wn01

Newbie

Join Date: Sep 2008

I have had a 1972 Raleigh Grand Prix for over 22 years now. I love it. But, I am getting older and would love to get 5 more low gears (it is a 10 speed now)to get up the hills. Is converting it as simple as getting a new/used bottom bracket, cranks, and a 3 ring chain ring and a new/used front derailleur? It currently has old fashioned, not index, shifters I put on in the early eighties (Shimano).

Will I need a specialized bottom bracket to fit a Raleight Grand Prix? It still has cottered cranks.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Note: I also posted this in the the mechanics forum.

deez

I just did a bunch of research on this a few weeks ago for my '72 Super Course. I don't know enough to know if someone made a compact triple that would fit in the space of a double, but I do know that it would be much easier for you to keep the original cottered BB and service it if necessary than to try and refit it with a modern cartridge BB.

https://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh26.html
read the section about "Upgrading to Cotterless Cranks"

Those are pretty much your options and its been said that retapping the BB threads tp 24TPI isn't a great idea.

wn01

Thanks for the tip. That does make sense. Just keep the bottom bracket and cranks and upgrade the chainwheel and front derailleur. I appreciate it!

sciencemonster

I just changed out the cranks on a COmpetition fro a Veloce compact double. No muss, no fuss. Even the old front derailleur still works with it. The Suntour rear derailleur works too. It's a little tight, but it worked.

Oops, I didn't see you had cottered cranks. That woul dmean changing that out too.