|
|
|
Mar 25, 2010 19:26:26 GMT
|
I had a thread running about my collection of Freecycle bikes but I can't seem to get the search to find it so I'll start a new thread. I picked up a racer off Freecycle a while back that turned out to be a jem. Reynolds 531 frame, superlight, skinny wheels, Flite saddle. here's a pic:  I'm stuck on a really long commute on public transport at the moment and I've been trying to cut the time down a bit by keeping a bike at the end. Cut a long story short I know this racer will be stolen in no time if I leave it at the station and I won't be able to replace it, so I put the word out on Freecycle for a 'junk bike' to restore. Something I could use as a hack and not worry about too much. Two bikes came up. A 1966 Raleigh RSW 16 which I'll start a new thread on and this one; a late 70's Viscount. The lady said it was properly junk and I if I didn't want to take it that was fine. The first thing that went through my head when I picked it up was 'wow this is light', it looked fine to me so in the car it went. Back home a quick inspection showed it all to be fine. Set of new tyres, new saddle and a bit of spannering and it'll be great. I looked up the brand online and it turns out to be a chrome moly frame and would have had dropped bars and alloy wheels originally. That's all gone but the frame, forks and stem remain. This is what it looks like after some tyres and a thorough clean:  I've flipped the road bars over, re-wrapped them, taken the front derailleur off so it's just got the 5 gears at the back, deleted the back brake and mudguard and pulled the saddle right out. Detail pics... Stem:  Front mudguard remains:   Flipped bars:  Chrome fork, as per 1978 recall (see link below):  Oh and last but not least this is the pile of stuff I didn't need ;D:  I got some good info on the brand here, particularly about the cast aluminium 'death fork': www.sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 25, 2010 20:30:39 GMT
|
|
Bloody marvelous J69
Looks great stripped down.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 25, 2010 21:29:12 GMT
|
|
thats a smart bike. Ive got a stem the same as that. I havent seen anything much on my local freecycle. I did get a portable tv/video unit off there.
I recently seen a man wanting air tools to use to restore a car. Hes got a MG. I gave him an air drill that I got from Aldis. So probably not much help. But gave him a load more stuff, that I hardly used. Including an Aldis dremmel and loads of bits, a set of panel beating hammers, a couple of angle grinders, a couple of bench grinders, a load of spray paint tins. No cuddly toy tho. I geuss I could have sold the tools. But none cost me all that much. So the prospective customer, would probably give me tuppence hapenny for them. :/
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 25, 2010 22:14:35 GMT
|
|
I don't see bikes on the 'offered' emails very often and when they do come around they are usually snapped up pretty quickly. What I've found is, it's amazing what people consider to be junk, that's why I usually ask for 'junk' bikes!
|
| |
|
|
lae
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,045
|
|
Mar 27, 2010 15:29:19 GMT
|
|
^ yeah freecycle is amazing. I did once give away a totally wrecked full-suspension MTB for parts and the guy tried to ride it away, even though I told him it really was just for parts. I found it about two hours later dumped by the side of the road - the guy had obviously sat on it and the broken swingarm pivot had collapsed completely, leaving the rear wheel hanging on by the brake cables.
|
| |
Currently:
Mk1 Focus blandmobile
Formerly:
1969 MG Midget
1972 Avenger GT
1981 Datsun Cherry
1989 Corolla
1979 Mercedes W123 200D
1995 Ford Falcon
1996 Ford Telstar (bet you had to google that one)
|
|
street
Posted a lot
6.2 ft/lbs of talk
Posts: 4,662
|
|
Mar 29, 2010 14:12:00 GMT
|
|
Another great score there Jonny! It has some nice features on that, good that it's going to good use!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 30, 2010 18:11:30 GMT
|
|
So I did a whole day commute on it yesterday, which is two 20 minute sprints. It rides ok in the dry, bit of a warp in the front wheel, but the brakes aren't great and make an annoying whizzing noise when applied. I put the pads off my racer on to see if it would improve them but it didn't. The wheels have a chrome sort of dimpled finish which appears to cause the poor braking. When they get wet they don't work at all and don't seem to want to clear the water away either which is annoying. Pedals are a bit irritating and poke through my shoe soles so they need changing.
I think this is going to be a fair weather bike based on the brakes. I know that goes against my hotrodding roots but they literally don't work when they are wet.
I could get new rims but I'm not going to pursue it unless something very cheap comes up. Otherwise the free bike will suddenly become a money pit, so I'll just use it when it's dry. This was supposed to be a cheap bit of fun after all and I'm keen not to break the 'money in' vs 'resale value' barrier. At the moment it owes me £19 if I don't put the new saddle on and a new set of light wheels will set me back about £45. It's not expensive this stuff but it mounts up quite quickly.
I need to remember the lock is worth more than the bike. I should get annoyed when the lock is stolen, not the bike...
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 30, 2010 20:57:35 GMT
|
|
I used the racer today in light of the damp weather and bad brakes. In comparison it's a true road weapon. It eats hills and on the flat it goes like a bullet. I think I know what my daily transport is from now on...
|
| |
|
|
10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
|
|
Mar 31, 2010 18:30:59 GMT
|
|
Why remove the back brakes?
esp odd now you're complaining the brakes are cr@p
|
| |
The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
|
|
lae
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,045
|
|
Mar 31, 2010 22:37:01 GMT
|
|
|
| |
Last Edit: Mar 31, 2010 22:40:37 GMT by lae
Currently:
Mk1 Focus blandmobile
Formerly:
1969 MG Midget
1972 Avenger GT
1981 Datsun Cherry
1989 Corolla
1979 Mercedes W123 200D
1995 Ford Falcon
1996 Ford Telstar (bet you had to google that one)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cheers for the offer, it's got 27" wheels though and the brakes won't reach.
|
| |
|
|
lae
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,045
|
|
|
|
|
It's only a 4mm drop, but you're right it doesn't look a bit close...
|
| |
Last Edit: Apr 1, 2010 13:57:48 GMT by lae
Currently:
Mk1 Focus blandmobile
Formerly:
1969 MG Midget
1972 Avenger GT
1981 Datsun Cherry
1989 Corolla
1979 Mercedes W123 200D
1995 Ford Falcon
1996 Ford Telstar (bet you had to google that one)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
hey Ive got the wheels from a Dawes Galaxy that I was gonna do up. there normandy large flange hubs on weimmann 27" alloy rims. think the hub says 09 80. they had a 5 speed block on them. but I took it off. theres quick releases. I cleaned up one a bit. looks good. But will need more work. I wont the postage charge and a couple of quid.
could also give some new Jagwire pads.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cheers for the offer, but I'm going to keep it as a cheap simple hack. Why remove the back brakes? esp odd now you're complaining the brakes are cr@p I like the stripped down look and my other bike has nearly identical front brakes, so I had no reason to believe these would be any different. |
| |
|
|
10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
|
|
|
|
|
fair enough.... admittedly my days of riding bikes are long long gone, but as i remember it's not all that pleasant to ride a push bike with no rear brakes if you need to stop in a hurry, don't you get a few 'up and over' moments if you have to brake rear hard?
|
| |
The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the dry, the rear brakes on a bike do nothign under hard braking - I used to get the rear wheel off the ground regularly on my old mountain bike (which had very good, very progressive V-brakes).
In the wet, when there is less grip (meaning that you'll lock the front before the rear starts to lift), you can often stop faster using both brakes. The confidence to stop quickly is better using both brakes too, as you're not trying to guess when the front will lock - locking the front wheel isn't much fun.
If your brakes are generally poor (no chance of locking the wheels), then both brakes is a good idea. I believe that it's a legal requirement to have two separate braking systems on a bicycle - fixies get away with one due to the fact that you can stop a bike using the pedals.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seriously guys, if I want to ride for serious I take the racer out. It's just a bit of fun daily hack for zero budget.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just a little tip on the bad braking in the wet: There are different types of brake pads, depending on what the rim is made.  I once had when I was younger, a BMX with chrome plated steel wheels, fitted with pads for aluminium wheels. They were shocking, even in the dry. Fitted the right pads, and voila - bald tyres once again ;D |
| |
1992 Sierra XR4x4
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 24, 2011 16:51:51 GMT
|
Weeeee this bike now belongs to me  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 24, 2011 17:36:09 GMT
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
