alaskadude

I have a Raleigh Technium MTB I purchased somewhere in the 80's. I have since upgraded, but out of nostalgia, I want to refurbish the Raleigh. It fits me well, and I rode it until everything needs replacing.
The LBS said that in order to replace the wheel with a more "modern" wheel, I need to also replace the shifters, chainring, and rear gears. I think I want to put a Rhyno Lyte on the back (Im a little heavier than when I bought it 20 years ago)
ANyway I am not averse to spending a few $$$ on it, and I want to use it for commuting 5 miles back and forth to the store.
Can I just order all the parts and start working on it? I am mechanically inclined and have bike tools and books. Is the best plan to just take it to the LBS and have them tell me what to get? Not a whole lot of experience. I have been reading sheldon brown, and trying to make sense of it.
The other option is to just go buy a new commuter. Perhaps something this old and ridden really hard with no maintenence is best thrown away. It has a some sort of carbon frame, glued not welded.

HillRider

I assume your bike has a 5 or 6-speed freewheel and the "modern wheel" will have a 8/9/10-speed freehub. So, along with the new wheel you will need a 7(with a spacer)8, 9 or 10-speed cassette to replace the freewheel, shifters to match what ever speed cassette you choose and a matching chain width. Your crank will probably work as it is but newer cranks have closer chainring spacing to go along with the narrower chain.

Also, what is your bikes rear dropout spacing? If it's 126 mm you will have to find a 7-speed only freehub or spread the stays to accept a 130 mm or 135 mm hub for an 8+-speed freehub. If it's 130 mm or more, you can use a modern freehub with no issues.

IIRC, Your frame is a bonded combination of aluminum main triangle with steel stays and I would never consider cold setting the stays to match a wider freehub. By now, that 30 year old bike has a questionable remaining lifetime as the bonding wasn't that good when new (there were numerous failures with some models) so I'd be leery of putting much money into it.

alaskadude

Thanks for the detailed reply. Im not sure of the dropout spacing. I think I would measure this with a metric ruler?
The frame seems in good shape, even though I rode it pretty hard when I was young and wild. I never did any maintenence. I will still think about abandoning such an old bike; but it is sort of a nostalgia thing too, and id'e like to ride the bike some more. I really only stopped riding it 2 years ago, and i was riding it daily at the time. It was still sort of workable at that time.
Yes, the frame is bonded, and has 5 gears in back. OK, I wont try to stretch it wider, and probably only consider this project if it is 130 mm. If it requires a special 127 mm width, I dont think this project is worth considering. The crank needs replacing if I do this project. But then, everything needs replacing, and so in the end it might be best to just get a newer one.
I bought a Novara Safari touring bike 2 years ago. I found that I ride almost constantly now that I have a good bike. I almost never drive anywhere.
Anyway, thanks for that info, and i will take note of your recommendations and then study some more sites and see if this is something I want to get involved in or just pick up another bike. I found that the smooth ride of a new bike is a much nicer experience than an old clunker, and considering going for better quality than my Novara safari, now that I know biking is again a big part of my life. Thanks

Andrew R Stewart 

The OP could always reuse the rear hub and continue with the same drivetrain. But a new rim and spokes with labor might, at first glance, price this option out of consideration. The OP would likely get a longer lasting wheel though, hand builts being more consistently and tighter tensioned typically. And the savings of the rest of the drivetrain being reused might just about offset the pricer wheel... Andy.

dsbrantjr

Try cheap and easy things first. If your wheel is not having spokes break there is likely life left in it. Does anything else point to the need for a new wheel? If not, new 5 speed freewheels can be had for under $20 and 5-6-7 speed chains are cheap as well.
Some new brake pads, some attention to the wheel and headset bearings and general lubrication and you should be set for quite some time.

Of course if you would prefer a newer used bike this is a good time of year to pick one up.

alaskadude

Yes, amybe work cheap and easy for another year and see if I am serious about the bike. Ride it around, and think if it is worth really doing up or just have as a backup.
I have a REI Novara Safari now too. I love that bike. It also fits well. I am 6'2", and weighed 254 when I got it 2 summers ago and now 238. I ride everywhere.
The wheel is OK, on the raleigh, but the front gears and chain are shot. I scavenged a rear 5 speed gear freewheel, and it is OK too. I changed to a cheap 'trek' bar off ebay, and i see some cheap grip shifters (EBay) for $20, might give them a try.
Yes, fix it up cheap and ride it a summer before I take the plunge.
Right now thw bike is in Alaska, and I am in Nepal headed to Everest trek

rekmeyata

You have to weigh out the cost of refurbishing vs getting a new bike. I'm not sure why you would want to update the shifting system to a modern one, why not have the wheels rebuilt to maintain the older components and simply buy new gears, derailleurs etc that will work with the older way? That can be done and without needing new shifters, and I doubt the front derailleur needs to be replaced. But the cost of a decent front and rear derailleur with gears front and rear and a chain shouldn't cost more than $150 plus labor, not including the wheels of course. That Sun Rhyno rim is a very good strong rim, but the CR18 would be even stronger though a tad heavier at almost the same cost; I know a couple of tandem riders who use the CR18's with 36 spoke count and love them, if CR18's can hold 380 pounds of human weight I think their up to the challenge of holding you. Amazon sells the CR18 for just $120 for the pair as they do also for the Rhyno's.

alaskadude

I am refurbishing the bike out of nostalgia,Ive had the bike for 20 years, and so that is a factor as well. The bike also fits me well, and so I will ride it if I fix it up. Also, it is possible to do both:Refurbish the raleigh AND buy a new one.
I took the bike to LBS and I 'think' they said it needs new shifters to put a new wheel, but I might be wrong there. They were the ones that suggested the Ryno Lites, and also quoted $120. I replaced the bent handlebar with a 'trek' bar from ebay, and started replacing cables. It can still ride with the worn out gears and wobbly wheels. That price you are talking about: $150 for the gears, and $120 for wheels would be OK, and then I would have something good to ride. There hopefully wouldnt be any labor charges, because the point of the project is to learn basic bike mechanics. I have tools and instruction books. I do all my own auto mechanics. I am not trying to keep it in original condition. but anyway, that price of around $300 would be worth it to me to put it back together in rideable condition. Also, I found that I quite prefer grip shifters to the thumb shifters that it came with, and so I dont mind getting new shifters with the refurbish gear. I have a Novara Safari touring bike I bought 2 summers ago from REI. Mostly I am just musing on how to go about all of this, since I am in Kathmandu Nepal and the bike is in Alaska. But 2 summers ago I got back into biking and found that it has quickly become a big part of my day

rekmeyata

If it's for nostalgia than just do it regardless of cost. The beauty of doing it yourself you can do it bit by bit as money allows, and you having a mechanical aptitude will find bike mechanics easy. I have a 84 Trek 660 that needs a paint job and new decals due to the California sun just ate up the stuff, the cost to do it would exceed the cost of the bike's worth, but I raced that bike for my last 4 years of racing so it has value to me. So at some time in the future I will get it repainted just not sure when yet.