General Cycling Discussion - Question about Raleigh bike

Hello everyone,

I've just recently acquired a Raleigh Elkhorn Mountain Tour on craigslist for $10. I know nothing about it, other than that it is going to need some work. I'm a newbie when it comes to bikes, so any help and information will be greatly appreciated :)

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Hello bfrijas Welcome to the forums. Not a bad score for $10 but I agree it needs some work. First things first, you need to put some lube on the chain. What do you have around the house? 3 in 1? Automatic transmission fluid? Does the seatpost move or is it seized in the frame? If the seatpost will move then take the bike to a shop and get a new binder for the seatlug.

Are you going to do the work? A tuneup at a shop with new cables and chain may run about $70 or so.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=274500&d=1348439088

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Hi, thanks for responding. I don't have any lube around, assuming WD-40 isn't usable. The seatpost moves around, and the shifter doesn't work as well. Would it be bad if the seatpost were seized in the frame? I'll probably end up taking it to a shop to get it tuned up.

EDIT: I'm not sure if the post is seized in the frame, i tried pulling it up a little, but it's not moving.

Looks as if anything that could rust has rusted. WD40 is better than nothing. Guessing that you need a new chain. The freewheel cogs are quite rusty.

Does the seat post move side to side but not up? That would be better than not moving at all but still a problem if you can't pull it up.

Appears you have a rear U-brake.

$10 is a great price in spite of any evident problems.

I would say the OP is closer to a $200 overhaul plus parts.

Does not sound like the OP is ready to do the work himself, but if he has some mechanical skills and a desire to learn, I say go for it. Just get a bicycle how to repair book first.

EDIT: I'm not sure if the post is seized in the frame, i tried pulling it up a little, but it's not moving.

This is the perfect bike for you to learn about working on bikes. You can't hurt it. Go to the library and check out a book on bike repair. Overall, you are probably better off learning to work on it yourself. The folks in the mechanics forum and the vintage forum may be able to help as well.

Get some liquid wrench, put some around the post at the top. Give it one whack with a hammer. Come back 24 hours later and see if it's loose. If it's not, go to the beginning of this paragraph and repeat until the post is loose.

The shifter will probably also respond to a little liquid wrench. Clean the rust off your gear cluster with a wire brush. Shoot a lot of oil/wd 40 in it and spin it to work the rust out. Take the chain off with a chain removing tool or try a little Liquid Wrench on the links and work them till the swing freely. Try pumping up the tire, it will probably hold air. You'll need a quick-release lever for the post after you free it.

Oil the brake cables.

You've got a good bike as a basis. Here's a thread on the 1985 version of what you have.

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-531735.html

You could restore it, or turn it into a great utility bike. From other pics on the web, it looks like you have holes for both fenders and a rack.

Here's a catalog page from Sheldon Brown
http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/catalogs/1985/pages/4.html

Here are pics of an NOS bike like yours.
http://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/raleigh-elkhorn-mountain-tour-156316.html

Personally I'd put a quarter inch bolt to hold the seat up instead of a quick release. It's cheaper and will keep the seat safer. A friend had hers stolen lately, quick release to blame. The seat wasn't much either but will cost to replace.

Would it be wise to use WD-40 on all the rusty parts?
The tires seem to have small cracks(?) in the rubber, so I'll probably have to replace those too.

Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I'm assuming that it's cheaper and more satisfying to fix the bike yourself, rather than bringing it to a shop. I'll give it a try. My father thinks I won't be able to fix it and instead wants me to get rid of it, so I'm going to have to prove to him that I can do it.

Tires, tubes, chain and brake pads as a minimum need replaced.
Bottom bracket, head set, hubs, free wheel all need to be opened up, cleaned and greased as a minimum - some parts may need to be replaced.
You will need special tools for some of the repairs. (some will say not true, but it is better to have the proper tools)

Using WD-40 or other penetrating oils to unlock parts like the seat post are OK, just clean the parts completely and grease/lub before putting them back together.

The Vintage forum folks will have the best advice for you, they have been through all the problems you will run into.

PS - check to see if there is a bicycle coop near you that you can rent repair space, tools and advice for your overhaul.

Would it be wise to use WD-40 on all the rusty parts?

That part won't do anything. WD-40 is not a lubricant. It's more like gasoline. It can clean but it evaporates soon after it is applied. I dab a bit of oil on the rusty parts.

But yes, give the repairs a try. It doesn't take long to learn.