chapel

my father has a beautiful 60s-70s Raleigh Grand Prix. He claims it's nearly 40 years old

it looks like a 76 model from this catalog

I'm looking to slap some new tires on it and ride it about to work and stuff. He says he rode it when my mom and him first met, so that's before 1973. The saddle is totally different than what's pictured

is this worth fixing up?

chapel

here we go. this is the saddle on it

ftwelder

There are plenty of people here including myself that really like Raleigh bikes. I don't have GP personally but I would certainly "fix it up" if I were you. The frames are well made and the GP's are a great place to start, specially since it's been in the family for so long.

chapel

I plan on just putting new tubes and tires on it. I assume it's still 700c tires and tubes? anyone know if they're Presta or Schrader valves?
I don't really want to mess with the authenticity of it. Also, I think I've heard the bottom brackets and cranks are like a special Raleigh setup?

cb400bill

Please post some pics of your bike.

Roll-Monroe-Co

If I had a classic bike that belonged to my father, I would certainly ride it. With that same philosophy I destroyed some of his coolest clothes, including his navy p-coat, and his guitar.

Just try not to hacksaw off any of the braze-ons or throw away any of the components ... or paint it, at least without consulting us. I don't know how young and foolish you are, but just in case.

We'd love to see a picture of your dad's bike.

If you don't know much about bike mechanics, we can certainly advise you on a checklist of things to examine and remedies for overall functioning of the bike (minor parts to replace, how to check bearings, etc.).

cycleheimer

The GP would have come with 27" x 1 1/4" tires and the tubes would have Schrader valves. You don't have to spend a ton of cash to get great parts and accessories for this bike. Niagara Cycle Works has the best prices on tires, tubes and everything else... think $5 tires and $2 tubes (the other guys charge alot more) to name a couple of good prices. Bulk up your order to cover the S&H charges. New tires, tubes, brake pads, cables, bar tape would be a nice move. Clean and repack the hubs with grease, as well as the headset. You might just want to slip alot of oil into the bottom bracket, since regreasing it can be a PITA.

auchencrow

They weren't 700c Tires. They were 27x 1-1/4 Schrader. They'll accept 700 tubes though.
The bottom bracket was Raleigh proprietary threaded - (expect I'm told some of the GP's made in Holland by Gazelle).
If the bike has not been serviced recently it will need to have the wheel hub bearing and bottom bracket repacked with grease, and possibly bearings replaced. Removing/replacing the crank to accomplish this requires some special tools and knowledge.

Both are worth acquiring in order to put your dad's bike back on the road.
GP's are really nice bikes and though they're not made from fancy tubing they ride quite well.

PS - Depending on what provisions you have to secure such a bike at work, you might want to leave it at home or it will disappear.

Gthoro

I just fixed up two '76 GPs to sell this spring. Yes they are definitely worth "fixing up." They are no lightweights, but smooth riding machines. After you fix it up, if you take a liking to it you should consider upgrading to alloy rims. The stock steel rims are heavy and don't brake well in wet conditions. I took the leather saddles off to keep for myself before I sold them. Many riders find leather saddles to be desirable, so you might want to try it out. Here are a couple of pictures of the GPs cleaned up:

sailorbenjamin 

There's a whole thread on GPs. Try the search function. It doesn't always search very good so you might have to try it more than once.

ftwelder

I want to put a 3-speed hub in one of these with aluminum cranks and rims.

Nice bikes Gthoro!

bikemore 

One thing I did with my GP was replace the steel wheels with aluminum rimed wheels. Stopping in the rain doesn't really happen with steel wheels.

auchencrow

+1. So much so, that it will make you wonder why they ever made fendered bikes with steel rims.
Substituting alloy wheels is the single most important thing you can do for braking, and you'll find it makes a big difference in weight and ride quality.

gbalke

It's your Dad's bike!! Of course it's worth fixing, even if you only put on new tubes and tires. try to keep it as originall as possible. If you're not inclined to ride it,
hang it on a wall.

This is my '76 Grand Prix which is exactly like the catalog picture, except that I added a Wright leather saddle, a saddle bag and a Midland bag support. I bought it from the original owner (actually his wife) after it was hanging in their garage for the past
twenty years.

chapel

I'll grab it out of the shed this weekend when I'm delivering his TV.
I don't plan on messing with it aside from fixing what's broke...
not gonna make it a fixie or a single speed or anything. I have a Centurion Sport DLX to ruin if I want that.
probably just do tires, tubes and brake pads.
Maybe I'll take the rims off the Centurion. I would assume those are aluminum because it's like an 87.

is a bike like this going to be able to handle a heavy rider?

roccobike

Yes they are aluminum but you'd better check the rim size. If they are 700C they may not work due to brake reach. If they are 27", check the space between the stays.
Also, an 87 will almost certainly be a 126mm spread between the stays, whereas your 73 GP is almost certainly 120mm. 6mm is a lot to force an axle into. I forced 4mm (130mm into a 126 spread), but the one instance where I tried a 126 into 120 was not a fun experience. I don't recommend it. You may have to cold set the frame. Let's see what some others have to say about that. BTW, I do recommend going to alloy rims they are a big improvement for that bike. I would have made that change to my 78GP, but I decided to flip it because the frame is just too large for me.

chapel

so, if I bought rims for it, what would I need to get?

bikemore 

There are a number of threads on recommendations for 27" wheels. You can get prebuilt wheels are niagara cycle, but not likely with 120mm rear spacing.
Do you have a vintage friendly bike shop near by or co-op?

chapel

So, I had decided that at the time, I was simply too heavy to try riding this bike (325lbs)
I started a paleo diet/lifestyle last June and have lost 105lbs (https://primalfatso.wordpress.com) and now that winter is almost over, I want to start riding.
I'm going to try to go dig it out this weekend to see what I need to do.