Above: This is the other Raleigh "Capri" (after restoration) I was referring to during the Raleigh Record restoration. It was a real disappointment the day I picked it up. Having seen it on Craigslist, and only in a small photograph. I expected it to look much better than it did. One thing about bikes is that "they photograph well" If you are considering purchasing a bike via the internet. If the photographs are small, You should demand that the owner send you bigger photographs. These should include "detail shots" of all the major components.
All the alloy including the crank, stem & brake calipers had been exposed so long the alloy had turned white. The chain was rusted into basically 1 piece. The chrome all had what I call "deep rust". After a while you become pretty good at grading rust. And the rust on this bike was about as bad as it gets. The derailleurs were beyond saving. In fact the only thing that looked worth saving was the frame. And I was not 100% sure about that. The paint was flat but "all there" for the most part. And the decals looked pretty good. I used Meguiar`s Cleaner Polish to bring the paint back to life. As for the paint chips I used black fingernail polish.
Above: The Handlebars (Raleigh USA engraved) are off the Raleigh donor bike that I bought for the wheels. (for the MotoBecane)And the Stem came off the Fuji mixte.The Zifal frame pump is a take-off from one of my recent projects. Notice the cable guide under the down tube.It has a front wheel lock or clip. This is also off the donor bike which was a woman`s "Pursuit" model. The wheel clip or lock is something I doubt you would ever see on a stock Capri. I just know I`m gonna get an e-mail or comment about the correct name for the wheel-clip/lock/brake. At least I hope I do. (: The Cork infused tape is Cinelli. And the brake-levers are also from my stock of salvaged parts. I think they are Dia-Compe "Regulars".
Above: The rear rack is off the Blue Schwinn Continental I restored a while back. The Avocet Saddle is off the MotoBecane "Special Sport". The used seat-post is from my stock. And the chrome collar-clamp bolt is also off the Pursuit. The rear brake
is a "Chang-Star" knock-off of the front Dia Compe side-pull caliper brake. Both from my stock of salvaged parts. As you can see, I tried to re-cycled as many re-conditioned parts as possible.
Above: The rear derailleur is also a re-conditioned Sun-Tour from my stock. And yes I did eventually trim the cable and put on a crimp-on cable tip.I also cleaned up the drop-out and removed a few chain links. The wheel-set is off another Raleigh Capri that came in for a wheel upgrade. And the owner was kind enough to donate the old wheels to the cause. The wheels got polished and trued and the axles and bearings were removed, de greased and re-built with new bearings for the front.
Above: There are some things I rarely (if ever) recycle. I always replace the tires
and inspect the inner-tubes. If the tube leaks or has been patched I discard it. The cables always get replaced. Cables are cheap. When ever I tried to re-use them (in the past) one would always snap. Not worth the aggravation or the risk. Best to replace them,if you can. And brake shoes, same story. Sure you can sand them and they might not squeak (for a while). But for the cost, (in bulk) better to replace them. And you CAN get decent brake shoes in bulk. I always use Jag-Wire shoes on the vintage road bikes "when possible." And I always re-build the head-set and bottom bracket. And inspect the cups carefully and replace them (and the bearings)if the cups are scored. Usually they are re-usable.
above: A better shot of the front wheel clip / lock / brake. lol One of those might be the correct name. Right Now I am building what I like to call a "Road Warrior". I have spotted a few these around and thought I would like to build one for myself.
Nice to do something different. That reminds me, I need to take some pics.
Till Next Time, Ride Safe and remember to always RESCUE,RESTORE&RECYCLE!
Cheers,Hugh
I reuse brake cable if it isn't old. I use the old rear for the front and discard the old front. I'm on my third set of cables on my cross bike in 1.5 years. I favor Kool Stop pads.
ReplyDeleteWhen we sold those "wheel clips", back in the mid 90s, they were branded as "FlikStand", as I recall.
ReplyDeleteHey Hugh,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bike, it might be a frankenstein but I'd gladly ride it.
Needs a bell though. There's no reason not to let people know you're passing (unless you're a ninja cyclist).
Love the blog. Keep em coming.
Hey Steve,
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely the way to go if your going to re-cycle a cable. I have done it that way on my own bikes.
Speaking of pads. I need to find a more modern set, that will fit my "Mafac Racer" brakes on the MotoBecane.
Sorry for the late response. I finished "Franken-Bike" tonight. I was on a roll and did not want to stop.
Thanks Jon,
ReplyDeleteI was hoping someone would come up with a name
for those. An awesome name it is too! Flick-Stand (:
Hey Haircut,
ReplyDeleteFunny thing.I was just thinking the other day about taking the bell off the un-restored KTM and using it on the Motobecane.
If you like the "Other Raleigh" You`ll love the bike I finished tonight. I was going to call it a Road-Warior. But it seems the name is taken. So I`m gonna call it Franken-Bike. I should be posting it by the weekend.
Thanks again, Hugh
I am looking for a collector so I can sell what appears to me to be a mid-80's model Raleigh pursuit. Contact me if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kaci,
ReplyDeleteDue to shipping cost it is just not financially responsible for me to purchase bikes from out of state. If I may suggest, you might want to post it on Craigs-list in your area. You will have a better chance of success
if you include some photographs (with close-ups). And include as much information about the bike as possible. For pricing look for similar bikes for sale in your area on Craig's-list. I don`t use my personal phone number when selling online. And I strongly recommend you do not either.
I wish you were close by as Raleigh is one of my favorite bikes. I know I have a few readers who reside in Texas. Maybe one of them will see this. You could also post it on the Hughs Bicycle Blog "Face-Book page" if you like. The link in in the right column near the top just click on the logo. Good Luck with your sale. Cheers, Hugh
This bike looks much like my first 10-speed Raleigh, from around 1983. It was a boys' size and had the same black paint and logo, and also had the inner bar brake handles. But it was a youth size frame. I have no idea what model it was...wish I knew today. Nice seeing your post, it made me think back to that old bike I had. I only had it for three years and then sold it cause I outgrew it.
ReplyDelete