Raleigh Lizard

[joshdcooke]

Been meaning to buy a bike for ages. Saw an ad for a lizard the other day and after reading about it I decided to buy it. It's in good condition the bloke I got it off said he buys bikes from an auction in Clitheroe and makes them rideable to sell on. Anyway to cut to the chase I'd like advice on what everyone thinks I should get done to it. I know I want to get new wheels and new brakes as the li chi ones are horrendous! Sorry about being a schoolboy but you've got to start somewhere. I want to do any work myself so I can learn my way around the bike. Cheers.

 

[joshdcooke]

Just to expand. I use the bike for getting around town and am going to go on rides down towpaths as well. I know the steel rims won't hold up over many bumps so what is a good option for new wheels/tyres and brakes all for a reasonable price

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi and @joshdcooke

If you've got older chromed steel wheels on your Raleigh, changing to some new ones with alloy rims and some fresh brake blocks will make a load of difference to the braking. Assuming it's cantilever brakes, making sure they are set up well will also make a big difference - these brakes should be good when properly adjusted.

From a purely financial point of view it probably won't make sense to spend too much on this bike. However, if you are looking to learn new skills and want to end up with a bike built to your own spec then this could be a good base for a project.

I'd want to know a little more about the current spec but could come up with a few options for updating.