tjfastback66

'78

cjefferds 

72 Super Course repurposed with 80s mtb cockpit and drivetrain. Old school hybrid bike!

Rooney 

At this point, any changes left are aesthetic choices/nitpicking. Wonderful commuter!

cjefferds 

A few updates on my 2 SCs this week. Original wheelset (including a very nice set of Michelin World Tour tires) and B15 saddle put back on the 72. I love how this bike looks and rides but have to say it is probably a bit too heavy for me to consider using as a practical adventure touring vehicle which was the inspiration for the build. We’ll see.



Next up is my 79 restomod/frankenbike. Hardly anything original about this one. Frame, fork, headset and stem were purchased at a swap meet for $20. Drivetrain was sourced from a Univega donor with the exception of a new Shimano BB. I’ve just updated the wheelset. Super Champion rims and Dura Ace hubs are silky smooth and look the part. Conti gatorskins and 14-34 suntour pro compe freewheel are also new to the bike. I’ll be riding this one on a century ride this weekend. Should be a good test for me and the bike!

noglider 

@cjefferds, I'm surprised you say that about the green one. It's not that heavy, is it? Mine is heavier than original, and it still climbs quite happily.

cjefferds 

Switching back to the original wheels and beefy Michelin tires made it feel a bit clunky. I’ve since swapped wheels/tires again and liking it much better. Now sporting a pretty decent mid-80s Japanese wheelset (sansin hubs, araya rims, vittoria tires). I need to get a hanging scale to get a better measure but guessing it’s still about 5 pounds heavier than the red one. So maybe not ideal for hillier rides but should be a very capable climber when needed. Will report back with actual weights. Overall very happy with the outcome and expecting to ride it quite a bit. One more photo of the final build…

noglider 

@cjefferds, it looks really nice.

I don't have a lot of experience with wide flat handlebars. I wonder if that is what makes the bike feel heavy.

I've done a LOT of experimenting with my Super Course. I think it's because I picked it out of the trash that I'm braver with it and less sentimental than with my other bikes. Early on, I tried swept back bars, North Road style. They were terrible for that bike. I tried others as well, and one interesting thing is that for me, changing handlebars was the most radical thing I did to the bike, and I tried many. It's back to having traditional style drop bars, and it feels right. I'm thinking of switching to the modern ergo style.





The strange thing for me is that my Super Course is my heaviest bike but it feels very willing to climb, and I don't even know why. My lowest gear is 34 front 32 rear (29 gear-inches), lower than original. I've taken the bike up some very serious hills, and I never wished for a lighter or faster bike. Maybe it does slow me down, but it doesn't make me feel like I'm working too hard. I feel my words are not enough to describe this feeling.

I weighed it at 30 pounds (13.6 kg) some time ago, including the hub dynamo, dynamo lights, bottle cage, rack, and fenders. The shifters are heavier than original. The crank is very heavy, possibly a similar weight to the original steel crank.

cjefferds 

noglider I know what you mean! Feel the same way about my other SC. Just have to keep reminding myself that I was not going for a lightweight roadie build. Sports car vs utility vehicle.

Thanks for the photo of your bike. Looks like it may be the same year as mine (72) based on the nervex lugs? I really like the teal blue color where the green paint has faded or worn off. Plenty of that effect on mine as well. It shows great character!

ZudeJammer

Shakedown ride:


Previously posted this: https://www.bikeforums.net/22957299-post2148.html when I got it before I rehabbed it. It was pretty clean, 2 bees in the bottom bracket. Seat came out great I think, it came to me crusty, hard and dry before being slathered with proofride and laced.

daka

Great looking bike and completely original to my eye!

noglider 

The 1971 came with Huret derailleurs, and the 1972 came with Simplex. Mine came with Huret, and yes, I think the frame is the same. In 1973, they changed the Raleigh graphics.

I'm trying to think of how to patch up the finish with a minimum of money and time.

USAZorro

I acquired a green 1971 frame-only several years back. The paint was well beyond salvaging so I got my son to paint it a completely different color for me, as those colors are really difficult to match. Wasn't expensive, but it did take time to prep. It's the one I set up with upright bars and 81 speeds. It is comfortable, but the handling is different than its cousins that have drop bars.

noglider 

Getting my 2x8 drivetrain to work on my Super Course was a lot of work, and some of that was made worse by my mistakes.

North Road handlebars made the bike handle pretty badly. I think it is designed to have some of the rider's weight on the handlebar. Flat handlebars are OK.

I have not succeeded in making it easy to remove or replace the rear wheel. I tried and gave up.

USAZorro

I'm 100% certain the rear triangle on mine hates being spread to 135mm. I gave some thought on transferring the drive train to a Super Tourer, as I think it would handle better, but that would corrupt the Super Tourer, and make the Super Course very ordinary. Can't do that.

noglider 

@USAZorro, I did the permanent bend to the rear. That's not the problem. I have to spread it further to get the wheel in because there is too little clearance between the cassette and the chain stay.

I needed an under-bb cable guide for the front derailleur. I got a plastic one, drilled a hole, and tapped it to 5x0.8mm. That was an adventure. The bolt I had was too long, so I sawed it and filed it.

Getting the rear derailleur to shift reliably was hard. I used some zip ties on the housing just behind the cable stop on the chain stay. This was to eliminate the wobbling housing from the varied tension. That might have taken the longest time. Maybe a hose clamp would have been more reliable. But the shifting works like a champ now with the inexpensive Claris derailleurs and shifters.

I also made a mistake while spreading the rear. I clamped the BB in my vise. That created a distortion which made threading in the BB impossible. The local shop had the taps to clean out the threads.