Raleigh SC 200 gets New Tires / Parliament Custom Built Made in England Update

Hello and Welcome,
I have been keeping busy while waiting for the last of the parts needed to finish the Parliament Custom-Built with some other bike work.
A Buddy of mine Jerry from the "Coffee Shop Crowd" needed a change of tires on his Raleigh SC 200. Last summer I installed this used set I had laying around the shop for a cheap fix. It seemed like a good idea at the time. SEE BELOW

The problem with the replacement tires (above) was they rode a little rough on pavement. Jerry had been running smooth rollers like the Kenda Kross Plus Slick XC Tires. While He liked the idea of more tread, I do not think He (nor I) realized how much rougher the knobby tires would feel on the pavement. So off with the knobbies (see below) and on with a new set of Kenda Kross Plus Slicks

BELOW: Jerry asked me to clean-up the drive train a bit while I have it on the stand. So I started with the free-wheel. First I brushed it off then sprayed it with White-Lightning Clean-Streak. The lube will come later. I always use a small plastic tub with some dirty paper towels in the bottom to catch the drippings.

BELOW: The front derailleur got the same treatment. The only difference being, I like to wipe-off the "shiny parts" right away and repeat if necessary. Notice there are no paper towels in the tub. Opps! And I am still wearing my Road ID from my morning ride. You know your getting old when you have to update the medical info on your Road-Id. (:

BELOW: I did the same with the rear derailleur. When you spray the rear derailleur you will want to get around and spray it from the far (or left side) as well. I like to wipe-off the rear derailleur right away. Make sure you wipe-off the jockey wheels as well. You will need to back pedal to get the jockey wheels cleaned-up all the way around.

BELOW: Cleaning the chain using a "White-Lightning Bicycle Chain Cleaner". These are amazingly affordable (if you shop around) and do a wonderful job cleaning your chain. The instructions are easy to follow and come with the unit. These are made in Italy and I think I paid less than 20.00 for the unit. It comes with two small bottles of cleaner, enough for four cleanings.

BELOW: After wiping off the chain I applied some chain lube and wiped-off the excess. A friend of mine told me many years ago, "If your chain looks oily, you have too much lube on it". (dust sticks to anything that is wet) I am using White-Lightning but any bicycle chain oil will work. I just figured, the cleaner being White-Lightning, the White-Lightning lube would be compatible. I am sure it really does not matter though.

Below: Lubing the derailleurs. The reason I do this last is, I like to spray the Tri Flo outdoors. I really hate the smell of this stuff. Just a light coat and wipe off the excess. You want to make sure whatever lube you use is silicone based if you are spraying it on plastic parts. And remember to shake-up the can before spraying if your using Tri-Flo. I like to keep the wind at my back when spraying this stuff. Read All Cautions on the can before using. (anything)

Below: On Road-bikes I like to center the valve stem with the tag or label on the sidewall of the tire. And I keep the tags on the "drive side" of the bike. It just makes it look neater. But On a Mountain Bike or "any bike tire" that does not have tags (colored labels) It makes sense to center the valve stem to where the proper inflation is printed on the sidewall of the tire.Sorry for the lousy pic (so much for auto-focus)

Below: Jerry`s "Raleigh SC 200" all cleaned up and ready for delivery.

BELOW: The parts for the "Parliament Custom Built" have been arriving this week. I will be back to work on it in the next few days. Here is a pic of the Parliament with the new fenders installed.

I heard from one of my readers via e-mail. He had some questions about "Department Store Bikes." I shared my thoughts on restoring D.S.B.s or Cheaper Bikes in general. As fate would have it, I am cleaning-up some bikes this week that fall into the D.S.B. category. I will try to sneak in a post about how to assess a D.S.B. before I post the Parliament Restoration finish.
Till Next Time RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh