Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - The Historian's 'Garage Queen'

I picked up a Raleigh Pursuit last weekend at a Boy Scout sale for 5 dollars. I don't have photos of it yet, but here's what it features:

27 inch wheels.

double chainring

downtube shifters

additional brake levers that operate from the hoods

steel frame

quick release skewers on the wheels, with an additional 'catch' to release the front wheel.

tan/brown color scheme. There's a logo on the saddle that says "canyon cycles", possibly the shop that sold it.

The bike appears to be in good shape, aside from dirt, dust, and a gunked up drivetrain. Living where I do I'd regret not having a triple, and if I make it road worthy I'd get standard shifters instead of the downtube ones. I could live with the 27 inch wheels if need be. Is this worth 'pursuing', or not? I think it might make a fine touring bike.

My thanks to Neil F., for calling attention to the bike and guessing that it would probably fit me.

Downtube shifters are fine and you might find a rear freewheel to suit your climbng needs. If the "fit" is ok then it is definitely worth pursuing. Nice bikes nowadays come with a "nice price"!!!!!!!!

Great find!! I need to finish a few of mine!

Great find!! I need to finish a few of mine!

Any advice folks have for me, I'll take with thanks.

Downtube shifters are fine and you might find a rear freewheel to suit your climbing needs. If the "fit" is ok then it is definitely worth pursuing. Nice bikes nowadays come with a "nice price"!!!!!!!!

The fit seems to be OK. The top tube is about crotch height, but so is the TT on my Trek 7.5 fx. The saddle needs to be raised, and perhaps the seatpost replaced, but the basic frame size seems to be close. Road frames should be a little larger than MTB ones, I think. Also, as I lose weight the bike should fit me better, since I will become more flexible.

It does have ugly plastic pedals, however. Those have to go. :-)

Sounds like a bargain whatever way you look at it:) I'd say go for it and dn't forget to keep us posted with the progress, especially the pics! You don't know what tubing it is or anthing like that? I have a Raleigh from the early 90's with 531c tubing thats a dream. If you need a hand with workin on it, i would be able to helpi think, although you have a room full to the brim of experts in the mechanics and vintage forums:) take it easy and enjoy the new project

5$?!!! What a great find, even if it costs you $100 to get 'er into riding shape.

What size is it?

Sounds like a bargain whatever way you look at it:) I'd say go for it and dn't forget to keep us posted with the progress, especially the pics! You don't know what tubing it is or anthing like that? I have a Raleigh from the early 90's with 531c tubing thats a dream. If you need a hand with workin on it, i would be able to helpi think, although you have a room full to the brim of experts in the mechanics and vintage forums:) take it easy and enjoy the new project

Thanks. I've attached a photo of the same model bike from a Craigslist ad. My bike does NOT have the rack or the modern brake/shifting levers, but it has the same paint job.

Additional identification details: the frame is labeled 502 Chromo-moly, and there's an "official supplier USA Cycling" stamp on the downtube. The bike comes with a kickstand.

BTW, this thing was so neglected it still has the original tires, and they are practically unworn!

How much to replace the downtube shifters with standard road bike shifting and brakes? And how much to replace the drivetrain with a triple? If I can get the drivetrain clean, and it's in good shape, I may leave it as a double chainring, but that makes it pretty useless around here. The derailer is a Shimano, but I can't tell the model. It looks original issue, however.

5$?!!! What a great find, even if it costs you $100 to get 'er into riding shape.

What size is it?

I can't tell. There's no frame size listed on it. I'm guessing a 21", since Raleigh didn't make 20s, and it's slightly larger than my 20" Trek.

Downtube shifters are fine and you might find a rear freewheel to suit your climbng needs. If the "fit" is ok then it is definitely worth pursuing. Nice bikes nowadays come with a "nice price"!!!!!!!!

My mistake. The shifters are on the stem, not the downtube. I can't tell how well they work until 20 years of dust and dirt are removed from the drivetrain.

That's a nice find! What's your plan for the bike other than upgrades/repairs?

V

Five dollar Raleighs are great, no? Here's mine;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/418403384_272bfe5519.jpg

This one was free;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/419599327_a5b940a000.jpg

This one was free to me;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/419591357_4dd46257d0.jpg

My cousin bought it for $35 bucks from a guy he works with and gave it to me. I gave it to my little brother who is 6"7 and needed a tall bike.

Sorry to jack your thread, but it seemed on topic.

That's a nice find! What's your plan for the bike other than upgrades/repairs?

V


The verdict from a mechanic who examined the bike this afternoon:

Clean it up and lube it. Add extenders to the pedals - important for me, otherwise I'll hurt my knees. Bring it back for a proper fitting so I can get dialed in. Consider it my foul-weather bike. Use it on paved rail-trails and flat charity rides like the MS City to Shore I'm riding in September. Possibly replace the cables, although these seem OK. Carry a wrench in case of a flat on the rear wheel.

Improvements to consider at some point:

A rear wheel with a QR

bar end shifters, or STI if I want to invest in them, although stem shifters work OK.

wider handlebars - this has nothing to do with THIS bike, but just an observation in general. I'm very wide shouldered, but hunched from my scoliosis. Switching to a wider set of bars on a road bike will spread my shoulders and expand my chest cavity.

Nice find, Neil. I picked up a Raleigh Sportif last year and I really like riding it.

Looks like a 58CM sized frame, Neil....

Nice find, by the way. :D

Also, it looks like you have the brake reach to switch it over to 700c if you ever feel the need. ;) If you do, just get some NOS 36 spoke 126 MM spacing hubs and lace up a set of Deep V's. ;)




I can't tell. There's no frame size listed on it. I'm guessing a 21", since Raleigh didn't make 20s, and it's slightly larger than my 20" Trek.

About twenty years ago I rode a bike to work. It was only about 6 or 7 miles and I really enjoyed it. Untill my bike got stolen that is. A few days after mine was stolen I bought a beat up Schwinn Collegiate for Five Bucks. It too was stolen after a few months. Went back to Goodwill and found another old Schwinn for Five bucks. This one lasted nearly six months before it was stolen. The crazy part is that I had become rather disgruntled with it and was kind of hoping it would get stolen. Over about four years I went through about ten bikes. Except for the first they were always Five Bucks. Only after I rode the newest one for a couple of weeks and decided I liked it did I invest in brake pads and perform a minimal tune up. Funny thing was after the first couple bikes got stolen I began to look forward to the next theft just so I had a reason to find a new ride!

cool find. you'll be perfectly fine with downtube shifters.

The verdict from a mechanic who examined the bike this afternoon:

Clean it up and lube it. Add extenders to the pedals - important for me, otherwise I'll hurt my knees. Bring it back for a proper fitting so I can get dialed in. Consider it my foul-weather bike. Use it on paved rail-trails and flat charity rides like the MS City to Shore I'm riding in September. Possibly replace the cables, although these seem OK. Carry a wrench in case of a flat on the rear wheel.

Improvements to consider at some point:

A rear wheel with a QR

bar end shifters, or STI if I want to invest in them, although stem shifters work OK.

wider handlebars - this has nothing to do with THIS bike, but just an observation in general. I'm very wide shouldered, but hunched from my scoliosis. Switching to a wider set of bars on a road bike will spread my shoulders and expand my chest cavity.

Excellent ideas! Are your brake levers the same as the ones in the Craiglist Pic? They call those "suicide levers". If you have those, dont get in the habit of grabbing the top lever to brake even though it is fairly handy and easy to reach when your hands are on top . You can apply much more braking power with the lower levers. Some folks even remove the top lever .

Excellent ideas! Are your brake levers the same as the ones in the Craiglist Pic? They call those "suicide levers". If you have those, dont get in the habit of grabbing the top lever to brake even though it is fairly handy and easy to reach when your hands are on top . You can apply much more braking power with the lower levers. Some folks even remove the top lever .

Yes, Sir Walter - I've named the bike, folks! - has the suicide levers. I'll keep them until I get balanced enough to ride in the drops.

At the moment Sir Walter is prisoner in the Tower of Lon-, err, the trunk of my car, awaiting transfer to the garage so I can scrub down the drivetrain. Now to find tubes for a 27 inch wheel....

This purchase gives me three bikes:

Excelsior, the Trek Navigator 3.0
Roark, the Trek 7.5 fx
Sir Walter, the Raleigh Pursuit

and the Wussy Wagon, the Yakima single wheel trailer.

Five dollar Raleighs are great, no? Here's mine;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/418403384_272bfe5519.jpg

This one was free;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/419599327_a5b940a000.jpg

This one was free to me;

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/419591357_4dd46257d0.jpg

My cousin bought it for $35 bucks from a guy he works with and gave it to me. I gave it to my little brother who is 6"7 and needed a tall bike.

Sorry to jack your thread, but it seemed on topic.

I should be jealous, but having scored my own bargain ride, I'm not. :D

Yes, Sir Walter - I've named the bike, folks! - has the suicide levers. I'll keep them until I get balanced enough to ride in the drops.

At the moment Sir Walter is prisoner in the Tower of Lon-, err, the trunk of my car, awaiting transfer to the garage so I can scrub down the drivetrain. Now to find tubes for a 27 inch wheel....

This purchase gives me three bikes:

Excelsior, the Trek Navigator 3.0
Roark, the Trek 7.5 fx
Sir Walter, the Raleigh Pursuit

and the Wussy Wagon, the Yakima single wheel trailer.

Actually rather then the suicide levers, what you want to do, is get a set of hoods, those rubber pieces that fit over the brake lever posts, then train yourself to be able to pull the levers from the newly installed hoods, you will need to re-tape the bars when you install the hoods, but if the bike is THAT dirty, you probably want new tape anyway. The biggest problem with suicide levers isn't related to braking, it's that you tend to grab the bars where it's convenient to get at the suicide levers, and you have much less steering control then if you grab the bars further out (less leverage), the hoods are a good compromise, far enough out that you can steer properly, and if need be, you can drop down to grab the levers properly quickly. Don't be quick about changing the shifters, stem shifters like downtube and bar end shifters are very simple mechanisms, and pretty much indestructible, you may not have indexing on those, but it doesn't take long to learn how far to go between shifts to get it to work properly, and the ability to fine tune shifts, means a lot less goofing with cable adjustments.

Enjoy, Sir Walter, once you get used to it, your other bikes will start feeling jealous,

As for 27" tubes, most bigger stores will have them, heck sometimes places like target and wallymart will have them.

700c Schraeder valve tubes will also work just fine. There's only 4MM difference in the diameter, and if you can't get schraeder valve tubes, you can get a little rubber insert grommet to adapt a schraeder hole for a presta valve stem. No worries.

Actually, 27" is a good size if yu are going to be in areas where bike shops are very limited, because you can always get a 27" tire anywhere from Walmart to Western Auto for a few bucks. ;)

Walmart, Target and Kmart will ALWAYS have 27" tubes though.


Actually rather then the suicide levers, what you want to do, is get a set of hoods, those rubber pieces that fit over the brake lever posts, then train yourself to be able to pull the levers from the newly installed hoods, you will need to re-tape the bars when you install the hoods, but if the bike is THAT dirty, you probably want new tape anyway. The biggest problem with suicide levers isn't related to braking, it's that you tend to grab the bars where it's convenient to get at the suicide levers, and you have much less steering control then if you grab the bars further out (less leverage), the hoods are a good compromise, far enough out that you can steer properly, and if need be, you can drop down to grab the levers properly quickly. Don't be quick about changing the shifters, stem shifters like downtube and bar end shifters are very simple mechanisms, and pretty much indestructible, you may not have indexing on those, but it doesn't take long to learn how far to go between shifts to get it to work properly, and the ability to fine tune shifts, means a lot less goofing with cable adjustments.

Enjoy, Sir Walter, once you get used to it, your other bikes will start feeling jealous,

As for 27" tubes, most bigger stores will have them, heck sometimes places like target and wallymart will have them.

I did something similar recently -- I bought a late-70's Nishiki 10-speed (steel, lugged, friction downtube shifters, 27" wheels, etc). I bought it to have something I can tinker with, but without fear of doing permanent damage to my "nice" bike.

I'm thinking about painting the frame. This would be good motivation to tear it down to component parts, then (hopefully!) reassemble with a minimum of left-overs ;).

Ya know, my red Raleigh that I just sold was named Sir Walter as well. Good to have another on the forum again. :D


Yes, Sir Walter - I've named the bike, folks! - has the suicide levers. I'll keep them until I get balanced enough to ride in the drops.

At the moment Sir Walter is prisoner in the Tower of Lon-, err, the trunk of my car, awaiting transfer to the garage so I can scrub down the drivetrain. Now to find tubes for a 27 inch wheel....

This purchase gives me three bikes:

Excelsior, the Trek Navigator 3.0
Roark, the Trek 7.5 fx
Sir Walter, the Raleigh Pursuit

and the Wussy Wagon, the Yakima single wheel trailer.

Nice Score!
I'm sure I have some extra rear quick releases around in my growing pile of Bike parts. Drop me a note via pm or on the Phoenix list if you want one. I might have some other parts you'd be interested as well.

As for the tubes, Performance always has 700cc schrader tubes usually on sale for $3.50 a piece. That's where i get all mine.

Wow, coincidence.

I just picked up a Raleigh Gran Sport (edit: sport, not Prix) women's bike for my 9 year old daughter. It wasn't $5, more like $35 off of CL. Needed a new set of pedals, new saddle, and new bar tape plus a bit of adjustment. I can't wait to get her out there on a road bike with me. We've been putt putting along since she has been on a comfort bike. I expect to get to work a bit more now.

That's a pretty handsome looking bike there Neil! Did you get the dust and grit off it yet? I'm looking forward to seeing it.

That's a pretty handsome looking bike there Neil! Did you get the dust and grit off it yet? I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Not yet. But you may see it in Harrisburg on the 18th.

Not yet. But you may see it in Harrisburg on the 18th.

Awesome, I'll be there. :)

Awesome, I'll be there. :)

That's strange, I'll be there on that exact same date! Coincidence, or Dannon?

I keep scouring Craig's List hoping for a good buy like that. I have informed SWMBO that I am looking into the idea of a road bike and I think $5 is about the budget she is going to allow at this point!
Have fun with the project and keep us posted--especially pictures of it in action!

I keep scouring Craig's List hoping for a good buy like that. I have informed SWMBO that I am looking into the idea of a road bike and I think $5 is about the budget she is going to allow at this point!
Have fun with the project and keep us posted--especially pictures of it in action!

Some updates, but alas no photos.....

I purchased a water bottle cage for the bike, and a Bike Forums poster is providing a replacement rear wheel with a quick release. Pedal extenders should be in on Tuesday at my local shop. Now to swap out the cables and tires - too much rust on the former, and dry rot on the latter....... Neil F. suggested I take the bike on the Pittsburgh/DC trip, but I'm hesitant to ride a 360 mile tour on a bike I've not had fitted. I'd offer the bike to Neil F, but it's far too big for him.

For the tires, look at Continental Ultrasports. Thoseare what I use on the Schwinn Touring/Commuting bike. :D Great service out of them. 27X1 1/4 are 32 MM wide, BTW.


Some updates, but alas no photos.....

I purchased a water bottle cage for the bike, and a Bike Forums poster is providing a replacement rear wheel with a quick release. Pedal extenders should be in on Tuesday at my local shop. Now to swap out the cables and tires - too much rust on the former, and dry rot on the latter....... Neil F. suggested I take the bike on the Pittsburgh/DC trip, but I'm hesitant to ride a 360 mile tour on a bike I've not had fitted. I'd offer the bike to Neil F, but it's far too big for him.

I'm looking for an old Raleigh 3 spd. There is a store down the road that sells new Raleighs, and I really haven't stopped there but I think I could ride there on my Trek. I'm sure he might have a few old ones or have a line on some folks that do.

I would revitalize it but not ruin it.

Looking.

Some updates, but alas no photos.....

I purchased a water bottle cage for the bike, and a Bike Forums poster is providing a replacement rear wheel with a quick release. Pedal extenders should be in on Tuesday at my local shop. Now to swap out the cables and tires - too much rust on the former, and dry rot on the latter....... Neil F. suggested I take the bike on the Pittsburgh/DC trip, but I'm hesitant to ride a 360 mile tour on a bike I've not had fitted. I'd offer the bike to Neil F, but it's far too big for him.

OK, I have the pedal extenders, and the new cables, but I'm holding off on getting anything else for the Raleigh until after my tour, since I'm not going to work on the bike until after I get back.

Meanwhile, yesterday, near Harrisburg, I was returning from a Team Clydesdale training ride, and noticed a familiar looking object near a dumpster a few hundred feet from "bautieri's" home. As I pulled up to Ben's house, Herb said "did you see that?"

"Yeah, someone's throwing out an old road bike."

So off we went back down the hill. It was a red Schwinn Continental. The frame was in good shape, and there were three 27" wheels with the bike. Initially Herb was going to take the frame, but then had second thoughts. So now I have a second 'garage queen' to work on. However, this one isn't in as good shape as the Raleigh, so it's gonna take a lot of work to restore it.

OK, I have the pedal extenders, and the new cables, but I'm holding off on getting anything else for the Raleigh until after my tour, since I'm not going to work on the bike until after I get back.

Meanwhile, yesterday, near Harrisburg, I was returning from a Team Clydesdale training ride, and noticed a familiar looking object near a dumpster a few hundred feet from "bautieri's" home. As I pulled up to Ben's house, Herb said "did you see that?"

"Yeah, someone's throwing out an old road bike."

So off we went back down the hill. It was a red Schwinn Continental. The frame was in good shape, and there were three 27" wheels with the bike. Initially Herb was going to take the frame, but then had second thoughts. So now I have a second 'garage queen' to work on. However, this one isn't in as good shape as the Raleigh, so it's gonna take a lot of work to restore it.

Hmm, two bikes worth of parts, I would take them both apart, pick the best parts, and build one good bike. Any parts you don't use, you can hang onto, or recycle to someone else.:D

I picked up a Raleigh Pursuit last weekend at a Boy Scout sale for 5 dollars. I don't have photos of it yet, but here's what it features:

27 inch wheels.

double chainring

downtube shifters

additional brake levers that operate from the hoods

steel frame

quick release skewers on the wheels, with an additional 'catch' to release the front wheel.

tan/brown color scheme. There's a logo on the saddle that says "canyon cycles", possibly the shop that sold it.

The bike appears to be in good shape, aside from dirt, dust, and a gunked up drivetrain. Living where I do I'd regret not having a triple, and if I make it road worthy I'd get standard shifters instead of the downtube ones. I could live with the 27 inch wheels if need be. Is this worth 'pursuing', or not? I think it might make a fine touring bike.

My thanks to Neil F., for calling attention to the bike and guessing that it would probably fit me.

I haven't done anything with the Raleigh yet, aside from get a rear wheel with a quick release, but in the meantime here are some photos of the frame.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQh6Y8xrPI/AAAAAAAAAfs/-fItM9dF2Xk/s400/HPIM0416.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQh648xrQI/AAAAAAAAAf0/4fqKMcLDFGM/s400/HPIM0417.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQi1o8xrRI/AAAAAAAAAgA/f84iHazOobM/s400/HPIM0418.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQi2I8xrSI/AAAAAAAAAgI/I0LerOMTNvE/s400/HPIM0419.JPG

Photos of my first dumpster bike, a Schwinn Continental Herb found next to a trash dumpster a few hundred feet from Ben's home outside Harrisburg. Unlike the Raleigh, this is gonna need a bit of work. And a saddle. :) The wheels are 27", and not in great shape. I'm afraid to look at the drivetrain. Opinions? Is this worth the effort to restore?


http://lh5.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQh448xrMI/AAAAAAAAAfU/y-Fv1gxFafI/s400/HPIM0412.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQjsY8xrWI/AAAAAAAAAgs/LMPN5s8bc-I/s400/HPIM0423.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQh5Y8xrNI/AAAAAAAAAfc/7IFsjnwD5EU/s400/HPIM0414.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/neil.thehistorian/SDQh6I8xrOI/AAAAAAAAAfk/heBei0EGZsA/s400/HPIM0415.JPG[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I think the old Continental is worth restoring....just for the fun of it. ;) I used to have one many years ago and I still miss that tank.

Yeah, I think the old Continental is worth restoring....just for the fun of it. ;) I used to have one many years ago and I still miss that tank.

The Continental would have been the bike I would have been riding had I become a cyclist in high school. Unfortunately, I didn't even get to the Schwinn Stingray stage. :)

Photos of my first dumpster bike, a Schwinn Continental Herb found next to a trash dumpster a few hundred feet from Ben's home outside Harrisburg. Unlike the Raleigh, this is gonna need a bit of work. And a saddle. :) The wheels are 27", and not in great shape. I'm afraid to look at the drivetrain. Opinions? Is this worth the effort to restore?
]

Looks like an Ashtabula crank, realise that if it is, then your stuck using a very heavy one piece crank, or you need a conversion set to a modern 3 piece crank, Harris Cyclery has one here (http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/opc.html#opc) but it's not cheap, they also have other parts for these cranks.

I would strip it to the frame, and check for rust, and other problems, if it's good, and the frame + fork is under 7lbs or so, then it would be worth putting some money into, try and find a set of decals for it, or take good photos of all the decals and get some custom made. Powder coat the frame, then build it back up. Rebuild the hubs and head set, if it has steel rims, then replace those with a set of AL rims (you can swap rims using the same spokes and hubs, fairly easily), true up the wheels, new tires, tubes, brake pads, cables, housings, bar tape add a nice brooks, and you got a nice old school bike that is better then new......

Use Naval Jelly to derust the chrome on that old Ashtabula Crank. Then put a thin coat of wax over it. The crank and wheel bearings will be loose race and cone bearings.

Make sure the headset turns freely, and put some alloy wheels on it. If you have the 4 MM adjustment, I'd look at some 700c wheels on the appropriate hubs, just to get more tire choices, and maybe a 6 speed Schimano freewheel as the Regina Squaretooth on it will be clunky as all get out on the shiftine. ;)

I may have a SunTour rear dérailleur for the back lying around to replace that terrible old Huret. ;)

Wow - sorry I missed this earlier! Congrats on both the finds!

I'd say if you have the room more tinkering will only help you down the road. The worst case is either you take a few parts off and return it to the garbage or can fix it up enough that someone else could ride it.

If the cranks are one piece they *probably* take a 1/2" spindle for the pedals (moderns are 9/16"). Means the extenders will be especially hard to find and any sort of replacement pedals as well.

Also if you're looking for tubes from Nashbar or something for the 27" wheels take 700 x 32s - ran those all the time and worked fine.