RaleighSport

So I took my raleigh sport out for it's first real ride, I've given it tons of test runs in my driveway which is larger than most to give it a good shake down.So now that I've ridden it I've noticed that the rear wheel is trying to shift over to the frame fork I've inspected the hub and it looks like the spacers are too far on one side, however I reconsulted the sheldon brown stuff and the wheel is correct, is there any little trick for spacing it right that hopefully won't screw it up? Also I averaged out my first ride at 10mph, there aren't any hills that I thought were serious on my route until I hit them.. and discovered I basically was only using 1 gear the entire time (albeit I am a bit out of shape atm, and haven't gone an actual bike ride in at least 10-12 years.) So is 10 mph average good for a 3 speed novice? Also suggestions on elevation of the handlebars and a good comfortable cheap saddle?(The brooks was replaced with a very very stiff mssinger).

randyjawa 

Ten mph is just fine considering it is four times walking speed. I tend to cruise around town at about 15-17mph but I ride light weight road bicycles.

I assume you wheel is shifting towards the left chain stay. This would suggest that your axle bolts are loose, allowing the drive side to shift forward, or...

Did you center the wheel before tightening up the axle bolts? You will center the wheel by eye and keep a close watch as you tighten up the axle bolts.

Be sure to not raise the stem past its minimum insertion point or get a longer stem, if you can. As for a comfortable cheap saddle, that will become a crap shoot. Personally, were I you, I would get a Brooks B66 but it will not be cheap.
Hope that is a help.

RaleighBikeGuy

Sounds like you may just need to tighten the axle nuts? They are very easy to strip, but the axle is not. Maybe get a couple of new ones, so that if you strip them you still have the originals?

If a used or new Brooks leather saddle is too expensive (they are expensive); maybe you could find a suitable sprung mattress saddle on ebay:

https://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R4...All-Categories

gna

The Raleigh 3-speeds I've seen don't have a minimum insertion mark on the stem. Most are about 5 1/2" long, so you can go up about 3"-3 1/2" or so. Leave a couple of inches in the headtube.

RaleighSport

the nuts are tightened down as far on the cones as I dare put them and the cones are as good as I could set them myself (being a novice I'm sure there's something more I could have done). I have been lining up the wheel by eye first, using the fender/forks/brakes as a guide.

cudak888 

Old Raleigh rule of thumb is 2-1/2" insertion of the stem into the steerer tube, minimum.

-Kurt

sillygolem

Did you put on the flanged washers so the tabs are inside the dropouts? This keeps the axle from torquing, which may be what's moving the wheel around.

RaleighSport

yes, but they're both on the outside of the fork.. is that correct?

rookgirl

Yes, that's correct. I asked *exactly* that question in my very first post on this forum!

I was shown to keep the wheel centred by measuring (by feel) the distance between the wheel rim and each of the seat stays as i tightened each nut alternately. The wheel will want to centre itself (incorrectly) so you need to tighten a little on each side while you keep checking.

RaleighSport

Sounds like a plan, I just want to get this bikes final tweaks done now so I can leave it at my girlfriends and pretend to be a townie. Thanks a lot guys!

bernardmarx

"...Also I averaged out my first ride at 10mph, there aren't any hills that I thought were serious on my route until I hit them.. and discovered I basically was only using 1 gear the entire time..."


If you still find yourself only using 1st gear a few months from now, consider putting a larger cog on the rear. The oldest bike shop in most towns has a drawer or peg full of Sturmey-Archer cogs of various sizes.

RaleighSport

will that really solve how light my first 2 gears feel? because if I could get third to feel like first currently does.. and have 2 and 1st with even more torque I'd be in heaven I think.

Amesja

The nuts are soft on purpose so when they get over-tightened the cheapest (and easier to replace) part gets stripped. The axle's cost $15 these days and I'm sure a shop would charge you $40-50 labor at the minimum to tear down the hub and replace it. The guys at Nottingham had a reason for everything they did -it wasn't always a good reason, but they had a reason...

bernardmarx

I think some previous owner has already done the modification I had in mind - a couple of teeth too many! You may have as many as 25 teeth on that cog. Stock was 18. Most folks in hilly county want about 22. If you're an animal, you might want to go back to 18.

RaleighSport

we'll see if I keep riding it over hills or if I'm going to just finish my 10 speed.

bernardmarx

I think I was thrown by your description of 1st and 2nd as "light." I thought you meant your cadence was too fast, not too slow.

To get 1st to be where 3rd is now you'd need to take the stock 18 tooth cog to 24, I think. But that might be too far - 22 teeth still leaves you a "downhill" gear. With 24, you might as well just coast downhill, in my experience.

RaleighSport

You've been most helpful, you wouldn't be any chance know about freewheel single speed conversions for cheap japanese 10 speeds would you?

ftwelder

You simply remove the gear cluster from the rear wheel (special tool required) and spin on a single speed freewheel, remove derailleur, cut chain and shorten (another tool) and off you go.

It's a lot easier on your body and bike if you turn the cranks at about 50-60 RPM's rather than mashing a hard gear.

gna

I think that a 24T cog gets 2nd to be the same as 1st. I agree with bernardmarx; put a 22 on and see how it works.

w1gfh

I have an unashamedly silly newb question: can a chain be too tight? Specifically, the chain on my 3 speed Raleigh Sports was clanking. I noticed the chain had about 3" of slack. I adjusted the rear axle in the dropouts until it was fairly taut with NO sag (not even the recommended 1/2"). Is this a bad thing?

RaleighSport

I'm fairly noob myself but between working on my raleigh sport 3 speed and everything I've ready yes, a chain being too tight is a huge problem (I.E. it could snap apart and get ya)

w1gfh

Yeah that's what I thought. I just added about an inch of sag.

RaleighSport

So is your bike fully functional yet?

w1gfh

Sure, it's always been functional. BTW, I discovered that the clanking that initially prompted this adjustment was due to the chain guard being slightly bent, and nothing to do with the chain slackness or lack therof. ; )

RaleighSport

ahh makes perfect sense, when I installed my chainguard the very first thing I did before tightening it down was to bend out the back by hand when I noticed it was bent in. Do you have the full chainguard or the half?