Classic & Vintage - 1985 Raleigh Alpha Sport Restoration

Here's my new aquisition.

This is all in how i read the serial number
1985 Raleigh Alpha Sport
Made in Nottingham, England
January 1985
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0546.jpg

Measurements etc to come

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0547.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0548.jpg

My Favorite Thing is the way Raleigh looks on the Frame Rail it reminds me of the Original Tron Lettering.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0549.jpg

I'm torn about whether to strip this frame and re powdercoat it or to just try to clean it up.

There is like one place on the frame with a small amount of rust showing. Don't know if i should just clean this spot up and the wash and wax the whole thing or what.

There were some things about this bike a thought were cool.

Front Wheel Lugs are in nice shape

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0553.jpg

Has a bike shop sticker from some where over there

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0557.jpg

Sachs Huret Derailleur's

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0550.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0551.jpg

I believe the brakes say Weinmann

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0554.jpg

Has an Interesting Frame Mounted Wheel Lock

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0555.jpg
Can't get the better picture to upload off my phone will try again tomorrow.

Side wall Wheel Generator that wires are through the frame for headlight and tail light (headlight is missing)

One more picture

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0552.jpg

My 1st step is going to be to strip it down to frame to clean and assess.
Any tips on this would be appreciated. Ive heard mixed reviews about if i should take out the bottom bracket stuff.

I will update this thread as things progress. I have a battle i'm losing with my Shed that needs to be conquered to have the space to work on this.

I'm pretty sure the downtube shifters aren't original. Not to certain on the side pulls but i hear they have more stopping power.

Not sure about the Crankset it says something like sake sr custom i believe it said 170 on it somewhere. Can't remember right now and bike is in Shed.

Fender Hangers are in rough shape so it may need a new set. I'm having a hard time finding any that size so i'm thinking maybe i can drill out the riveted hangers and replace them?

It looks like most everything else with the exception of saddle should clean up well. Not Sure about bars yet may change them up or just a new set of drops.

So after looking at wheel and tire sizes i'm kind of lost about what size they are but i'm thinking about just keeping them on there they are made in holland and go well with the rest of the bike. Any help assesing what i would need if i decide to replace them would be great.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0559.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0560.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0561.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0562.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0563.jpg

Well last night at the bike shop was successful. The bike is now down to just the frame. If will be getting some clean, scrub, rinse and wax action over the next few days. Then i have to attack the bag of all the accessories with some form of chrome or metal polish.

any suggestions or tips?

Also it appears as though the rear fender is riveted to the frame. I'm thinking i'll have to drill this out and the remount with nut and bolt.

Those rims will accept standard 700C tires (http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html).

Thanks for that note. I was hoping to re-use the tires cause i thought it was cool that they were from Holland, etc. However last night when i pulled them off the rim to start my rust removal the bead was very dry rotted and pieces of the tire were falling off. The tread area is nice and soft and plyable. The same can't be said for the inner part of the tire.

I'm going to try for better pictures of the rim clean up but i must say. Aluminium foil + WD 40 is amazing for cleaning off rust.

Tuesday took it with me to the co-op. After much wrestling and some hammering which i wasn't exactly comfortable with the bottom bracket came off and lets just say it was amazing you could even still turn the pedals. The inside was a soup that resembled rusty mud. Cleaned everything up inside the bottom bracket ran a tap through the threads to clean them up. Cleaned out all the remnant's from the cutting fluid and cleanup re-greased all the freshly cleaned parts. Replaced the adjustable cup with a modern one that is much easier to adjust and it's all back together and moves smooth as butter.

I need to get some time in working on getting a couple of dents out of the fenders. plan to spend some time on that if i can get the Workshop cleaned out tonight. (it has become the catch all for stuff that won't fit in the house) I wish i had thought to take some pictures of how bad the bottom bracket was but i've failed on that respect.

I think it's a 1985 model based on the graphics, headbadge, under the bottom bracket cable routing, etc.

i agree i thought i updated the title but i guess i didn't let me get that adjusted :-)

So we are finally in the reassembly stages. Got the bottom bracket and hubs rebuilt. Picked up a used pair of Continental Ultra Sport shoes for it. Got them mounted on the cleaned up and de-rusted Rims. Put the wheels back on and put then cleaned up cranks and pedals back on.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0612.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0613.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0614.jpg

After seeing it with the Black tires on it and without the fenders and hangers in the way. I'm kind of thinking about leaving the fenders off and putting on some different bars.

Here's what I'm thinking.

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/handlebars/vo-postino-handlebar-22-2mm.html
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/leather-goods-handlebar-grips/elkhide-sewn-on-city-bike-grips.html Black Sew Ups

Something like the bars on this bike

269606 (http://www.garrettbelmont.com/cycle-panasonic-touring.php)

Then I'll shine up the Weinmann levers that came on it. I'm working on a couple of bikes currently so may be a while before another update but i'll post when i get there. Feels good to be putting it back together.

Okay so i've been re-assembling and hanging parts after having this whole bike torn down to nothing for cleaning, rust removal, sanding, polishing,etc.....

I put the drops back on that came on it just to see how they look on there. They were too far gone under the bar wrap to be save and are going to have to be replaced. I have a set of black drops I'm thinking about giving a try to see how they look.

Still have to do cable, chain, levers, and shifters.

Still debating stem or downtube. I have some suntour power clamp on down tubes or some SACH's stem shifters.

Here are shots from this afternoon.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/CIMG1559.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/CIMG1560.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/CIMG1561.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/CIMG1562.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/CIMG1563.jpg

Hoping to head down to the SOPO this week to finish up putting everything back together.

Thanks for tuning in.

Look N good! Is the rear derailleur hanger pivot kind of still. It looks ... funny.

yeah it pivot's i thought i should have set it more correct before the photos but all will be well once it's chained and cabled :-)

So everything is back together but there's something not quite right with the Suntour Power downtube shifters that were on it. I'm guessing i put them together wrong. I found the diagram for them online so i'll take them back apart and make sure i have everything in the right order. The springs in the derailleurs are too much for the shifters and tightening the screws does nothing to help. But everything else is in fine working order and i think i'll have the shifters sorted out soon.

Here are the Final Photos.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0672.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0674.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0676.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0677.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0668.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/bigwooly_2008/IMAG0669.jpg

So following the scanned diagram of the original manual and the Suntour Power Shifters work like a champ. It's now back to a fully functional bike.

I wanted to put the link to the diagram i used here incase anyone in the future has the same problem.

http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=12604&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

I would also love to get the title that shows for this thread changed to say 1985 instead of 1975 i edited what i could but it didn't change it. do i need to report my own thread or something?