wrk101

Picked this 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport out of a pile last week. Stem seized, crank dust caps stripped out and seized, lots of rust. Just my kind of project!

So far, I've got the stem and crankset off, dismantled the bike, and in the middle of a rust campaign. Fork is done.

Always a bad sign when the stem bolt and wedge are gone, and the headset is loosened. I won't be the first to try and get it out.


1974 Raleigh Gran Sport by bill, on Flickr


1974 Gran Sport by bill, on Flickr


Fork done. oxalic acid of course:

1974 Raleigh Gran Sport Fork after Acid by bill, on Flickr

Mad Honk 

Almost ready to finish this Ochsner, Got the final piece today from nlerner, a band on front derailleur that will give the needed clearance for the rear wheel. I wound up using a set of 18 mm tires, but this one is going to be ready to go out soon. My inclination is to offer it up on this site first, and if no takers it will go to the LBS and CL, or flea bay. Just too big for me at 59 cm. My legs keep getting shorter, instead of longer! Smiles, MH

stardognine

I tried something called White Lightning 2 in 1 today, in a spray can, and it worked great at degunking those brifters. 👍 It's also a lubricant, but I can't say how that part works out yet, long term, since I just used it today. 😉

But it's made by the folks who make a chain cleaner & lube, so probably pretty decent. 🤔🙂

billnuke1 

Bike attic project bike...too cold for Bike shed bike projects!
Obvious problems...see circles...hopefully the axle is just in backwards...


I have the wheel...

billnuke1 

spockleta

wow such a beautiful bike, i'm currently working in something

stardognine

And yesterday, I got my new chain on, lol. 😁 It was a long slow process, but this month I put new-to-me wheels (M739 XT hubs), a new 9-speed cassette (Sram 950), 9-speed chain (KMC X9), and those XTR brifters (M952, first generation of Mega 9).

Definitely worth it, it rides & shifts like new now. 👍

I also grabbed a new take-off sprung saddle at the bike shop. It's vinyl covered, so not that great, but otherwise very nicely made, by Velo. 😎

billnuke1 

[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/85eb7585-a5b2-47b7-890f-23166bc0b4e4[/img]


RD is all gee gawd...


Well, there’s your problem!

Rummaging through hidden stash and found this and the Raleigh branded Comp V...

...both worked from the get go...all I did was Tri-flow them...and this is with the Simplex shifters!

billnuke1 

Too clean! Too white! May wear this in the shop for a couple of bike builds...get some battle scars on it!

Kdogbikes

Nice looking shop, Bill. I like the hard hats and the tool holder near the repair stand.( with scissors!) I’m working on mocking up a Supersport over the winter. Put in a bmx type bb and now trying out different crank sets I have scattered about.

billnuke1 

Thanks Kdog. My shop makes me smile...the hard hats are from Nuclear days.
All my stands have the tool Kaddies when I’m using them...plus the 2 on my bench...


the misses won’t let me put one on the desk for pens and pencils, et al...
Great project started there...you really get down to the nitty gritty!

martl

Been rearranging my new cave...

stardognine

Just have a jelly donut ( or two). 😁 I can't seem to finish one, without making a mess of myself, these days. 🙄😉

ryansu

The 87 Trek 520 (Cirrus) started life as a totally lucky clunker challenge find, and then in the early fall I did some updates (tires, saddles, cockpit and pedals) without an overhaul and its spent a few weeks near but not in the stand. Today during the Seahawks triumph over the Panthers I got it 95% of way torn down..


before

during

where I ended up still need to do the bb and HS

noglider 

I didn't wrench on any bikes this weekend. Today, in the cold windy weather, my wife and I replaced a headlamp bulb in her 2007 Toyota Prius. It took the two of us an hour. It goes where you can't see a thing, and my hand doesn't fit. What are these car makers thinking?

Mad Honk 

They are gigeling all day at what they have done to mechanics who try to do repairs to the parts they design. Done it way too many times and been there and done with that. Smiles, MH

Prowler 

Ah, yes, the Nuclear days: Limerick, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek, Milestone, Nine Mile Point. Frankly, I'm glad I got out. I did not save the hard hats. My shop makes me smile too.

I've been sorting out my design and gathering materials for the oxalic acid bath I need for my Fuji. I also cleaned the front hub for that bike. No pitting, just needs some polish. Nice.

mkeller234

Looks nicer than the standard basement, nice smooth walls, etc. You have some pretty serious looking tools on that peg board too! I’m feeling envy for your bench vise too. Very nice!

billnuke1 

Eleven years in the biz, of mostly on the east coast...wouldn’t trade those years, but, definitely would not go back. The outage opening letters stopped coming a long time ago...
I worked night crews and I was more likely to throw the motorcycle into the back of the truck than the bicycles...missed a lot of good bicycle riding I’m sure.

Found some old Nisi Toro wheels for the Raleigh Competition I’m fiddling with...picked another gear, too. Six speed freewheel on the Nisi.

onre

A friend of ours told he's done closer to 3000 kilometers this summer with a cheap three-speed bike. We decided to intervene and the Christmas present is coming along nicely. Right now I'm in process of installing Chorus brifters to replace the ones that were on it. Those were weird - the internals seemed mostly plastic and both of the levers are one piece, so pushing the thumb lever causes the larger lever to protrude outwards from behind the brake lever.

Here's a poor NDS picture of the target. Campagnolo 2x8, ITM, 3ttt, Ambrosio Gentleman wheels. I'll post better ones soon.

BFisher 

I was not happy with the riding position on my folding bike, and not convinced that it couldn't be improved upon. Plus, I was bored.
The stem has lots of room for adjustment, as does the seatpost. I swapped in an Ava steel handlebar, which fit the stem clamp perfectly. I also had a single Weinmann brake lever in the bin, and some used black cork tape. Also installed some Lyotard pedals that are 1/2" narrower than the platforms that were on there in order to try and limit pedal strike.

The saddle and bar height are now close to what I normally ride on my road bikes. The basket is too high, and I will fabricate or find some kind of mount so I can lower it.
I actually can't believe how much I like how it rides now.

BFisher 

Oh, just for grins, here's the gearing range for little Hercules via Sheldon's calculator.

1.0 (low): 42/15 = 52.3
1.36 (high): 42/15 = 71.2

xiaoman1 

I Got these today...possibly from another member off the bay...going to see if I can clean them and install on my latest I.M.

Very dirty but we'll see how they clean up.

There going on my 50.00 I.M. Special....I can't decide...white or purple tape or tires..skins or?

Kdogbikes

I’ve had good luck with wd-40 on hoods in that condition.

2cam16

I'd go with purple tape. On my Master I went with a tape that matched the "crinkle" color up front.