saddle too: it looks to be quite well cushioned. can you push your thumb into the padding? Contrary to what common sense would suggest, a plump saddle is uncomfortable over distance: your sit bones sink into the padding which puts pressure on your perineum. If you don't fancy a modern razor blade, a Brooks leather saddle will only set you back £25.

Finally, spend some time setting the bike up to suit you: this link covers the basics.

Oh yeah, clean the bloody chain!

Bonne route!

 

[mattsccm]

Chop those bloody silly extensions to the brakes off. They were not called suicide levers for nothing.

If you find a Brooks for 25 quid buy 100.

Rims look like steel if thats rust. Make sure they are straight and keep you eye open for some used alloy ones .

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

I stand corrected: a pal lent me a new B17 which he said I could buy and I'm sure when I checked it was £26...

Anyway, £60 is more like it (and worth every penny).

 

[Broadside]

I'd say you have done very well for £51. I have a slightly older Raleigh as a pub/station/hack bike, the main problem with mine is that the frame and especially the wheels are not stiff and flex a lot, I am under 12 stone. You will probably notice when you stand up to pedal that the brakes start to rub on the rims, this is a sign of flex, yours might be fine however. Looks like you have steel wheels with chrome rims, be aware that the brakes will be crap in the dry and then totally useless in the wet, just a word of warning. If the poor braking scares you then you will need to get new alloy wheels, dont bother trying to replace the pads as they are not the problem. Good luck with getting some miles under your belt on it, let us know how you get on.

 

[peelywally]

a funky re spray is a must for retro styled bikes orange n blue find some gold annodised bits n bobs and its a head turner ,
change the tape but keep the bars they look the bomb imo .
good find

 

[HLaB]

Sounds like you fell into the classic BSO trap with your mtb but it looks like you've scored this time

 

[Bobtoo]

It's got Raincheck brake blocks on the front. My chrome-wheeled Raleigh would stand on its nose with these, wet or dry. They seem to work better when they've been wet a few times. They like the rims to be smooth, give them a rub down with a Scotchbrite pad.

Are those SIS shifters? They don't look like it to me, but there's a decal that says otherwise. That would place it quite late in the 1980s, as does the paint job. If you look carefully on the hubs you should see a year stamped.

Suicide levers aren't supposed to be for full braking, they are for low speed manoeuvres. As long as you remember that real braking is done with the main levers they will be fine.

I wouldn't bother spending too much money if it's all working, just preventive maintenance.

 

[Calaerial]

Thanks for all the replies, the brakes seem to work pretty well to be honest, a little too well when i first tried them, felt like i was going to endo the thing.

Cant say ive noticed any brake stick while standing, though there is some stick for a few yards after the brakes are applied, a quick look over it suggests that the front caliper just needs tightening up.

Overall the ride felt really good, though a little frightening. Despite the steel frame the bike felt light. And i mean REALLY light. I found it terrifying changing gear because every time i took my hand off the handlebars i really struggled to keep the wobble under control.

Also for the less experienced cyclist, which part of the brakes are the extensions and which are the main levers? The only racers ive ever ridden have had both of these levers and to be honest ive never known a problem with them.

Also what is meant by the BSO trap? :-S

 

[HLaB]

Also what is meant by the BSO trap? :-S

BSO is an acronym for a Bike Shaped Object, catalogues/ supermarkets/ toyshops sell cheap bikes and their price is enticing but folk find out that they are not fit for purpose, too heavy, fall to bits and are unsafe etc.

 

[Calaerial]

Yeah that sounds about right!

It was probably the worst bike ive ever ridden. And it weighed about 3-4 times what this Raleigh does. Even with its steel frame.

 

[buggi]

if the bike hasn't been maintained for a while i would say check the brake cables are not rusty. Won't cost a lot to change them (but go to the bike shop, not Halfrauds).

clean your rims. if it's rust, maybe look out for some alloys on ebay.

other that that, cool bike. new handlebar tape wouldn't go amiss. you can get some off wiggle.co.uk for about a tenner.

i bought a 2nd hand bike. it was muddy as hell when i got it, but came up beautiful with a bit of washing up liquid and baby wipes