whatwolf

Hi guys,

I couldn't resist buying this little guy off ebay back in November. I cleaned it up when it got here (frame was covered in Arizona sand), but haven't done much to get it rideable. I need to raise the seat a bit and the rear needs a new tube, but my main troubles are with the coaster brake, which I'll get to below.

I believe it is a 1976(?) Raleigh Rampar R10. It weighs 10 pounds more than my road bike.

I've actually been thinking about selling it, but every time I look at it again I change my mind. I'd be great to get it to the point where I can ride it to & from work, home, and my studio (all short commutes.)

Here are some pictures:

whatwolf

Perhaps this is best asked in the bike mechanics forum, but I figure some of you might be able to help. This is my first time dealing with a coaster brake. Currently there is too much slack in the mechanism (takes too much rotation of pedals to brake), so I think I need to rotate the reaction arm. My question is, how do I know when it's in the right position? Is it just trial and error? ...It is also not directly obvious to me if it needs to go clockwise or counter-clockwise!

I welcome any advice.

-Sofia

ftwelder

Usually it's just loose bearings that allow the play in the driver. If the wheel wobbles a bit, you have your solution. This usually happens when someone doesn't tighten the axle lock-nuts.

It's easiest to unlock the locknut/cone that is on the driver side. It's all one assembly and very few parts. Here is a link to an image that show three different models taken apart.
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=bendi...byvWnCQ&zoom=1

whatwolf

Thanks for the help. The wheel does seem to wobble a bit, but I thought it was just because of the flat tube. I'll try your suggestion tomorrow.

Chris_in_Miami

Cool bike, I found one at a thrift shop a few years ago, but it's been stripped down for a refurb (which hasn't happened yet...) It looks like our bikes have very similar components, I suppose they're mostly original (the MCS stem on mine was a replacement though.)

sailorbenjamin

Ooh. I had one of those in the 7th grade. Dada gave me a rag and a can of thinner and I took all of the rattlecan black off to find a red bike. Colored tires were just coming in and when I wore one of the black ones out, I got a blue one to match the seat and grips. I begged for two of them but dad said I couldn't until I wore the other black one out. Lucky for me, it was on the back. That tire didn't last two weeks. The death blow came at the bottom of the biggest hill in our neighborhood. I made the longest skid mark any of us had ever seen and then there was a great big Bang.
Dad gave me a sort of dirty look and shook his head but he got me another blue tire. Man was that a cool bike.

sailorbenjamin

Oh yeah, then he got me some pipe insulation and blue electrical tape and I made some pads for the top tube and bars. Good fun.

Chris_in_Miami

whatwolf

^ what a great story, thanks for sharing. Sadly I have too many projects going on right now, and not enough money, so I think I may have to part with it soon