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Help I'm noob

Old 06-16-20, 08:30 PM
  #1  
trickytreat
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Help I'm noob

ti-raleigh limited 20-30 high tensile balanced steel tubing

I was trying to upload pictures but it seems like I can only upload after 10 posts. I currently have that one I posted and I haven't use it for a long time. I wish to restore the bike. From the looks of it, tires needs to be replace. Brakes works fine and chains looks rusty, any tips on what else should I work on it? I wanted to upload a picture but the post won't let me
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Old 06-17-20, 04:16 AM
  #2  
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Check the hubs and bottom bracket for smoothness, check the shifting after you've lubed the chain. Check all cables they are likely to have seized in some way. You don't say how old the bike is, nor component type. If it is rideable, do that and see what works and doesn't work, but make sure the brakes really work first. If the bike is old the pads could have hardened.
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Old 06-17-20, 04:26 AM
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Thats a pretty old bike so you might need 27 inch tires rather than the more typical 700c. I would be inclined to install new cables and housings but as @zacaster notes, if brake and shifter cables are moving smoothly, you can get it on the road and then decide what is working. The wheels might need truing and I would clean and regrease bearing in the hubs, headset, and bottom bracket. If the chain is really shot, you might need a new rear freewheel as well. How many speeds is it?
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Old 06-18-20, 02:04 PM
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Welcome, and good luck with your Raleigh project. We all like seeing pictures of old bikes.
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Old 07-10-20, 02:50 AM
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trickytreat
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Originally Posted by zacster
Check the hubs and bottom bracket for smoothness, check the shifting after you've lubed the chain. Check all cables they are likely to have seized in some way. You don't say how old the bike is, nor component type. If it is rideable, do that and see what works and doesn't work, but make sure the brakes really work first. If the bike is old the pads could have hardened.
Everything works fine but some of the cables are kind of seized. It is rideable so far, the only problem I have right now is the tires deflates. I checked if there's any holes on the tires but I didn't find anything so far. It just deflates by itself after putting some air on it.
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Old 07-10-20, 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted by DOS
Thats a pretty old bike so you might need 27 inch tires rather than the more typical 700c. I would be inclined to install new cables and housings but as @zacaster notes, if brake and shifter cables are moving smoothly, you can get it on the road and then decide what is working. The wheels might need truing and I would clean and regrease bearing in the hubs, headset, and bottom bracket. If the chain is really shot, you might need a new rear freewheel as well. How many speeds is it?

Honestly I have no idea how many speed it is lol. I will probably install new cables later on. I even want to repaint it but at the same time I don't want take the original color of it. Maybe might as well just restore the same or color or just clean it. One more thing, the tire size is my problem too, would that 27inch tires fit on it? I've been looking around for bike shops around my place but there's none.
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Old 07-10-20, 02:55 AM
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Welcome, and good luck with your Raleigh project. We all like seeing pictures of old bikes.
Thank you bro!
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Old 07-10-20, 06:46 AM
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Count the chainrings on the crank and the number of cogs on the rear freewheel. Tell us what they are such as 2 x 5. In the past "10-speed" bikes had two chainrings and 5 cogs for 10 total speeds. Currently "10-speed" means 10 rear cogs and 1,2 or 3 chainrings so the nomenclature has changed.

As to wheel size, the sidewalls of your old tires should have the size on them such as 27x1-1/4" or 700x32. There may also be an ISO size shown and ISO 622 is 700c and ISO 630 is 27". Your rims may also have a size label.

If this Raleigh is really old, say prior to 1980, the threading may be proprietary which will make it a bit difficult to find replacement parts.
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Old 07-10-20, 07:52 AM
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It is easy and inexpensive to change the tubes so it will at least hold air, and tubes don't have to be a precise fit. 700c and 27" tires will both take the same size tube even if the tires are very different. The only question is really whether you need narrow (1" to 1.5") or wider (1.25 to 2") tubes. If you aren't sure because it appears to be in-between then it doesn't matter which. And as I said above, replace the brake pads. These are inexpensive as well, but get salmon colored pads as your rims are likely steel and these will work better than the black ones.

But if it is hi-tensile steel it is going to be a heavy bike, and it may not be worth doing more than replacing tires and tubes. But whatever you do, don't attempt to paint it, it just won't come out well.

Maybe add your location to your account and maybe you'll find a volunteer that's local to you to at least look at it and tell you what you've got. I've done that a few times for people here. Of course it is easier to find people in NYC than in a small town in Kansas.

Last edited by zacster; 07-10-20 at 07:56 AM.
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Old 07-10-20, 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by trickytreat
Honestly I have no idea how many speed it is lol. I will probably install new cables later on. I even want to repaint it but at the same time I don't want take the original color of it. Maybe might as well just restore the same or color or just clean it. One more thing, the tire size is my problem too, would that 27inch tires fit on it? I've been looking around for bike shops around my place but there's none.
Originally Posted by HillRider
Count the chainrings on the crank and the number of cogs on the rear freewheel. Tell us what they are such as 2 x 5. In the past "10-speed" bikes had two chainrings and 5 cogs for 10 total speeds. Currently "10-speed" means 10 rear cogs and 1,2 or 3 chainrings so the nomenclature has changed.

As to wheel size, the sidewalls of your old tires should have the size on them such as 27x1-1/4" or 700x32. There may also be an ISO size shown and ISO 622 is 700c and ISO 630 is 27". Your rims may also have a size label.

If this Raleigh is really old, say prior to 1980, the threading may be proprietary which will make it a bit difficult to find replacement parts.
I expect its probably five or six cogs in the back and 27 inch tires, which you can find online at decent prices. You might also look under the bottom bracket shell and elsewhere on the frame for a serial number then see if you can find a Raleigh serial number database online. That will often tell you when the bike was made and other details about its construction and original components.
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Old 07-11-20, 10:17 AM
  #11  
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Put your pics up on a pic hosting site then write the URL to that pic in your plain text of your post. You might have to remove the https:// or change the '.' to 'dot'.

If you use google photos, be sure to use the link created by choosing the share option, not the current URL in your browser.
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