Recommissioning old Raleigh racer
Discussion
Hi All,
I needed a scrappy bike that I could ride to the station and leave there without worrying too much about it being stolen, so I picked this up today. It's a late 80s/early 90s Raleigh Equipe.
It's fairly shabby and I intend to keep it looking that way despite every fibre of my being screaming at me to clean and polish every inch of it
It's made from a non-desirable grade of heavy steel, though the handlebars and some other parts are alloy. The wheels are also steel.
I was wondering if anyone had any tips or any resources to help me get it running well again? I have done very little cycling in my adult life and even less bicycle maintenance, but I want to learn.
Can you recommend any tools or products to help? I read that Raleighs of this age used non-standard sized components due to most parts being made in-house. Apparently most bike tool kits don't have the right size tools for them. I don't mind buying a few bits to get it running well.
All the gears work (tested with the bike upside down), however, they are stiff and not at all nice to use. The gear cables are very rusty. The brakes will activate, but they are really stiff and don't spring open again. The front wheel runs true. The rear has some deviation, however the frame appears to be straight as far as I can tell.
Thanks,
I needed a scrappy bike that I could ride to the station and leave there without worrying too much about it being stolen, so I picked this up today. It's a late 80s/early 90s Raleigh Equipe.
It's fairly shabby and I intend to keep it looking that way despite every fibre of my being screaming at me to clean and polish every inch of it
It's made from a non-desirable grade of heavy steel, though the handlebars and some other parts are alloy. The wheels are also steel.I was wondering if anyone had any tips or any resources to help me get it running well again? I have done very little cycling in my adult life and even less bicycle maintenance, but I want to learn.
Can you recommend any tools or products to help? I read that Raleighs of this age used non-standard sized components due to most parts being made in-house. Apparently most bike tool kits don't have the right size tools for them. I don't mind buying a few bits to get it running well.
All the gears work (tested with the bike upside down), however, they are stiff and not at all nice to use. The gear cables are very rusty. The brakes will activate, but they are really stiff and don't spring open again. The front wheel runs true. The rear has some deviation, however the frame appears to be straight as far as I can tell.
Thanks,
AlexC1981 said:
Can you recommend any tools or products to help? I read that Raleighs of this age used non-standard sized components due to most parts being made in-house. Apparently most bike tool kits don't have the right size tools for them. I don't mind buying a few bits to get it running well.
I may be mistaken, but it could be possible that some imperial sizing was used whereas now (almost) everything is metric.First thing to consider is if the seat post is frozen, that’s often impossible to remove cheaply without damage.
You will probably be OK restoring it, virtually any similar derailleurs will fit and is you clean the races up you can change the bearings in the bottom bracket and the headset for loose balls. Suntour or Shimano friction shift will be an improvement on the Sachs Huret, as will Campag, but I don’t see the value in Campag unless it’s a high value machine.
I’ve done some very small Raleigh kids ‘racers’ and a few Chopper restorations and never needed any specific tools other than standard bike and mechanic issue. That’s a Raleigh specific bottom bracket, you need a C Spanner, hammer and drift.
If you are going to use this, I’d recommend replace the brake calipers with cheap dual pivots from Alhonga as these are shocking.
Wheels will be crap too, but you need to know what you are doing if you go away from these screw on freewheel arrangements to a freehub style. You can still get new freewheel blocks but they’re junk, as only the cheapest bikes have them these days and any NOS stuff will be pro level.
Anyway, let’s see if the seat pin moves first, get it soaked in Plus Gas if that works and it’s low budget, soak the derailleurs in oil and free up, change all the cables and the brake blocks for something decent and give it a run before spending money on the chain, bottom bracket, headset and calipers.
You will probably be OK restoring it, virtually any similar derailleurs will fit and is you clean the races up you can change the bearings in the bottom bracket and the headset for loose balls. Suntour or Shimano friction shift will be an improvement on the Sachs Huret, as will Campag, but I don’t see the value in Campag unless it’s a high value machine.
I’ve done some very small Raleigh kids ‘racers’ and a few Chopper restorations and never needed any specific tools other than standard bike and mechanic issue. That’s a Raleigh specific bottom bracket, you need a C Spanner, hammer and drift.
If you are going to use this, I’d recommend replace the brake calipers with cheap dual pivots from Alhonga as these are shocking.
Wheels will be crap too, but you need to know what you are doing if you go away from these screw on freewheel arrangements to a freehub style. You can still get new freewheel blocks but they’re junk, as only the cheapest bikes have them these days and any NOS stuff will be pro level.
Anyway, let’s see if the seat pin moves first, get it soaked in Plus Gas if that works and it’s low budget, soak the derailleurs in oil and free up, change all the cables and the brake blocks for something decent and give it a run before spending money on the chain, bottom bracket, headset and calipers.
Edited by Rough101 on Wednesday 3rd July 07:14
That’s in really good nick for a bike nigh on 40 years old !
I’d start with seatpost, does it move? Replace the cables & all the rubber bits…brake blocks & tyres/tubes. Degrease the chain/freewheel/derailleurs etc. Fenwicks foaming degreaser is pretty good & you can do that without removing any components. The wheels (steel rims?) providing they’re true/smooth should be fine for pottering about on. The bike will have 126mm rear spacing & all modern stuff is 130mm, you can bend the rear stays but it’s added faff best avoided if you can.
If the bottom bracket/crank spins freely & isn’t wobbling about I’d leave that for now, same with the freewheel.
These old Raleigh’s do have a bit of a following, even the entry level stuff.
Looking clean, tidy & original with everything ship shape there’s £100-150 worth of bike.
I’d start with seatpost, does it move? Replace the cables & all the rubber bits…brake blocks & tyres/tubes. Degrease the chain/freewheel/derailleurs etc. Fenwicks foaming degreaser is pretty good & you can do that without removing any components. The wheels (steel rims?) providing they’re true/smooth should be fine for pottering about on. The bike will have 126mm rear spacing & all modern stuff is 130mm, you can bend the rear stays but it’s added faff best avoided if you can.
If the bottom bracket/crank spins freely & isn’t wobbling about I’d leave that for now, same with the freewheel.
These old Raleigh’s do have a bit of a following, even the entry level stuff.
Looking clean, tidy & original with everything ship shape there’s £100-150 worth of bike.
Most of that will be metric, but there is a possibility that the wheel nuts and seat binder might be imperial. However, a fifteen millimetre spanner fits both the metric and imperial back wheel nuts, although it might be a bit tight if they are imperial.
If the front wheel and seat binder are imperial, then you will need a 1/4 Whitworth spanner, or just use an adjustable spanner.
Those Huret derailleurs were garbage then, and are garbage now, but will function after a fashion. New cables are a definite.
Single speed is always an option.
If the front wheel and seat binder are imperial, then you will need a 1/4 Whitworth spanner, or just use an adjustable spanner.
Those Huret derailleurs were garbage then, and are garbage now, but will function after a fashion. New cables are a definite.
Single speed is always an option.
Thanks for all the advice. 
The seat post came out nice and easy. I think I will disassemble the bike as fully if I can, so I can clean and grease/oil everything. If I can get the original parts working properly I hope to stick with them. The bike will not be ridden hard as I'm not a confident cyclist, so I think they will be good enough for me. It's nice to keep things original, plus I don't want it to look like it's worth stealing.
Is there any particular type of brake and gear cable I should buy? It seems a bit mad the way the exposed gear cables run underneath the bottom of the bike. That's just asking for them to rust.
The seat post came out nice and easy. I think I will disassemble the bike as fully if I can, so I can clean and grease/oil everything. If I can get the original parts working properly I hope to stick with them. The bike will not be ridden hard as I'm not a confident cyclist, so I think they will be good enough for me. It's nice to keep things original, plus I don't want it to look like it's worth stealing. Is there any particular type of brake and gear cable I should buy? It seems a bit mad the way the exposed gear cables run underneath the bottom of the bike. That's just asking for them to rust.
andySC said:
Looking clean, tidy & original with everything ship shape there’s £100-150 worth of bike.
Nooo it's going to get left at the train station every few months, possibly late into the evening. It's not supposed to be nice!AlexC1981 said:
Hi All,
I needed a scrappy bike that I could ride to the station and leave there without worrying too much about it being stolen, so I picked this up today. It's a late 80s/early 90s Raleigh Equipe.
It's fairly shabby and I intend to keep it looking that way despite every fibre of my being screaming at me to clean and polish every inch of it It's made from a non-desirable grade of heavy steel, though the handlebars and some other parts are alloy. The wheels are also steel.
I was wondering if anyone had any tips or any resources to help me get it running well again? I have done very little cycling in my adult life and even less bicycle maintenance, but I want to learn.
Can you recommend any tools or products to help? I read that Raleighs of this age used non-standard sized components due to most parts being made in-house. Apparently most bike tool kits don't have the right size tools for them. I don't mind buying a few bits to get it running well.
All the gears work (tested with the bike upside down), however, they are stiff and not at all nice to use. The gear cables are very rusty. The brakes will activate, but they are really stiff and don't spring open again. The front wheel runs true. The rear has some deviation, however the frame appears to be straight as far as I can tell.
Thanks,
I appreciate that this is exactly the bike for the brief. But this sort of sI needed a scrappy bike that I could ride to the station and leave there without worrying too much about it being stolen, so I picked this up today. It's a late 80s/early 90s Raleigh Equipe.
It's fairly shabby and I intend to keep it looking that way despite every fibre of my being screaming at me to clean and polish every inch of it
It's made from a non-desirable grade of heavy steel, though the handlebars and some other parts are alloy. The wheels are also steel.I was wondering if anyone had any tips or any resources to help me get it running well again? I have done very little cycling in my adult life and even less bicycle maintenance, but I want to learn.
Can you recommend any tools or products to help? I read that Raleighs of this age used non-standard sized components due to most parts being made in-house. Apparently most bike tool kits don't have the right size tools for them. I don't mind buying a few bits to get it running well.
All the gears work (tested with the bike upside down), however, they are stiff and not at all nice to use. The gear cables are very rusty. The brakes will activate, but they are really stiff and don't spring open again. The front wheel runs true. The rear has some deviation, however the frame appears to be straight as far as I can tell.
Thanks,
te is a good example of why the British bike industry fell on it's lazy arse.Louis Balfour said:
I appreciate that this is exactly the bike for the brief. But this sort of ste is a good example of why the British bike industry fell on it's lazy arse.
Not that I know anything about the British bike industry, but this model is definitely from the bottom of Raleigh's range at the time.te is a good example of why the British bike industry fell on it's lazy arse.I found it in the 1986 catalogue:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/archive/1986-raleigh-r...
AlexC1981 said:
Louis Balfour said:
I appreciate that this is exactly the bike for the brief. But this sort of ste is a good example of why the British bike industry fell on it's lazy arse.
Not that I know anything about the British bike industry, but this model is definitely from the bottom of Raleigh's range at the time.te is a good example of why the British bike industry fell on it's lazy arse.I found it in the 1986 catalogue:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/archive/1986-raleigh-r...
We did a similar thing with cars and motorbikes.
Raleigh was still making good bikes as recently as 22 years ago - this is mine as bought then and one of the last of their UK built bikes.
It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
Lotobear said:
Raleigh was still making good bikes as recently as 22 years ago - this is mine as bought then and one of the last of their UK built bikes.
It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
I am sure you're right that they were okay, but I for one would never have bought another Raleigh bike after the crap that they sold me in the 70s and 80s.It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
Louis Balfour said:
Lotobear said:
Raleigh was still making good bikes as recently as 22 years ago - this is mine as bought then and one of the last of their UK built bikes.
It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
I am sure you're right that they were okay, but I for one would never have bought another Raleigh bike after the crap that they sold me in the 70s and 80s.It came with FSA carbon crankset and carbon forks from new and a Fizik saddle with Ti rails. I flat barred it and put a 105 group set on it and some Cosmos wheels.
Still ride it now and it's quite a nice thing.
Rough101 said:
Buy stainless cables, they aren’t much more.
Clarks Elite blocks are decent for the money, you can go nuts on these with Swisstop etc.
Thanks, I didn't know about stainless steel cables. I'll get those.Clarks Elite blocks are decent for the money, you can go nuts on these with Swisstop etc.
First problem, I removed the rear brake and this part disintegrated.
Do you think these replacement bolts would be suitable? Are these things universal?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202664799580?mkcid=16&a...
AlexC1981 said:
Thanks, I didn't know about stainless steel cables. I'll get those.
First problem, I removed the rear brake and this part disintegrated.
Do you think these replacement bolts would be suitable? Are these things universal?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202664799580?mkcid=16&a...
But these and be done with messing about with those, includes blocks, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116234005878?itmmeta=01...First problem, I removed the rear brake and this part disintegrated.
Do you think these replacement bolts would be suitable? Are these things universal?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202664799580?mkcid=16&a...
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