Raleigh Teton Mountain Tour restoration.

Hello and Welcome, About a month ago a friend asked me if I would be interested in restoring his son's vintage mountain bike. I had already seen the bike and remembered thinking it sure would clean up nice with that chrome frame. So of course I said yes.

Above: Rust on chrome does not photograph well. So you will have to trust me on this one, the surface rust was everywhere. Here I had stuck one of my salvaged wheels on the front but soon decided not to use it. Also I put a Tempo Z1 Bicycle Saddle on to see how it looked and decided I would pass on that as well.

Above: I really do not like restoring bikes that have been left out in the weather. As a rule they always have unseen or unexpected problems. This bike was no exception to that rule. On the up side, it does have one of my all time favorite crank sets the Shimano 3 Speed Crankset (Bio-Pace) . I installed these vintage West German made pedals to see how they look. These I did use after some clean up. That plastic water bottle cage is gonna have to go for sure.

Above: Although rusty I am going to try to refurbish the MTB handlebars. I like to call this style handlebar and stem unit The Flying V. And the thumb shifters are the most trouble free shifters I have ever used. You can have the twist the grip shifters, I`ll take these any day. There were no grips to speak of. In place of grips, the grip areas were taped-up hockey stick style. Not real comfortable, but it got the job done. For a while anyway.

Above: Here I have trued and cleaned up the rear wheel and hub. I also cleaned-up and sanded "some" of the spokes. I also re greased the axle bearings. But something in there did not feel right to me. And I was about to notice something that I somehow missed.

Above: Sprocket or gear # 4 is missing 3 teeth in a row! I am going to blame this oversight on the heat wave and bad lighting. All I can say is, how could I clean this free-wheel (scrape spray and brush) and not see that? And it is about to get even better!

Above: I tried to get this 5 speed freewheel (on the left) to break loose and it just would not budge. It would seem Mother Nature has worked her magic on this freewheel. And I suspect a lack of assembly grease contributed to this problem as well. It was time to give someone younger and stronger a shot at it. Thanks to Daniel at Cycle Therapy in Waterford Mi for getting the job done. He was just about to give up and then it it broke loose. You can clearly see how the slots for the removal tool are elongated. That is from from the extreme amount of pressure it took to break that bad boy loose. Good work Daniel! Earlier after I removed the axle I could see it had a slight bend and one of the cones looked a little scored. So I went to see Joe at American Cycle and Fitness in Pontiac Mi. I knew if anyone had the axle and cones I needed in stock it would be Joe. He had everything I needed So I purchased the new axle and cones/spacers and a fresh set of bearings. Joe pointed out to me that the modern spacer is a little wider and I should reuse the old one. Although they looked identical when I placed them side by side I used the old one anyway. I`m not about to question his judgement.

Above: Here I am installing the new (and straight) bicycle rear axle, cones, spacers and bearings. The replacement Free Wheel (salvaged) is a Sun Tour Perfect jut like the original except it is a 6 Speed freewheel instead of a 5. This I have done before with no problem. I just removed the pie plate and adjusted the derailleur and it works perfectly. I do not think it would have been such an easy fix with index shifting. But with friction shifters and derailleurs "No Problem".

Above: I am jumping way ahead with this pic, but there it is looking and working fine. The rear derailleur was really dirty. As I scraped the crud off the inward side of the lower Jockey wheel, it came of looking like a worm. As always I used White Lightning Clean Streak and a good brush and a few paper towels.

Above: Here I have removed the crank set, taken it apart and cleaned and polished each piece. The picture pretty much tells the rest of that story.

Above: Although it is hard to tell from this picture, the bottom bracket and shell were in good shape. And both cleaned up nicely using the clean Streak and brush. I believe this pic shows all the tools needed to take the bracket and crank set apart.

Above: The bottom bracket and crank set reassembled and looking pretty good. At this point I had not yet touched the front derailleur and still had plenty of rust removal to do.

Above: Here is the front derailleur cleaned and polished. This is my pot and strainer I use for de-greasing small parts. I stuff the pot with dirty paper towels when I am spraying the parts. I also use a parts brush to speed up the cleaning process. And brushing conserves the de-greaser as well. white Lightning Clean Streak is a citrus based parts cleaner.

Above: The threaded headset rebuild went well but has since been problematic. I have done a bunch of these, but this one just will not stay tight. But no worries, I have done some research and come up with a couple of possible solutions. One cheaper the other a little more expensive but more likely to be a success I think. So look for that post in the near future. I will say this though, I think the problem "might" have been caused by the rider continuing to ride the bike when the head set was very sloppy (loose). However we have not talked about it yet, so I will reserve judgement. But that does not really matter. What does matter is that I get the damn thing working properly. Those of you who visit the Face Book page may have seen already what I am considering for a fix. I am hoping for some positive feedback from the Face Book page. Onward and upward!

Above: One thing Steve (the owner) was looking for in this restoration was comfort. He wanted a comfortable saddle that was not too big. The perfect solution the WTB Speed V Comp saddle one of my all time favorites! This saddle has worked out great for Steve.

Above: Another concern Steve had was the grips. Very understandable after using the hockey stick tape. I told Steve "I don`t think they make a more comfortable grip than these Specialized Ergo grips". He is very pleased with the grips and the saddle. The brake levers being replaced was mostly cosmetic. Although these Shimano MTB brake levers lighter and have adjustable reach as well. So they are definitely quite an improvement. I was able to clean up the thumb shifters. Had I replaced them, I would have installed the same type. Basic, simple and reliable... what else do you really need?

Above: Never mind the rusty spokes. This front wheel was actually in pretty good shape. First: It is straight and needed very little truing. Second the axle is straight. Third the cups bearings and races are in excellent condition and only needed cleaning and fresh grease. I think you get the idea.

Above: The front wheel after a little TLC. I sanded and cleaned the spokes. I removed the axle and bearings and cleaned and re greased everything. I trued the wheel and replaced a couple of spokes with spokes of the same size and thickness. I polished the outside of the hub and flanges. Also cleaned up the outer axle and spacers. And I cleaned up the rim as well.

Above : As for the brakes I replaced the cables and housings with new Jag Wire Basics brake cables. I also replaced the straddle cables with new Dia Compe. I switched the hanger to a simpler design (unmarked). The brake shoes I replaced with new Avenir shoes. Avenir is a Raleigh accessory company. I cleaned up the caliper arm mounting bolt heads with the wheel brush. One of the return springs was bent, but it was not difficult to bend it back into shape. Also both the front and rear reflector mount brackets were badly rusted. So I replaced them with some "like new" salvaged ones.

Above: I had to cut the hole longer in the reflector mount bracket so the brake cable could pass through unimpeded. I used a flat file to do this using the existing hole sides for a guide working both sides towards the front. The file cut through this much faster than I thought it would. As you can see, some of the rust on the handlebars was too deep to be good after rust removal. But I will most likely be replacing the bars as part of the head set fix anyway.

Above: I cleaned up and installed my old Cannondale wedge tool bag for the restoration including a patch kit and some basic tools. Latter I added a new Schwinn frame mount pump and a new Ze'Fal bicycle light set. So far no pics of those. I`ll take more picks when I do the headset fix next week. Also I added a New Ze'Fal water bottle cage. As some of you know I really like the Ze'Fal water bottle cage design and use it often.

Above: Here is a shot of those vintage West German touring pedals all cleaned up. And the new chain as well.

Above: This shot really shows the kind of rust I was dealing with. As you can see the original reflector mount bracket was way beyond saving.

Above: A shot that shows how bad some of the surface rust was on the frame. Only the high quality of the original chrome work made this frame saveable. Well Done! Raleigh of America.

Above: Finally some pics of the finished project (less frame pump and lights)

Well that is all I have for now. Until next time, Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!! Cheers,Hugh P.S. I am going to publish this tonight and proof read it tomorrow. So Please excuse the typos and mistakes. They will be taken care of eventually. Hell it`s not like you come here to learn to spell...Cheers

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"Updated" Nishiki Mountain Bike / Brake Repair & Tune-Up

Hello and Welcome. A few weeks ago one of my coffee shop friends "Don" asked me if I could tune up a lady friends bicycle. (his lady friend not mine) lol.. I am after all a happily married man! He also mentioned that there was a problem with the brakes and that he would like me to take care of that as well. I gave him the tune-up price (plus parts) and we agreed I would tune and repair the bike.

Note: The above pic is the bike finished and going back to the owner. Above: A few days later I picked up the bike at the coffee shop. I was relieved to see it was not a Department Store Bike but a Nishiki Blazer mountain bike. I could see right away why it needed a tune-up. Every thing was filthy and or coated in mud. It has been my experience that "the most common problem with derailleurs" Is Neglect. Most just need a good cleaning and lube and some slack taken out of the cable. Countless times I have tried to tell folks that a little light maintenance can go a long way. I get the feeling that most people think that if they purchase a good quality bike they will not have any problems. Even a good quality bike needs a little maintenance from time to time.

CAUTION:You would Not normally want to wash a bike with a power-washer. And would never point it at any hub or bracket shell (from the side) or headset from the top or bottom. This could easilly blow-out the grease and also get the bearings and inner surfaces wet causing rust or corrosion. This was an "absolute first" for me. This is the the front derailleur after Power Washing at the quarter car-wash. Now it is ready for a "normal cleaning" and lube.(White Lightning Clean Streak and Tri Flo) This lady lives on a dirt road that is regularly coated with chloride for "dust control". When a chloride treated road gets wet it makes a mud that sticks like crazy. A mud that will also discolor chrome if not removed promptly. So once the mud was washed away I gave it the normal spray (White-Lightning) and brushing(Park brush and scraper set) Then a spray with the Tri Flo. After that I took a little slack out of the cable. And guess what? The derailleur now works flawlessly. So the message here is.. Do not be so quick to replace your malfunctioning derailleur, chances are it is just dirty.

Above: Here is the Shimano Altus rear derailleur after blowing the hardened mud off at the quarter car wash.(only the derailleurs were power washed) Now the rear derailleur and free wheel and chain just needed a little basic maintenance. For cleaning the Free wheel I used White-Lightning "Clean Streak" and the Park scraper and brush. Then a light spray with the Tri Flo.

Above: Here I am using my chain cleaner with Park Citrus Chain Cleaner. After the first cleaning, I rinsed out the cleaner and refilled it and cleaned the chain again. Sometimes that is what it takes. I wiped it down with a rag between cleanings to help the process. After drying I gave the chain a light coat of bicycle chain lube and wiped off the excess. There is an old saying "If your chain looks oily, it has too much oil on it". Dirt sticks to oil! You do not lubricate a dirty chain. You Clean Then Lubricate a dirty chain. Once the chain, rear derailleur and free wheel were clean and lubed. I again removed the slack from the cable (as I did on the front derailleur) then the rear shifted flawlessly as well. The brakes were not so easy.

Above: Here is a diagram of a very similar MTB cantilever brake. I have labeled the spring cover (A) and the return (torsion type) spring (B). When the brake is assembled it is the spring cover (A) that holds the return spring (B) in the proper position. The return spring has a prong at each end. One prong end is inserted into a hole on a little flange (that on this bike is welded) to the brake post mount that is brazed onto the seat stay. The outer prong is inserted into a hole in the top inside of the spring cover.

Above: Three of the four return spring covers removed from the Nishiki bicycle. As you can see these three are broken and will not hold the return springs in the proper proposition. This causes the springs to unload or loose tension on the arms. The result is brakes that do not return to the proper position when the brake lever is released. This results in brakes that rub the rim and do not apply good pressure when applied. I suspect the owner tried to adjust the rub out of these brakes making them pretty much useless. Now my problem is, Where do I find these little plastic spring covers off a 25 year old bike? Answer... I don`t.

Above: (C) Return spring (D) Single edge razor blade (E) The piece I cut off a larger salvaged spring cover to make it fit. What I did was search through my tub of small brake parts and found three slightly taller spring covers of the same diameter. I was not sure if this would work, but I had a good feeling it might. One good thing about the replacement covers is they were made out of a more pliable (flexible) material. I stood the two covers side by side to check size. This showed me I needed to shorten up the replacements proximately 1/8 inch. That is what I used the razor for.

Above: Here is a close-up picture of one of my replacement spring covers in place on the reassembled brake. I do not have much experience with taking apart broken cantilever brakes. I think the "Bicycle Gods" were watching over me while I was attempting this repair. What is harder than the actual repair? Trying to explain how I did it so it makes sense. Hopefully the pictures will help with my description of the work. Good News! Don has since reported back to me that The lady is very happy with her bike. She told Don "It had not ridden that well in years".

Above: OOPS! I forgot to include this. I replaced the front left cantilever arm. (the one with the anchor point) The original was damaged, it was easier to replace it than to attempt repairing it. My replacement is the same size and basically the same design. However it was painted black. So I sanded off most of the black finish and now it does not look out of place. And it works great!
Above: Getting back to the dirt roads sprayed with chloride for "dust control" for a moment. Above you can see where this mud ate right through the paint. The message here is "If you ride on a dirt road that is sprayed with chloride for Dust-Control, Then you better be practicing good Rust Control!"

Above: In other news, I have made a few changes to the classic style fixed gear bike. I have installed a new brown Charge spoon saddle and some very comfortable and stylish ergo grips. I think I am going to remove the brake to give it a cleaner look.

Above: Coming soon "Raleigh Teton Mountain Touring" restoration. And a 15 to 18 speed conversion. Easier and cheaper than you might think. Until next time Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always... RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh

ATTENTION AMAZON SHOPPERS!! You can help Support This Blog by simply logging onto Amazon dot com using the Amazon Search Box located at the Top Right Corner of This Page. It will not effect your cost and I will receive a small commission. Thanks for your support, Hugh

Rusty Raleigh Sprite Restoration Part 3

Hello and Welcome, It has been a while since I updated the blog, for this I apologize. The weather has been insufferable and has really been "wearing me down". I have been getting up early and working before it gets too hot to do anything. By the time I get the tools put away, (usually around 1 or 2 pm) I am soaked in sweat and exhausted. I find it impossible to write when I am completely drained. Today I quit early and turned on the a.c. So I am feeling pretty good today. Below is a picture of the Rusty Raleigh where I left off on my last post.

Above: I convinced myself that the front fender would not be a problem because it looks pretty much the same as it did when the bike arrived. lol Yeah right. We will get back to that in a little while.

Above: I was sure I had a set of English 26 tpi thread quill pedals. It turns out I used them on another project. So I decided to try to salvage the original pedals. They came out much better than I expected. And considering this is an old style Raleigh upright touring bicycle, I think it would look better to have the correct block pedals. Besides they have that really cool Raleigh logo molded into the blocks.

Above: I think these block pedals look really good on an old English 3 speed bike. This is definitely not a 3 speed, but is in that same classic English style. The restoration is coming together nicely, especially considering all the time this bike has spent out in the weather.

The new Kenda gum wall tires look fantastic. The rear tire cleared the fender with out a problem. The front tire rubbed the lower back inside of the fender or mud-guard badly. (no real surprise there) My first idea was to change the struts. I do have some salvaged struts I have been saving for just such an occasion. Unfortunately none of them were any longer than the original struts. My next thought was to fashion some sort of a "strut extension".

Above: Digging through my miscellaneous small parts I found these L shaped brackets. First I flattened them out on the anvil part of my shop vise using my Ball Pein Hammer. Now I have a flat piece of metal with an elongated hole at one end. Holding the piece up to the strut mount it looked like I just needed the end with the elongated hole "on the now flat bracket" to extend the strut. So I cut it off using a hacksaw and fortunately it worked perfectly.

Above: Just like the pedals, I had no plans of restoring the original touring brake levers. I had decided that I would use the brake levers off my unrestored 1964 Raleigh Sports 3 speed. As luck would have it, I was not able to locate one of the levers. So I had to try to reuse the original brake levers. First I cleaned up the outer body and lever handle using the fine brass wheel brush on the 18 volt rechargeable drill. This actually worked out real well.

Above: To clean out the inside of the body or frame I dug out the spider sacks using a very small slotted screw driver. Then cleaned it up using a Q tip with a little Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover on the tip.

Above: The constrictor clamps on the brake levers were badly rusted. I tried to remove the rust using the brass wheel brush with very little success. First I should mention that I wanted to replace the clamps with clamps from salvaged levers. But I had none that were big enough. This is another first. I used the small angle grinder to remove the rust. Carefully using the underside of the grinding wheel. It actually worked pretty good. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Above: As for grips, I planned on using these Dimension cork grips with a good coat of shellack. The touring handlebars were just too fat for the cork grips. The grip split as I carefully tried to make it fit. I will try to glue the crack and use the cork grips on another project. So for a temporary solution I borrowed a set of white grips off another bike. I have since replaced them with black grips that are not original. But they are the same "smaller size" and are much more comfortable than the originals. So it is a change I can live with.

Above: This wonderful "period correct" bicycle tool bag came in on a Schwinn World. After a good cleaning inside and out and some "Bear Grease" on the leather, it looks fantastic. I hope Brian leaves it on there, because it really does look good and correct on this style bike.

Above: The Raleigh decals that were generously donated for this project by Darrell Yarborough from "Bent Wrench Restorations" in Arlington Hts. IL look great. Thanks Darrell. I did not get them perfectly straight, but I think I did ok. Unlike wet decals, You really need to get these right the first time. So my advice is, Put these on before you drink your morning coffee :)

Above: As usual I used Jag Wire X Caliper brake shoes, cables and cable housings. A good tip to remember: When you cut the housings for the stem mount shift cables make sure you cut them both the exact same size. And cut them just long enough for the cable to move smoothly through the housing. I have seen them cut (1) way too long or (2) way too short or (3) cut different lengths altogether. None of those three will look professional. And as always put a drop or two (depending on housing length) of clean cable oil in each housing before you insert the cable.

Above: Another first for me. The gold detail around the lugs and on the fender tips. I used Testors gold enamel purchased from Tower Hobbies online. I also purchased a set of camel hair paint brushes from Tower. This is another project you might want to try Before you drink a lot of coffee! Because the original fenders on this model year are kind of plain Brian (the owner) and myself decided to "dress up" the fenders a bit with a little gold detail.

Above: A shot of the front fender tip gold detail. I do have a little touch up to do, but overall I am pleased with how the gold enamel came out.

Above: My favorite Raleigh decal and the rear fender tip detail.

Above: The Raleigh as is it looks right now. (seriously I just took this pic moments ago) Do not stress out over the saddle, it is temporary. No worries! Brian has ordered a Brooks saddle for the faithful steed.

Above: Just a reminder of where we started. It has been one amazing ride!

UPDATE: The formerly Rusty Raleigh Sprite shown with Brian's Brooks Saddle. Excellent Choice, Well Done Brian!
Until next time, RIDE SAFE and remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

ATTENTION AMAZON SHOPPERS!! You can help Support This Blog by simply logging onto Amazon dot com using the Amazon Search Box located at the Top Right Corner of This Page. It will not effect your cost and I will receive a small commission. Thanks for your support, Hugh

Rusty Raleigh Sprite Restoration Part 2

Hello and welcome, As for where we left off on the rusty Raleigh Sprite restoration, let's see... I had pretty much finished sanding down the lugged frame for primer at the end of the last post.

Also I had found a replacement for the rust damaged fork. As for the bicycle fenders "and the replacement fork" they were sanded down primed and painted. And I located (in the shop/garage) replacement wheels, side pull brake calipers and derailleurs, all in need of refurbishing. But none the less all a huge improvement over what the bike showed up with. First step, touch up the frame and get it primed for paint.

Above: Once I was sure that I had sanded the frame and removed all the original paint and primer. It is now time to clean the frame and get it ready for primer. I use the mineral spirits (above) on a clean rag or paper towel to carefully clean the frame. Next I need to tape-off anything I do not want primed and painted.

Above: I will use this "Scotch Blue Painters Tape" to tape-off or cover anything I do not want painted. I will use the razor or x acto knife to cut the tape exactly where I want it. It is important to use a good quality tape. You do not want to use a cheap masking tape. Painters tape will work much better "in every way". Meaning it will leave cleaner lines where the tape ends and the new paint starts. Also it will remove easily, not leaving adhesive behind like cheap masking tape will often do. So you will definitely want to use a decent painters tape to mask or tape off your project.

Above: I have tried to show you how I cut along the edge of the head badge by marking this with a dotted line. This is where the "Hobby knife" or X-Acto Knife is a must. This badge is riveted with solid brass rivets. I have more confidence in my taping and cutting skills than I do in my badge rivet removal skills. So "for this time anyway" I will attempt to tape-off the head badge.

Above: Here I have taped-off the bottom bracket shell. I do not want any more paint on the threads. I also taped-off the head set cups. I do not yet own a proper headset cup removal tool. I also taped off the threaded studs on the rear drop outs. (rear fender mount)Now I am ready for primer.

Above: I chose to go with a black sand able primer. The finish paint will be a glossy black Rust Oleum enamel. So with the black primer hopefully any future stone chips will be less visible. You do not want to mix enamel and lacquer so read the paint and primer cans very carefully. If you have any doubts ask questions. Pay particular attention to the humidity information on the can. I only use one brand of paint and that is Rust-Oleum. So I really can not comment on other brands. Two things you want to remember when painting or priming are Always fog coat the paint. In other words do not try to get all the paint on at once. And second Never start or stop spraying directly over the object you are painting. And keep the can moving when spraying. and shake the can well and often. (I`m pretty sure that was more than two things..lol) All the info about preventing and dealing with clogs is printed on the cans, So read it.

Above: If your inexperienced I would recommend you prime and paint the road bike fork first. This way, if you screw it up it is much easier to re prep the fork than to re prep the frame. And be patient. More paint jobs have been ruined by rushing the job than anything else. At least that was my experience as a youth. The re-spray or second coat times will also be listed on the cans. If you are going to open-air paint check the conditions carefully. You do not want to open air paint when the cotton wood seeds are blowing around or the air is filled with insects, ash or blowing leaves. If your in a bad location you may want to build a D.I.Y. paint booth. (See You-tube)

Above: Right after I finished the second coat of paint the cotton wood seeds started blowing around. So I picked-up the Park PCS 9 work stand and all and moved it into the shop to cure for a while. Once it was "dry to the touch" I placed it back outside in the sun to dry some more. I give the paint 72 hours min. to dry before re-assembly. The touring fenders and fork because they were painted first, got much more "curing time" than that.

Above: Here I have begun re assembly. I have tilted the frame to make it easier to keep the free drive-side crank bearings in place while installing the bottom bracket axle. By no means has this paint hardened all the way. So I am extra careful during re assembly not to nick the paint.

Above: Here is the 10 speed double road crankset re assembled and installed with new cotter pins, minus the badly rusted chain ring guard. Above: New mounting screws and washers (and sanding the fender struts) gives the fender a real fresh look when finished. We (the owner and myself) have decided not to paint the rear fender tip white.

Above: A shot of the front fender mounted. I am very pleased with the way the replacement wheels cleaned -up. Particularly the way the hub flanges match. Although (because of the pie plate) this can only be seen from the left side.

Above: I ran into an unexpected problem with the salvaged replacement brake calipers. They were not quite wide enough to reach around the fenders. So I took the originals apart and polished the arms. Then I used the hardware (post, springs, barrel adjusters etc.) from some salvaged calipers to build new calipers (well sort of) This is cool because now the brakes look original. And for the most part they are. Above: The re manufactured rear brake caliper looking pretty spiffy if I may say so myself. The only thing I did notice doing this is... The nut behind the acorn nut on the post is wider (thicker) than the original. This makes it so that the acorn nut does nut thread on all the way. I will take the rusty (thinner) original nuts to Peter's hardware for matching replacements. Other than that there was no problem re manufacturing the calipers with the borrowed parts.

Above: The bike is coming along nicely. I have new Kenda gum walls and grips on order which should arrive by early next week. I am working on getting a set of English thread touring pedals. Hopefully I can locate a set that won`t break the bank. If you know of a reasonably priced set on e bay or elsewhere please forward the add.

Above: The rusty Raleigh has come a long way. And it has been a real learning experience for me, That's for sure! I hope to get it wrapped up on the next post. Sorry for the delay. I have been feeling a little "under the weather" Today is the first day I have felt really good in a week or so. So hopefully I`m through with that nonsense for a while. Until next time RIDE SAFE and Remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh