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Jan 10, 2011 13:13:48 GMT
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This entered service at the weekend: It's the girl's 1980 Raleigh Richmond mixte in Reynolds 531 tubing. I've given it an overhaul with the wheels off my Viscount and a 5-speed freewheel. It's not a bad little bike; very light. It could do with a set of drop bars in my opinion, and the centre pull brakes really highlight the small dent in the wheel, so I'll have to do something about that. The Viscount is currently in full South London combat mode. Trying the bars down and saddle forwards for a bit of serious purchase on those pedals: Packing a Fenix L2D up front for plenty of light or strobe the whole road out: New rims are the 32 spoke 700c Velo Orange with fixed gear at the back (52/18) and 700x20 tyres: I still think they look a bit skinny, so might change them for some 25's at some point. And why do Raleigh insist on using those spazzy blue valve caps?
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Last Edit: Jan 10, 2011 13:14:03 GMT by Deleted
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Feb 18, 2011 19:31:57 GMT
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Well, not much has been going on in the bike world. I brought the RSW home to work on the Sturmey Archer because it's not dropping into third, but I haven't got around to doing it yet. I've put some miles on the Viscount (which currently has a puncture) and even more miles on the Raleigh, which is due a rebuild because the winter has taken its toll on the poor thing. The girl still hasn't ridden hers and I've got some plans to re-do the back wheel for it with a different hub. It's currently got my flip-flop spaced out with a 5-speed freewheel on it. Not ideal and it's a bit wide for the frame. The Twenty got a bit of a beating at Critical Mass. First the brake cable broke and I nearly ended up crashing ;D, then the crank worked loose and mashed up the axle in the bottom bracket. It's got a very soft axle in the bottom bracket and the cotter pins have a habit of working loose. I had to cycle it quite some distance to get home and it's mangled it up a bit. I've tried shimming the cotter pins and everything but it's basically worn past the point of no return. Tonight I fixed it back up with a few modifications/improvements. New brake cable. Lost the little ferrule thing, so I modified a Stomberg 94 carburettor jet to fit. I shamfered the axle and inside of the crank with the mind to welding it on, but I had the idea of putting the cotter pin in round the wrong way and really hammering it in. Seems to have worked, but it's ready to weld if I need to. The main mod tonight though is I've taken off the 18-tooth freewheel and replaced it with a 13 tooth fixed cog, so now it has some sensible gearing and it's fixie as I orginally wanted it
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Feb 18, 2011 23:13:54 GMT
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Ive been building up an old raleigh mixte too,
Couldnt decide between SS or the original 5 speed.
In the end ive decided 5 speed but polish everything, And got rid of the positron in favour of a conventional suntour mech.
I like positron but the lever leaves alot to be desired and didnt suit the bike.
Just need some nice skinwalls now in 700c flavour...
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Feb 19, 2011 10:20:52 GMT
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It's hard to work out because there's not much info out there on these mixtes but I think they originally had 5 gears with a stem mounted shifter.
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Feb 19, 2011 11:28:04 GMT
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It's hard to work out because there's not much info out there on these mixtes but I think they originally had 5 gears with a stem mounted shifter. Yeah thats what mine had... Looked curse word though. Its a big fumbly horrile plastic thing. I replaced it with the throttle control off a British Anzani outboard engine. Its chrome and looks cool ;D
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,503
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Feb 21, 2011 17:46:38 GMT
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not being funny or anything but it looks like the fixed cog is on the singlespeed thread. should be on the other side of the hub with the opposite threads, one for the cog the other for the lock ring
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lae
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,045
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Feb 21, 2011 17:48:14 GMT
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^ yeah it's definitely on the wrong side, good spot.
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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)
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Feb 22, 2011 12:49:50 GMT
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not being funny or anything but it looks like the fixed cog is on the singlespeed thread. should be on the other side of the hub with the opposite threads, one for the cog the other for the lock ring You mean on the Viscount? Yes, I had to space it out a few mm to get the chainline straight and there aren't enough threads on the lockring side
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,503
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Feb 22, 2011 16:13:44 GMT
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i know your pain.
in that instance though you should redish your wheel. you don't want to all of a sudden find your cog coming undone when trying to slow down.
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Feb 22, 2011 19:45:25 GMT
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Doubt it, I use the brakes for that! I've got proper gearing on my bikes to make progress and trying to brake with your feet ends up with them pulled out your leg at the kneecap; none of this trendy London Hoxton style gearing here
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Last Edit: Feb 22, 2011 19:46:39 GMT by Deleted
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Sept 1, 2011 11:53:06 GMT
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Right. Quite a few changes and additions, so this is going to be a long post ;D I've been a member on Retro Bike for a while now and had an itch for something a little more special. The result is I bought a late 70's Bob Jackson TT frame as part of a charity buy. I'm partway through the build and ironing out the bugs. What I've tried to do is make something that looks oldy and fast, with a few comtemporary touches. I mainly ride fixed because my commute is long and flat and I can make some good progress with fixed gearing. I normally run 52/18 with 27" wheels, but the new chainring is 48T with 700c wheels, so I thought I'd give my 15T rear cog a go... Pics: Obligatory lgfss wide angle distortion arty shot: I'd had the frame sitting around for a while since I bought it, and I'd been trying to work out what to do with it without spending too much. It was a waste having it sat on top of the wardrobe so I decided to use up a few parts in stock to build a bike up. I built some wheels on track hubs a while back so I thought I'd use them and took the opportunity to buy some new track cranks to match. The bars are off the 531 Raleigh, cut down from drops and were sitting in the box ready to go, but need the bar tape wrapping back on. Brakes are non-aero Weinmann levers and some Cannondale calipers that I might change. Saddle is just a piece of junk and is to be replaced with a Flite or something like a 90's Selle. The pedals are temporarily borrowed off my Viscount. Spec as follows, as posted on Retro Bike: Frame: late 70's Bob Jackson TT frame in special Columbus steel Fork: plate type, matching the frame Headset: Tange Falcon Stem: 90's Raleigh Handlebar: cut down and flipped Raleigh drops Bar Tape: Italian make, perforated, can't remember Brake Levers/Brifters: bare Weinmann, non-aero Brake Calipers: late Cannondale (may change) Brake Pads: unknown Brake Cables: not fitted yet Shifters: n/a Front Derailleur: n/a Rear Derailleur: n/a Derailleur Cables: n/a Cassette: n/a Chain: YBN 1/8 track chain Cranks: Andel RSC7-7172 Chainrings: 48T front, 15T rear Bottom Bracket: Tange LN 3922 Pedals: MKS Sylvan Rims: Velo Orange Paris-Brest Hubs: Akor track Hub Skewers: n/a Nipples: hehehe Spokes: stainless db Tyres: Michelin Pro 3 Tubes: Raleigh Saddle: n/a Seatpost: Campag aero Seatpost Binder: ? Bottle Cage: n/a Extras: n/a Weight: 7740g without the pedals or saddle I've had a few teething troubles but nothing that can't be fixed. I have decided I HATE sealed bearing head sets. You knew where you stood with the old tapered ones, but this one seems to require constant attention. I thought I'd got the cups all the way home, so I'm HOPING once it's settled in it'll stop working loose. Vertical drop-outs and fixed don't mix. Now the chain has settled in and stretched a bit, it's too slack and jumped off a few times. I didn't enjoy that and it's eaten all the spokes on that side. No worries - I have spares. I tried a chain tensioner but the jockey wheel was too deep and it contacted the spokes. My trick was to try a cog with one more tooth, which should pull the wheel forwards by 3mm. By my maths it should have been nearly spot on and the drop-outs aren't completely vertical, so it should be good to go. If it turned out to be too much then I was prepared to notch the axle to get it in. Sounds drastic, but it would only be ~0.5mm and at worst case to the bottom of the thread. Second contingency plan was a half chain link. I didn't know they existed, but it would have the same effect. The good news is it's looking good. The extra tooth pulls the wheel right in to where it wants to be. Like I said, the drop-outs aren't completely vertical, they're just short. They're angled enough that I can 'walk' the axle back to pull up the chain tension (like you normally would with a fixed gear) and there's a couple of mm left for when the chain stretches. I'm chuffed, because I'm really enjoying this bike despite the teething troubles. The saddle is now swapped to a narrow shiny nylon 70's one. It really suits the bike. I may switch to black bar tape to match. We'll see... I'm just itching to get it back on the road now!
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Sept 1, 2011 11:59:05 GMT
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And another new bike. I've got the Isle of Wight Challenge coming up. Nothing too taxing; it's an 18 mile off-road ride, 3 mile canoe and 8 mile run in teams of three. The ride looks like it's on pathways, grass and loose trails, so nothing too extreme. The most challenging part for me has been sorting out a bike, because all of mine are road bikes. On the grounds that the ride isn't too crazy I decided to go with a single speed because on-road I like to ride single speed or fixed and after the event I can swap it to more roady gearing or fixed gear. I put the word out on Freecycle for a junk mountain bike and this is what I picked up: Just what I was looking for. A bulletproof clunker steel frame with no suspension and V brakes. Perfect for near-zero maintenance Mmm... quality parts... These resin cranks literally bent over when I stood on them hard :eek: Doesn't matter, because most of that stuff is destined for the bin: Stripped down, all I needed to keep was the frame, head set, stem and handlebars. I cut off all the excess lugs (and there were quite a few), rubbed it down and gave it a lick of satin black: Up in the flat I've started to put it together: Will be running track hubs, so the back will have both fixed and freewheel. Front hub in place for comedy value: Budget Tektro brakes for stealth when locked up and reliability: I'll be cutting the bars down quite a lot because I don't want it as wide as it is. If I take it to my shoulders width, I'll lop about 75mm off each side. If I take them in to as narrow as I can get them with the brakes and grips then I'll take off about 125mm each side. Haven't decided yet, but will probably start a bit wider. Just waiting for some other parts to arrive and I'll continue to build it up. I really wanted some deep-ish black V's but they proved too difficult to find at a sensible price. I'm fast running out of time, so I've had to go for some red deep V's that kill the stealth look, so I'll have to make sure I lock it up well. Hubs are polished alloy and I'll be using polished stainless spokes to match the cranks, freewheel and chain. Pedals are black alloy wide flats. Black alloy stem and the saddle is the one that came with it because it's actually quite comfy when it's at a sensible angle I say goodbye to the Yellow Peril, which as gone to her brother and the Viscount will be up for sale. I'll be selling it with a more basic saddle and the road pedals off my Raleigh so I can keep Brooks, and I'll be swapping the quill pedals onto the Bob Jackson.
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,968
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Sept 1, 2011 12:22:28 GMT
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I have no idea what you're talking about a lot of the time Johnny, but I like reading it, and the bikes always look cool. Keep it up!
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Sept 1, 2011 17:14:15 GMT
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What lighting are you using at night? I want to use both my Avocet and Peugeot after dark but don't want to fall into the 'no lights, I'll be alright' mentality that all too many London cyclists have. I looking for bright on a budget, basically.
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Sept 1, 2011 22:17:53 GMT
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Rear is a Blackburn Mars 3 which in my opinion is one of the best rear lights you can get. Should be about £15. I also have a flashing dog collar which I can clip to my bag. Front is a Fenix L2D torch which is about as bright as a car headlight. On beam it casts a massive white area on the road and you're seen from the front and rear. On strobe it flashes out the whole street and you don't fail to be seen because all the road signs in front of you and all down the road are flashing. Will set you back about £50 but it's brighter than any bike light and runs on two AA batteries. I use those ultra-low self discharge GP ReCyko rechargeables which will sit unused in the torch for months and not go flat.
I'm more of the mentality that I want to make sure I'm seen. I've found if your front light casts enough light on the road you get given a lot more space because drivers think you're a lot bigger than you are. You also get seen from behind because you're illuminating quite a lot of the street. Just make sure with serious lights that you keep them dipped down, because otherwise you blind everybody ;D
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Sept 1, 2011 23:09:44 GMT
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I'm more of the mentality that I want to make sure I'm seen. I've found if your front light casts enough light on the road you get given a lot more space because drivers think you're a lot bigger than you are. You also get seen from behind because you're illuminating quite a lot of the street. Just make sure with serious lights that you keep them dipped down, because otherwise you blind everybody ;D Makes sense; more light = people thinking you're a motorbike, that was my thinking on the matter too. Preaching to the choir on the second point 9about dipping); I wish modern car owners would do the same. How many know their beams can be adjusted by a control on the dash? Grrr.
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lae
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,045
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Sept 2, 2011 15:13:18 GMT
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I saw the Bob on retrobike, very handsome. Those Andel cranks are gorgeous... I may have to save up for some for when I restore my Carlton.
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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)
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I think they're amazingly good value as well, when you consider the price of second hand Campagnolo and Stronglight kit.
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Sept 27, 2011 12:32:39 GMT
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The Bob Jackson officially entered regular service today. The Cannondale brake calipers didn't reach the rims unfortunately, so I did a swap with my Raleigh. They fit the Raleigh perfectly and this bike now has the Shimano Exage calipers that were on it. Bars are wrapped and plugged and it now sports a shiny black nylon saddle thanks to a kind Retro Biker ;D I've done a few rides with no brakes and about 4 miles with the brakes plumbed in. It's such a nice little ride. Only thing I need to do is swap back to the 15-tooth rear ratio and a half-link in the chain, because at the moment the 48/16 gearing will give me a flat spot on my tyre where I stop and start.
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Jul 20, 2012 18:38:35 GMT
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This is the Karma Triumph that I won in March in a 'guess the bike' competition on Retrobike. It sat under cover in my dad's garden for months, but I got to bring it home recently and I've given it a good going over in the last week or so while my garage is empty. It's a 1975 Raleigh-built Triumph Ladies Roadster with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer dynohub also dated 1975, twist shift, rod brakes and 26" wheels. Pics: I haven't actually done much with it. I gave it a new set of tyres and brake blocks, but the rest has been simply elbow grease, freeing everything off, nipping everything up, true the wheels, fitting and adjusting the brakes and dressing the braking surfaces on the wheels. Other than that I've cleaned the frame and given it a damn good oil! Annoyingly, the ball bearing pinged out the twist shift mechanism and I lost it, so I'm hoping a spare one out a hub or something will do the trick. These are the 'before' pics that were posted up after the competition: It wasn't going to be one for the faint-hearted, particularly with the rod brakes, and it needed a good few hours spending on it. One of the cotter pins was in the wrong way round which left the cranks looking like this... ...and it took a bit of hammering to get the old one out, but once replaced it is fine. All three gears work a treat, though I think I could do with drowning the hub in oil. I think it's destined to be a bike that lives at work for getting round the site and to and from town and the station, but it's a wee bit small for me, so who knows.
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