noglider 

For months, I thought I would need a frame repair person to help me with my frame. It's a 1971 Raleigh Super Course, originally a 10-speed (2x5). I ran a 3x6 drivetrain by shoving the back wheel in. It's time to upgrade to an 8-speed drivetrain, so I have a pair of wheels ready to go. I couldn't get the rear wheel in (130mm) even spreading the dropouts temporarily. It appeared that the small cogs didn't want to go in because the round chain stay came so far back. I spoke to two frame repair folks. One said he might figure something out. The other said he would braze in longer dropouts.

I decided to see what would happen if I just spread the frame permanently. Maybe the wheel would go in easily. And it does now. I can now proceed with the build, and I just saved myself a hundred bucks or so.

This time, I use RJ the Bike Guy's threaded rod method rather than the 2x4 method. It was easy. I haven't checked for symmetry yet, but it looks good to my eye so far.

TenGrainBread 

@noglider I've used the threaded rod method to respace rear and front dropouts a few times now. Has worked every time. The self-centering aspect definitely makes it better than the 2x4 method.

sykerocker 

Those are a lot more modern than what I'm used to. The one I'm looking for sorta looks like a 7/8th scale Simplex shifter, but the levers are entirely made out of white plastic. I swear, it took me five minutes of Googling "Sturmey Archer 5 speed shifter picture" to find one picture of the part . . . . .



. . . . . and I must have gone thru 400 pictures (including every variation of the above that was made for their chopper bikes) to find the above.

If it took that to find a picture, you can imagine what finding the real thing is like. The part that hurts is I got my Sprite with the right one (the three speed side) already broken, then found a replacement. Which I set up and used for about a year, only to bump it sideways and snap it getting off the bike. I'd always read that the biggest weakness to the S5 hub was the shift levers, and I wholeheartedly agree. The indents on the right side are weak, the plastic is brittle, and the entire action of the levers suck. But it is the correct part. I still have the broken off piece, and one of these days will glue it back to the stub, and just let the lever sit there for looks while doing the shifting with a regular AW handle bar shifter.

merziac

Tx, I have the post and stem still where I ride them, the frame is a bit small but your right I probably should have put them in better adjustment, I don't like to move things around unless necessary. I try to keep from marring them any more than I have to.

I've only seen Blue and Brewster green like this, can't be too picky very few of these to be had and I love this Green one so I'm good.

There was probably no hope at the show, they seem to have zero love for road bikes.

randyjawa 

Been back at the cottage for a few days, now. Got everything opened up, heating up and fitted with working indoor plumbing (a real bonus in Canada). With that in mind, I decided to start raking leaves today, but said to heck with it, deciding to build up a set of wheels for my Legnano Grand Premio...


Since the first build, the bike has been fitted with 27" Ambrosia rims laced to Campy High Fange hubs...


And today, the Leggy got a set of 700c hoops...


Tomorrow, with luck, a NOS Legnano cottered crank will be installed, followed by fitting the chain and a saddle replacement with a NOS Brooks. Then, take it out for a test ride.

sykerocker 

This is primarily aimed at eom as I found out its a heck of a lot more difficult to post a picture to a private message, but if anyone else out there has a lead, it will be appreciated:

This is the part I'm looking for.



Sturmey-Archer rear stay cable clamp.

It's pretty much your standard S-A clamp that holds down one end of the cable casing while allowing the cable to proceed thru to the hub - with one exception: The size. The rear stay on the Sprite mikes out at 1/2" and anything in a proper S-A clamp that I've already found is too big in diameter to clamp down. I've tried shimming under the clamp to get it to tighten, but the shim invariably moves on the first pull of the lever.

Anyone who has one of these available, let me know.

ADDENDUM: Of course, twenty minutes after posting this, I do one of my periodic eBay searches and find it! Well, the seller is claiming the correct size, so I ordered and will supposedly have it by Friday. We'll see. I've been disappointed before.

sykerocker 

There is something so absolutely gorgeous about those bikes, the color combination, the chrome lugs, and now going back to the proper cottered crank. Now, if you could only find a set of the original branded fenders . . . . .

randyjawa 

Like the ones pictured here..?


The set is tucked away, in the rafters of my man cave...

DQRider 

(In response to post # 1822 from noglider Tom):

That's the method I use. Right now I have a Raleigh Wyoming in the workstand, on which I've installed a 9-speed Deore drivetrain with a single chainring up front. I took it out to 130mm with the same threaded rod setup.

I found that I needed to stretch it to about 145mm, leave it sit like that overnight, and then realign the dropouts with the correct Park FFG tools. This worked fine for mounting the wheel, but I had to readjust the derailleur hanger a bit to get it to shift properly.

I'll write more about it when it's finished, and post some before/after photos.

sykerocker 

Finally got around to the final spring project in the stable: Complete teardown and rebuild of my 1969 Magneet touring bikes, plus a desperately needed upgrade on the brakes. I've been putting it off repeatedly since last fall, but at the 14 years, 5200 mile point I figured I'm finally due.

Big change here is replacing the the Weinmann centerpull front/Synchro side pull rear combination with a pair of Mafac Racer center pulls. And, despite my hatred of "safety levers", I actually went that route for a change. Primarily because the Mafac levers are the only dual lever setups that are effective. I do like having the ability to move my hands on the bars in multiple positions, and the Mafac safety levers will actually work on a panic situations almost as well as the main levers.

On to another 5200 miles.

Lemond1985

Stretching out on the Raleigh Comp, as my quest for a flat back continues:

noglider 

Thanks. I don't remember how far out I took it. When it was good, I started loosening the nuts, but I then realized I was tightening them. So I spread the frame too far! I had to put the nuts and washers on the outsides and reverse the process.

You don't have to leave it overnight. Steel is not like wood. Once you bend it, the bend is permanent.

TenGrainBread 

If this new one doesn't work out you could try getting a small stainless hose clamp and just clamping the housing to the stay, with ferrule at the end.

eom 

I can see these are not what you pictured. Will they work? What are they for? Have I found gold in my piles o' stuff?

sykerocker 

That's not a S-A part, it looks like a cable end part for the rear stay on a derailleur bike (holds the piece of cable casing just before the rear derailleur). It might, if I don't find the actual part.

sykerocker 

I've tried that. Didn't work. There's something about the amount of torque that fragile, easily breakable S-A shift lever will put out that ensure the cable casing will slip if held down by anything but the proper clamp. I've shimmed larger clamps, the shimming shifted upwards. Hose clamp? The damn thing still moved upwards, unless I clamped it to the point that if squeezed the cable casing to the point where the cable wouldn't move.

Only the British . . . . .

randyjawa 

This morning, I drove into the city to pay for this Torpado and Atala...



When I got home, I took another step in the evolution of my Grand Premio...


It took a bit of doing to get the Simplex rings in place but the NOS bottom bracket was a smooth bolt in and good to go...




This is drive train and transmission #3 and I do hope that it is the last one needed...


The older worn a bit saddle was replaced today with this lovely NOS Brooks that I bought a year, or so, ago and not knowing where it was going to be used. Now I know...


The Legnano is to be this summer's rider, however; I am not sure that my old legs have what it takes to be comfortable with the gearing...

malcala622

Torelli Cicle de Vince just got sakae world champ bars and NOS 6207 I've been storing for this occasion.



Gios Torino got old style logo cinelli bars and SR levers

88Tempo

Most of the morning was spent trying to figure out why the ST6400 shifter I had picked up wasn't working. Pretty sure that there is C shaped spring that is broken.

This afternoon I replaced brake pads on the Prelude and my Finest and also couple of bikes that we are getting rid of.

Peeled some stickers and cleaned up a couple of rims for the Prelude.

I also spray painted a rigid fork for a Cannondale M400 That I'm putting together.

RiddleOfSteel

Working on selling my '91 Cannondale SR800. The very probable buyer for it missed out on another '91 Cannondale (that I was originally selling), and I told him I had a frameset that I could build up if he wanted. Gave him a solid price on what I could built to, and he was/is game. He'll get a lot of beautiful bike for the money, and I'll make $10-20 on the whole endeavor while pocketing invaluable experience. Win-win. I love crafting bikes, man. This SR800 is going to be a stunner!

Sir_Name 

I wanted a couple more millimeters clearance under the front caliper to feel comfortable with 32s on this bike. The caliper was the pinch point. A washer, Dremel and hand file got me a wedge, a few degrees, and a few mm. I'm pleased.

horatio 

"Converted" my Raleigh Pro MKI to 700c tubulars and lost 1.5 pounds overall weight! Had just enough reach with the Weinmann center-pull brakes to hit the rims dead center. Will add a pic after today's shakedown ride.

Pic, as promised. The "shakedown" ride was at just over one mile in progress when I heard a soft "ping." Sure enough, one of the rear spokes had snapped. Merde.

merziac

Brilliant! Seems like the inverse could get you some more reach where clearance isn't a problem.

Mr. 66

I managed to find an Italian wheelset for the Club Fuji. They are Nisi Mixer 28 spoke on Miche "Superfast" hubs. The Mixer rims were a most difficult tire mounting, I had to tire jack the Continental tires on both sets of beads, I did it! Those are the new, "pain in the ass" king Ambrosio Elite now seem simple and easy. I also installed a Campy BB with a Suntour crankset, with Suntour Cyclone 7000 pedals.

markwesti

This doesn't qualify as wrenching but it's a wrenching story (ahem). For my Bianchi Alloro restoration I wasn't thrilled with the selection of Alloro badges . Plus I was not getting any love from Velocals or Cyclomondo not even a email back . Calling around town I finally found this place called Sing-a-rama the owner was a total jerk but the guy doing the art work was cool . Anyhow here is the outcome . Oh by the way alloro is Italian for laurel .


IMG_0336 by mark westi, on Flickr