Commuting - Beater questions

I found an old ten-speed Raleigh in a trash bin and have fixed it up enough to ride (inspired by many of the stories here on the forum). I have a couple of questions; I hope someone could help.

1) Will the back tire hold up under weight (clothes, lunch, beer, dog food, etc)? I think the bike is from the late 70's early 80s. The rear wheel has 36 spokes. When I rode a dept store bike I kept breaking spokes and I wonder if the same will happen with this old road bike.

2) I've never had a road bike. I find the rear brake slows me down, but nothing like my MTB rear brake (v-brake). Is this normal for caliper brakes or have I done something wrong (I did replace the pads and adjusted it so the pads are close to the rim). The front brake is great.

I don't think its such a great fit - it seems a little small, but as you can tell I don't know anything about road bikes. I get a sore left wrist after about 10 kms. But I've had fun fixing it up, I LOVE that I don't worry about locking it up anywhere, and I feel kinda proud to recycle something that otherwise would be rotting in a landfill. I'd like to put 1000 kms on it!

Thanks in advance for your help. And thanks to all who have shared their beater stories and photos.

R

As far as a beater commuter, it sounds fine. Does it have eyelets for fenders and racks?
The rim is probably steel, and should hold up fine if the spokes are properly tensioned.
You could always have your LBS check it out.

For the brakes, you should try relying on the front brake a little more. Article (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html) by Sheldon B.

If you've never ridden a road bike, you should spend a few months on this one - and
before too long, you'll know exactly what you need when you're ready for an upgrade.

You could post photos of this bike in the Classic & Vintage forum, and folks could tell you
more about your particular Raleigh.

Happy Riding!

Hey Jack,

Thanks for the response - yes, it already had a rack on it (bonus). I hadn't thought of the steel rims. I did see the article by Sheldon on front braking a couple of weeks ago and have been practising.

R

The strength of the wheel is mainly down to how well it is built, the spoke tension should be correct and even. If it was good to start with, it should be OK.
1970s cheap caliper brakes are not very good. Modern ones are much better. I upgraded my old ones for Shimano dual pivot calipers and it made a huge difference to my confidence on the bike.
Rear brakes don't do very much, most braking should be done at the front.

I found an old ten-speed Raleigh in a trash bin and have fixed it up enough to ride (inspired by many of the stories here on the forum). I have a couple of questions; I hope someone could help.

1) Will the back tire hold up under weight (clothes, lunch, beer, dog food, etc)? I think the bike is from the late 70's early 80s. The rear wheel has 36 spokes. When I rode a dept store bike I kept breaking spokes and I wonder if the same will happen with this old road bike.
GIVEN THAT THE BETTER MATERIALS USED THEN AND THE HIGHER SPOKE COUNT YOU HAVE A STRONG
WHEEL.

2) I've never had a road bike. I find the rear brake slows me down, but nothing like my MTB rear brake (v-brake). Is this normal for caliper brakes or have I done something wrong (I did replace the pads and adjusted it so the pads are close to the rim). The front brake is great.
CHECK FOR DRAG OR OUT OF TRUE WHEEL DRAGGING ON THE RIM. LOOK INTO UPGRADING THE BRAKES

I don't think its such a great fit - it seems a little small, but as you can tell I don't know anything about road bikes. I get a sore left wrist after about 10 kms. But I've had fun fixing it up, I LOVE that I don't worry about locking it up anywhere, and I feel kinda proud to recycle something that otherwise would be rotting in a landfill. I'd like to put 1000 kms on it!
CHECK YOU RIDING POSTURE. ARE YOU LEANING LEFT? IF NOT THEN YOU CAN RAISE THE BARS WITH
AN ADJUSTABLE STEM.

Thanks in advance for your help. And thanks to all who have shared their beater stories and photos.
FOR THE PRICE YOU PAID YOU CAN AFFORD A FEW IMPROVEMENTS TO A GOOD STEEL FRAMED BIKE.

R

*****

Don't be apolologetic about owning a beater. If it wasn't for my 2 beaters, I would not know what to ask for in the new bike I eventually purchased. I still own one of them (and people still laugh at it.)

As far as the saddle if you've got an old post mount (I'd assume it's that) you can often flip the mount upside down & backwards to give you a few extra inches back (I like to ride with the seat a bit further back than stock on many of the older road bikes as I have gorilla arms). This can really help keep you from feeling "wedged" into the handlebars and lower the pressure on your arms/wrists if that might be the problem. Otherwise (and this it might seem trivial) make sure your handlebars are relatively strait/unbent. A LOT of times on older bikes when someone has a complaint like that and I look over the bike I actually see a noticeable bend on one side of the bar. It's definately not a dealbreaker as it's awfully cheap (read: free) to find a new bar at your nearest local dumpster these days.

It sure is a small freakin' world! I just today "inherited" a Fuji Royale from (I think) the mid-1980s. Like the OP, Ronocerous, I have not ridden a road bike for many years (30 in my case). This Fuji weighs a ton but I like the way it rides, and it feels very sturdy. The frame is huge as the original owner was about6'5", and this is intimidating. I also had a hard time with the shifters on the down tube. Like OP, I found the brakes to be pretty weak. Also, like OP, my wrists hurt after an hour of riding, so I was interested in Tightwad's post. All in all, I didn't feel very safe on this bike for my first ride, but I liked it enough to stick with it for a while. I will be using it 4 days a month when I visit my dad up north.

Any tips or suggestions for shifting this old beast? I get a little wobbly every time I take my hand off to shift. Also, does Tightwad or anyone have more info on this wrist pain? I will look to see if the bar is bent. Would bar tape help? Is it just me, or is the brake position real awkward? Is old rubber likely to blow? You all should check Patriot's new old bike on a thread that's up now on this forum.