Classic & Vintage - Just bought my first classic!

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LA Law
06-20-03, 07:10 PM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=420&item=2178829574

My new ride, a 1972 Raleigh. Picked it up for $112 (good price, no?). Looks to be in great condition.

I've always wanted one - this was kind of an impulse purchase. Now, what do I need to know? What's there to read about my new bike? I'm working my way through the Sheldon Brown website, but where else should I look?

I think you guys will be getting well acquainted with my questions in the next few weeks.:beer:

mike
06-20-03, 07:45 PM
Very Nice bike and the ride is worth the money. You could have bought a 1963 Raleigh Grand Champion for $65.00 and it's sister counterpart the Robin Hood right here on BikeForums.

I ended up giving them away. Check out the pics:
LA Law
06-20-03, 07:52 PM
It was actually the condition of the paint that sold me. It looks great.

So where do I begin? I want this to be a bike that I ride all the time to lunch and to do errands. I want to make it run smoothly and well for the least amount of dollars. What are my first projects?

New bearings all around?
New tires (ahem... "tyres")?
22t rear cog?
Gear lever?
brakes? What the hell do I do about the brakes?

mike
06-21-03, 06:04 AM
Raleigh three-speeds were wonderful bikes. I never road anything as late as 1972, but if your bike is anything like the older Raleighs, it should be extremely reliable and a very smooth ride.

You should clean and re-grease all the bearings, including the bottom bracket. It will cost a total of about $3.00 to replace the all the bearings, so you might as well do it when you do the cleaning.

I can't see anything wrong with the brakes from the pics. The bike has traditional side-pull caliper brakes; tried and true. Should be good for what you need. The original brake pads would have been John Bull which are almost impossible to find these days. You can find substitutes an a bike shop.

Keep the trigger shifter. I can't see any reason to change it if it isn't broken.
Scapin
06-21-03, 07:02 AM
Check out www.classicrendezvous.com

They are so deep into classic stuff that they won't even consider my '87 Paramount as it is too new. Have fun!