Rebuilding One Of My Old Racing Machines

[GuestHouse]

As I mentioned in an earlier thread I'm in the process of rebuilding one of my old racing machines, a 1980s team Raleigh 753 road bike. See photo below.

The frame was made for me at Raleigh Ilkeston by Gerald O'Donavan under a sponsorship deal which ran to two track bikes and three road bikes - It was when my daughter recently asked if she could have one of the track bikes that I went into the shed and rediscovered these gems from the 80s hanging in the rafters.

I renovated one track frame, which my daughter is now racing on, and I've started a rebuild of one of the road bikes. Also discovered in the shed was a box of old Campagnolo Super Record parts, some never used - so I thought I'd start a thread showing the rebuild as it progresses.

First of all the bike as it was when I took it out of the box it was stored in:

Frame No SB5646 753 Ilkeston Team Frame - Colour Oxford Blue with White Decals (Sponsoring Team Colours) Not the standard Red/Yellow/Black that Raleigh were using at the time.

[ianf]

If you want to use the track bikes at Chiang Mai Velodrome then do contact me!

[Mousehound]

I have some nice pics of old bike frames being used in the recent AUDAX event in Perth WA. Some shots of old English frames etc. There are several other albums with some (I hope) good pics on my SMuMug site. For some reason this site won't let me copy and paste a URL so you need to go to:

SmugMug.com

Stephen Keeling

Oppy 2012

[GuestHouse]

Here's a few goodies I've got my mitts on, and I'm sure for some of the older riders a few memories.

First of all a set of Campagnolo Super Record Hubs fitted with a Regina Oro 13~18 six speed block (we'll start referring to them as cassettes when we get to the post 2000 machines).

Edited July 9, 2012 by GuestHouse

[GuestHouse]

Of course you'll need a chain to go with the block, I got this from Universal Cycles in Maltby, it took me over an hour to buy it on account of getting into a conversation about perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived - Beryl Burton.

I'm told the Japanese collectors go mad over these old chains - apparently its the greased paper they like.

[GuestHouse]

I found set of old friction gear levers new in their bag, in an old sports bag in the garage. I actually only need one of the levers and one screw, because I have to originals from the bike elsewhere, so I'll use as many of the original parts as I can and put the others by for spares.

Edited July 9, 2012 by GuestHouse

[GuestHouse]

These pedals where a spare set I had in a box, if you look at the top picture you'll see one of the originals, the other has gone missing, so again I'll use the spares until the missing original turns up.

I've also got a set of spare pedal spindles but the pedals are Super Record Titanium, the spares are Super Allegro Steel and they are not interchangeable. - Again into the spares box as these things are getting rarer.

[GuestHouse]

As an aside, I also picked up a set of Christophe Stainless Steel Rat Traps while in the UK - Now I know the collectors are going to say why not Campagnolo Super Record to match the group set - Well because nobody used to ride Campag Super Record Rat Traps, they used to snap after only a few weeks of use. The Christophe Stainless Steel jobbies last !

[GuestHouse]

I have no excuses for this next indulgence. A set of original 1980s Campag cables, they set me back over £50..... but you know how these things get out of hand.

[GuestHouse]

I've managed to refurbish a rear mech, but I had to buy a new front clanger on account of the screws in the original being completely rusted. I've found a supplier of original Campagnolo parts (screws etc) in Belgium so I might be able to rescue the original, meanwhile a Campagnolo Super Record Front Mech set me back £60, which to be frank was a bargain.

[GuestHouse]

Last, and by no means least, is the bottom bracket.

Now I have an original - somewhere. I put it somewhere to be safe and then forgot where somewhere is. So I had to shell out for a replacement.

This Super Record BB set me back £175, which while you are gasping is about half the going rate on ebay these days.

[GuestHouse]

I'm in the process of fitting all this to the frame at the moment, breaks etc I'll post on later. As I've said I'm trying to keep as much of the machine as original as I can, so I might actually wind up stripping down new equipment to use the odd part, rather than fitting completely new.

Close up the frame paintwork is scuffed, but you know that's how these things were. I always said I never felt as though I could do a good ride on a bike until I'd dropped it on the deck at least once.

[GuestHouse]

I'm not sure if I've posted this before, but here's some shots of one of my track bikes, again Team Raleigh Ilkeston (No. SB7391) the same team colours. I've recently renovated this frame and my daughter is now riding her first track season on her dad's old track iron.

There she is, the little GH, her knees going up and down like bees wings.

[onionluke]

I have a raliegh 753 (red ) , Campagnolo Record box set , road tubless rims . Alas it is hanging on the wall back in Glasgow . I put the bike together in 1985 when I was racing as shoolboy for Glasgow Ivy CC . The bike was a replacement for a Bob Jackson I was given by a vet when I joined the club at 13 years old . The Bob Jackson was a write off when I got smacked by transit van one summer . I intend to bring the bike to Thailand for my sons future use . My old dad still rides a Mercian to work . Thanks , great post .

[GuestHouse]

I spent last weekend renovating the wheels, stripped the spokes out (labeled them Front. Back Left, Back Right) because they are each different sizes according to their position.

For those into the detail, the spokes are all DT Swiss Bright Stainless Steel, they cleaned up beautifully. Here's a link for guys into spokes.

http://www.mrrabbit....heads/main.html

I then stripped the hubs down to the last component, cleaned, polished and reassembled them. See photos before, during and after below.

You'll notice a tube of Copper Slip - I've always used copper slip to assemble bike threads, seat pillars and handlebar stems - The seat pillar, which had been in the frame for 25 years or more came out easy peasy - remember 'Copper Slip' or the same local equivalent (often used to assemble car break components.

The white stuff is high performance grease - Not polish. I used Autosol to polish the parts with (which I bought in the UK).

Edited July 28, 2012 by GuestHouse

[GuestHouse]

I finally got around to taking the wheel parts down to the local bike shop in Sriracha to get my wheels built. They did a superb job for Bht200, I reckon 25 years ago wheel building cost around £20 a set - so a real bargain.

Once the wheels where built it was time to glue the tubs on. Back in the day I raced on Clement Criteriums (Cotton for road races and silks - "Green tab" - for Testing). I don't think Clements are in business anymore so I opted for Continental Grande Prix 4000 - not cheap but lovely tubs.

I used to run my Clement Cottons at around 100~110psi, the Silks 110~120psi - These Continentals run at 140psi, the rolling resistance has got to be way lower.

In the photos below, the wheel parts, I've used coloured plastic bags to identify the different spokes and front/back rims. Then the fully built wheels and finally the tubs and glue.

I stretched the tubs on the rims by inflating them and leaving them on the rims for about a month. Prior to stretching them they were almost impossible to fit on the rims, I had to resort to using Tie-Wraps to hold the tub on the rim as I levered it into place.

Edited August 8, 2012 by GuestHouse

[black fox]

used to work at carlton cycles when i left school when they were indock rd worksop before raleigh took over(wages 2pounds ten per week)factory was very run down and full of rats cos it was next to the canal later they moved to godley and gouldings yard on eastgate.

[qdinthailand]

Here's a few goodies I've got my mitts on, and I'm sure for some of the older riders a few memories.

First of all a set of Campagnolo Super Record Hubs fitted with a Regina Oro 13~18 six speed block (we'll start referring to them as cassettes when we get to the post 2000 machines).

Hopefully that Regina cluster isn't threaded on tight - otherwise, good luck trying to rebuild that wheel.

(sorry, just skipped to bottom and noticed you had cluster off, so ignore my comment ;-)

Edited September 30, 2012 by qdinthailand

[qdinthailand]

Are you doing this here in Thailand? or somewhere in England?

If here in Thailand, my god - you brought all that junk fine bike stuff here?

[ianf]

As an aside, I also picked up a set of Christophe Stainless Steel Rat Traps while in the UK - Now I know the collectors are going to say why not Campagnolo Super Record to match the group set - Well because nobody used to ride Campag Super Record Rat Traps, they used to snap after only a few weeks of use. The Christophe Stainless Steel jobbies last !

My Super Records NEVER snapped!

[black fox]

guesthouse you mention maltby in one of your re plieswell i was born and raised in carlton in lindrick where the first carlton cycles were made(just wondered if you come from that area).

[GuestHouse]

^ Lincolnshire wolds.

[GuestHouse]

As an aside, I also picked up a set of Christophe Stainless Steel Rat Traps while in the UK - Now I know the collectors are going to say why not Campagnolo Super Record to match the group set - Well because nobody used to ride Campag Super Record Rat Traps, they used to snap after only a few weeks of use. The Christophe Stainless Steel jobbies last !

My Super Records NEVER snapped!

My super record pedals never snapped, though didn't Fignon have a problem with a snapped Campag Pedal Spindle in the Tour one year.

I never had anything but problems with the Campag SR toe clips, honestly they never lasted more than a couple of weeks.

[GuestHouse]

Are you doing this here in Thailand? or somewhere in England?

If here in Thailand, my god - you brought all that junk fine bike stuff here?

Yep, shipped it over as excess baggage when I went home for a short break this summer.

I paid an extra £150 excess and no taxes at the Thai end - well worth the expense.

I finally got the rebuild finished in time for the Chonburi Car Free Day event the weekend before last - everything is original from the old bike (including the handle bar tape) or New Old Stock components that had never been fitted.

The only exceptions are brake pads (originals are perished so I have had to install a get by set until the replacements Campag pads arrive) and the bottle cage. Oh and of course the tubs. I used to ride clement criterium cottons (Red Tab) for road races, settas (Green Tab) for track and time trials. These sadly are no longer available, so I opted for Continental 4000 Grand Prix - a superb tub.

The bottle is one of only three originals I have left - back in the day I used to get a bin bag full of bottles given to me at the beginning of the season only to toss them away like expendables in events. Ebay lists these things as 10s of pounds each - oh well.

Before stripping the bike I marked seat post and handle bar stem where it exited the frame so that I could be sure to re-build exactly as per original. I didn't dismantle the saddle from the seat pillar nor the handle bars from the stem, so once slotted together up to the original marks I knew I'd got the position set exactly as it was.

Riding this bike again after all these years was amazing, and a tad emotional for an old git like me.

Firstly was twitchiness of the frame. I've been riding a Giant road bike these past two years, a nice bike, but no where near as twitchy as this race thorough bred. Odd that because before I rode Raleighs I used to have a Holdsworth Professional - 75 Deg Parallel frame and a short wheel base. If you ever road one you'll recall that while great in a sprint and a hill climb, getting out of the saddle on a Holdsworth Pro took gentle practice if you didn't want to land head first on the pavement.

My first Raleigh seemed like a touring bike in comparison to the twitchiness of the Holdsworth, and here I'm thinking the Raleigh is twitchy compared to the Giant.

Next the gear ratio 44/52 and a 13~18 close ratio block. Comparing this with the wide ratio block I have on my Giant where changing gear gives a huge swing in cadence, the close ratio block gives a lot gentler change of peddling pace. Something my old legs appreciate.

Anyone remember those old fixed gear (restricted gear) time trials they used to run in the UK - 72" was a usual gear, twiddling that at 125 RPM over 25 miles. Knees going up and down like bees wings.

Of course I missed the wide ratio block when I hit the first hill - but what this? The frame is alive.

No really, if you have only ridden an aluminium, carbon or titanium frame and never ridden a 753 chrome molly up a hill you've missed one of the great pleasures cycling - Out of the saddle on a good hill, the frame dances - its a fabulous feeling.

Gear shifts on the down tube and you would not believe how fast that old skill of feeling a gear selection comes back.

Wonderful stuff.

Ah but what shoes did I have for those peddles??????

Edited October 2, 2012 by GuestHouse

[GuestHouse]

I should mention the pressure in those tubs.

Back in the day I used to pump my clemments up to 120 PSI start grimace if I decided to go to 130. These new Continental 4000s start at 140 PSI and go up to 170.

I would have killed for a set of these when I was a lad - the rolling resistance is way down on the old tubs. Hell though if they go bang !

[Thailandf2rally]

What a wonderful machine!

Much respect for your patience in getting the parts lined up. I'm building up my 90's retro mountain bike, but on a modern frame. It's unbelievably difficult to get parts over from abroad, either no one wants to bother with shipping or it's just not worth the shipping costs.

[GuestHouse]

Thanks T2R, I luckily had a lot of spare parts stashed in boxes, that to be honest I had completely forgotten until I started this project.

I've also re-bult one of my track bikes, but that was simply a strip, clean and replace the tires project - My daughter has been ridng my track iron all summer.

[GuestHouse]

As I mentioned above, fitting the original pedals necessitates getting hold of some old style cleats. I bought these from Dromarti (hand made in Italy - leather uppers but carbon soles). Money saved on not having to pay VAT just about covered the postage. http://www.dromarti.com/

[GuestHouse]

The other goody coming in the post this week was a set of replacement set of brake pads, so I could at last ditch the 'Get Me By' set of brake shoes and fit the original Campagnolo shoes.

If I didn't mention it before I first fitted the original brake shoes, only to find out they were completely perished when I tried to apply the brakes. Hence the set of 'Get Me By' shoes.

The last item to be changed for an original is the bottle cage - I've got the original........ in a box somewhere.

[qdinthailand]

I used to race on this kind of gear. Campy N.R. components on various frames - some custom built - but including a Raleigh Pro track bike. Mostly road racing, but track as well, including madison (and a six-day). I even have an old UCI Pro license I found in my papers after I got here to CM.

My stuff was so worn out though (chaingring teeth rounded off, brake pads gone, sprockets and chains shot, tires long dead), I sold some of it to various collectors and enthusiasts, rather than hall that stuff around with me. Actually, I sold or disposed of all my possessions back in 2005 - spent the next 5 years traveling the world by motorbike. Not sad at all when it was all finally gone - getting rid of it was hard at first, but once gone, what a relief to part with all that stuff - a load off the mind, very liberating in spirit. Now, I look at stuff differently. If I can't put it to use, its 'out of here'.

When I moved here, everything arrived via 2 trips as normal check-in luggage, about half of it was motorcycle and outdoor gear.