Raleigh Wisp

[hopless500]

Just bought a Raleigh Wisp (for no good reason other than I decided I wanted one).
It's turned up disassembled in a bike box. I immediately have two fairly major (to me) problems.
Firstly I can't figure out how to slacken the front brake off to get the front wheel fitted. I can't see any of the usual ways of releasing - so does this mean I need to undo a screw or something somewhere?
Secondly I can't get the seat post into its tube. I've undone the clamp, but that post is not having it. Do I need to bash it? Be gentle with it??? I'm looking at it wondering how on earth it was ever in there in the first place. But it appears to be the saddle that goes with the bike (ie it's one of those all in one old ones).
Advice (in simple terms that a not especially mechanically minded person can understand ) required please.

 

[mjr]

There's often two options on vintage calliper brakes: undo the cable clamp or deflate the tyre and wriggle it through. I usually deflate the tyre.

Be careful with the seat post. There are some strange sizes available and nothing worse than cracking a frame by forcing a post in. Are you sure it was in there? You could ask the seller, or measure the hole and order the right size post.

Anglia Motorcycles in King's Lynn or Madgetts in Diss may be the best bets for unusual parts. Elsewhere in Norfolk, I'm not sure: could ask the Norwich Bicycle Repair Co-op if they can help or know who can.

 

[hopless500]

We're long time customers of Mick. Already sounded him out prior to buying the Wisp as at the time I could only find 5 speed and wanted to know if he could upgrade. This one is 10 speed. I probably will take it over there, but I wanted to see if I could do a bit to it first and save a couple of quid. Also it would have been nice to get the front wheel and saddle on and try it out.
Also just wanted to try the old saddle out first to see if it was comfortable enough. Probably would end up buying a new saddle stem to put one of my other saddles on anyway.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I think on our one I muck about with the adjuster to widen the brakes and do it that way. I hate callipers though and it really just serves to remind me why. That or you can loosen the brake blocks and then reposition after (it's callipers they'll need faffing with anyway.)

Seat post, definitely measure it, when we bought ours it'd had a short post fitted and the seller (guy who refurbs bikes and sells them for charity) found another one for us, first attempt it was the wrong width, which surprised him, so I don't know if they are weird.

Does it have drops or flats? From what I can remember ours is also a 10 speed (2 x 5). While I hate the brakes with a passion, I have a lot of time for the non-indexed gears for some reason.

 

[mjr]

Modern callipers usually have a quick release that slackens the adjuster enough to allow the wheel to be removed and tighten it back up to the original setting afterwards.

 

[young Ed]

i say we need pics of said offending parts to help properly
Cheers Ed

 

[hopless500]

I think on our one I muck about with the adjuster to widen the brakes and do it that way. I hate callipers though and it really just serves to remind me why. That or you can loosen the brake blocks and then reposition after (it's callipers they'll need faffing with anyway.)

Seat post, definitely measure it, when we bought ours it'd had a short post fitted and the seller (guy who refurbs bikes and sells them for charity) found another one for us, first attempt it was the wrong width, which surprised him, so I don't know if they are weird.

Does it have drops or flats? From what I can remember ours is also a 10 speed (2 x 5). While I hate the brakes with a passion, I have a lot of time for the non-indexed gears for some reason.

Drops. I let the tyre down in the end to get the wheel on which worked fine. Which is the adjuster for the brakes? I've disassembled and reassembled the front ones today (mainly to get the HUGE reflector off), but cannot get them to stay central. They just keep moving back on the pi$$ regardless of what I loosen or tighten. On the plus side it's all cleaned up nicely and they actually work pretty well.

 

[hopless500]

Modern callipers usually have a quick release that slackens the adjuster enough to allow the wheel to be removed and tighten it back up to the original setting afterwards.

I know. But unfortunately these aren't modern!

 

[hopless500]

Anyway, finally got the seat post in, but took a bit of doing. Been out and bought a new post, as I was just going to replace that part as the old one is mis-shapen, but actually think I might go for a whole new saddle arrangement. There's no adjustment on this old one other than nose down or nose up!

 

[hopless500]

i say we need pics of said offending parts to help properly
Cheers Ed

The offending wheel is now in place. I suppose I could post a not very interesting picture of the old saddle

 

[Dogtrousers]

It would be really good to have a pic of the brakes in question. If they are Weinmann sidepulls then getting them to centre nicely can be a bit of an awkward job.

On some older bikes there is a button on the brake lever that allows you to inject an extra bit of slack into the cable that does the job of the lever on modern brakes.

I looked on the web to see what a Raleigh Wisp was, and it seems that there are two things with such a name. One of which is a Mixte frame bike the other an odd little moped thingy. I'm guessing you have the former?

 

[young Ed]

The offending wheel is now in place. I suppose I could post a not very interesting picture of the old saddle

yes please! i haven't seen a one piece saddle
make sure the seat tube and post and completely clean and rust and dirt free, use a file or sandpaper if need be and then with plenty of grease in seat tube and on seat post squeeze then together if possible and don't be tempted to bang them with a hammer as that has ends up with a wedged tight seat post and a damaged frame and post! if they still don't go try a bit of sand paper and sand the seat post and that will remove just enough to make it fit but not too much to make it loose, hopefully!
Cheers Ed

 

[hopless500]

It would be really good to have a pic of the brakes in question. If they are Weinmann sidepulls then getting them to centre nicely can be a bit of an awkward job.

On some older bikes there is a button on the brake lever that allows you to inject an extra bit of slack into the cable that does the job of the lever on modern brakes.

I looked on the web to see what a Raleigh Wisp was, and it seems that there are two things with such a name. One of which is a Mixte frame bike the other an odd little moped thingy. I'm guessing you have the former?

Ha, yes. Not the moped!

 

[hopless500]

yes please! i haven't seen a one piece saddle
make sure the seat tube and post and completely clean and rust and dirt free, use a file or sandpaper if need be and then with plenty of grease in seat tube and on seat post squeeze then together if possible and don't be tempted to bang them with a hammer as that has ends up with a wedged tight seat post and a damaged frame and post! if they still don't go try a bit of sand paper and sand the seat post and that will remove just enough to make it fit but not too much to make it loose, hopefully!
Cheers Ed

Yeah, I'd already done all that. Once it started going in it was fine. It was just the initial bit. Hopefully the new seatpost will do the trick.

 

[hopless500]

Just for Ed

exciting huh?