Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.kenmc
05-16-08, 03:33 AM
Hi,
I've had an old Mcleans 'featherlight' (in name only :D) in the shed for a long time. It was my grandads, I got it about 15 or 16 years ago at this stage, it was old back then too. I am thinking of trying to get it going again to use as a commuter, cos I don't want to get my 'good' (read better) bike thrashed by scumbags in Dublin when it's parked up. Anyway....
There's an old 5 speed sprocket on it, but I remember when I rode it that the wheels were buckled and crappy, so would be looking to replace them - what's the chances of getting a new axle/freehub to fit? I am presuming that it's a 120mm rear spacing, but I have to go dig it out to measure it. I see new road axles are at 130mm so I'd need to coldset the frame.
It has an old style cottered crankset, as well as non-cartridge style cup-and-cone bottom bracket - is it possible to just put a cartridge BB into one of these, cos I hated having to go through the procedure of getting the locknuts set up 'just so'?
The headset is one of the oldstyle quill type ones, but from memory it kept on loosening - is there any sort of retrofit ahead-set type one I could get for it? Again I hated trying to get the two nuts to the right tightness while keeping the steering loose but with no play.
It has down-tube mounted shifters, non indexed but having gotten used to brifters I'd probably be looking to move to these, dunno if I could ever go back to down tubers...
So I'm thinking I'll need:
2x new wheels
new calipers.
new drive train - crankset, cassette, front and rear mechs, chain.
bottom bracket
handlebars
stem
brifters
gear and brake cables
hard to know if it'd be worth it or not, i'd almost certainly be able to buy a new bike for that sort of money... but I'd hate to spend money on a nice new bike to attract attention...
any thoughts? I'll have it out of the shed in a few days and can post pics later on if it helps. I'll also bring it to my LBS and see what they reckon the possibilities are, but just want to get a pre-opinion...
I suppose the first thing to do would be to try coldsetting the frame - if that doesn't work then it's all a moot point!
I've had an old Mcleans 'featherlight' (in name only :D) in the shed for a long time. It was my grandads, I got it about 15 or 16 years ago at this stage, it was old back then too. I am thinking of trying to get it going again to use as a commuter, cos I don't want to get my 'good' (read better) bike thrashed by scumbags in Dublin when it's parked up. Anyway....
There's an old 5 speed sprocket on it, but I remember when I rode it that the wheels were buckled and crappy, so would be looking to replace them - what's the chances of getting a new axle/freehub to fit? I am presuming that it's a 120mm rear spacing, but I have to go dig it out to measure it. I see new road axles are at 130mm so I'd need to coldset the frame.
It has an old style cottered crankset, as well as non-cartridge style cup-and-cone bottom bracket - is it possible to just put a cartridge BB into one of these, cos I hated having to go through the procedure of getting the locknuts set up 'just so'?
The headset is one of the oldstyle quill type ones, but from memory it kept on loosening - is there any sort of retrofit ahead-set type one I could get for it? Again I hated trying to get the two nuts to the right tightness while keeping the steering loose but with no play.
It has down-tube mounted shifters, non indexed but having gotten used to brifters I'd probably be looking to move to these, dunno if I could ever go back to down tubers...
So I'm thinking I'll need:
2x new wheels
new calipers.
new drive train - crankset, cassette, front and rear mechs, chain.
bottom bracket
handlebars
stem
brifters
gear and brake cables
hard to know if it'd be worth it or not, i'd almost certainly be able to buy a new bike for that sort of money... but I'd hate to spend money on a nice new bike to attract attention...
any thoughts? I'll have it out of the shed in a few days and can post pics later on if it helps. I'll also bring it to my LBS and see what they reckon the possibilities are, but just want to get a pre-opinion...
I suppose the first thing to do would be to try coldsetting the frame - if that doesn't work then it's all a moot point!