Old bikes

"Martin 'MSeries' Newstead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

It depends. Raleigh had their own 26 tpi (threads per inch) standard for
many, many years -- certainly well into the 50's and possibly beyond --
while others standardised on a 24 tpi thread that is common today.

So, the answer is quite probably NO -- but all is not lost.

Google for Cycles of Yesteryear. They can provide stuff for the old 26 tpi
BBs, headsets etc.

I believe Sheldon Brown has some data -- as always.

T

Tony W said:

"Martin 'MSeries' Newstead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

It depends. Raleigh had their own 26 tpi (threads per inch) standard
for many, many years -- certainly well into the 50's and possibly
beyond -- while others standardised on a 24 tpi thread that is common
today.

So, the answer is quite probably NO -- but all is not lost.

Google for Cycles of Yesteryear. They can provide stuff for the old
26 tpi BBs, headsets etc.

I believe Sheldon Brown has some data -- as always.

T

I wasn't thinking that old, more early 80s onwards.

Martin 'MSeries' Newstead said:

Tony W said:

"Martin 'MSeries' Newstead" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

It depends. Raleigh had their own 26 tpi (threads per inch) standard
for many, many years -- certainly well into the 50's and possibly
beyond -- while others standardised on a 24 tpi thread that is common
today.

I wasn't thinking that old, more early 80s onwards.

Almost all will be completely standard, same thread and length as used today
on typical British tourers (and numerous other types of machine). The axle
you need in the BB will depend on the cranks and chainring line required.
Modern cartridge bearings will fit.

- Nigel

--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

"Martin 'MSeries' Newstead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I wasn't thinking that old, more early 80s onwards.

Oh -- a new bike. In all likelihood a standard 24 tpi job will do.

Sheldon may have the exact answer.

T

Martin 'MSeries' Newstead said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

My 1984/5ish Raleigh Royal takes a normal modern English bottom bracket,
and the orginal forks take a "normal" 1" headset locknut.

I don't know what year Raleigh stopped using their own threads but you're
bound to be safe with the better quality handbuilt '80s Raleigh frames at
least.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

Martin 'MSeries' Newstead said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

My 1984/5ish Raleigh Royal takes a normal modern English bottom bracket,
and the orginal forks take a "normal" 1" headset locknut.

I don't know what year Raleigh stopped using their own threads but you're
bound to be safe with the better quality handbuilt '80s Raleigh frames at
least.

~PB

I've got a Raleigh Royal myself which I bought in 1987-89 I think. It
was £130 from my LBS but a few years ago I gave it to my brother but
now I've just got it back and want to restore it. However its been
left out in the rain and basically while the frame is good it
definitely needs attention here and there. However my Royal isn't the
standard uk spec model but an export version meant for mainland europe
I believe that for some reason ended up in a uk dealership.

If I remember rightly the uk spec Royal was a lot dearer than mine but
had better components. Mine features a built in rack, dynamo lights
and 12 gears. The gears are made in france by Hurst.

Anyone know how export Raleighs vary to uk spec models?

The frame says 'Made in England'. I'm happy to email pics to anyone
interested. However I don't have a full bike image. I took pictures of
various components but not the whole bike...doh!, and now its
disassembled.

Heres one anyway;

http://www.btinternet.com/~martin.w6/Royal/dynamo.jpg

Pete Biggs said:

Martin 'MSeries' Newstead said:

How 'standard' are old British steel bikes such as old Raleigh's and
Falcons. Do they take normal English threaded bottom brackets ?

My 1984/5ish Raleigh Royal takes a normal modern English bottom
bracket, and the orginal forks take a "normal" 1" headset locknut.

So does mine but i don't have much knowledge about low end gas pipe bikes
from the early eighties. If a 531/653/753 frame can be had cheap enough I'll
get one of those.

Martin Wilson said:

I've got a Raleigh Royal myself which I bought in 1987-89 I think. It
was £130 from my LBS but a few years ago I gave it to my brother but
now I've just got it back and want to restore it. However its been
left out in the rain and basically while the frame is good it
definitely needs attention here and there. However my Royal isn't the
standard uk spec model but an export version meant for mainland europe
I believe that for some reason ended up in a uk dealership.

If I remember rightly the uk spec Royal was a lot dearer than mine but
had better components. Mine features a built in rack, dynamo lights
and 12 gears. The gears are made in france by Hurst.

Anyone know how export Raleighs vary to uk spec models?

The frame says 'Made in England'. I'm happy to email pics to anyone
interested. However I don't have a full bike image. I took pictures of
various components but not the whole bike...doh!, and now its
disassembled.

Heres one anyway;

http://www.btinternet.com/~martin.w6/Royal/dynamo.jpg

I also have a Royal from 1986. It cost £210 IIRC, I got mine from Mal Rees
cycles in Hayes, Middx, I have the receipt somewhere.

It had Suntour 6 speed non-indexed gears, Sugino double chainset (50/36),
Weinman centre pull brakes. The wheels were 27" and thats about all I can
remember about them. Rack was a chrome plated three point fixing affair, no
dynamo. Sakae custom handlebars and Weinman brake levers.

I have recently refurbished mine and used it quite extensively this year
for mini-tours. Read about it here http://www.mseries.freeserve.co.uk/,
click on my touring bike. Theres some photos in the Trans America Ride
section too.

Quoted message said:

I also have a Royal from 1986. It cost £210 IIRC, I got mine from Mal Rees
cycles in Hayes, Middx, I have the receipt somewhere.

It had Suntour 6 speed non-indexed gears, Sugino double chainset (50/36),
Weinman centre pull brakes. The wheels were 27" and thats about all I can
remember about them. Rack was a chrome plated three point fixing affair, no
dynamo. Sakae custom handlebars and Weinman brake levers.

I have recently refurbished mine and used it quite extensively this year
for mini-tours. Read about it here http://www.mseries.freeserve.co.uk/,
click on my touring bike. Theres some photos in the Trans America Ride
section too.

My front and rear deraileur is Hurst. I don't know who made the chain.
My brakes are weinman sidepull type. The tyres are 700x28. My rack is
a three point fixing type. The gear levers are pretty good quality non
indexed and possibly by Hurst too. I don't know who made them but the
handlebars are super light but strong. My brake levers have both
normal and 90 degree levers and are made in the usa I think but I
can't remember the brand. Its a very french Raleigh mine as I believe
the Hurst gears and Rigida wheels come from there. Its obviously
inferior to the uk spec model but then it was much cheaper and you do
get a dynamo light system. Absolutely superb bike in its day. A joy to
ride.

Funny enough I've already been to your site a few times. I put in
Raleigh Royal and ended up at your site. Already read your adventures
in the usa and going through New York. Wanted more close ups of the
bike though.

Martin Wilson said:

Funny enough I've already been to your site a few times. I put in
Raleigh Royal and ended up at your site. Already read your adventures
in the usa and going through New York. Wanted more close ups of the
bike though.

Are you sure its Hurst, not Huret ? I first thought it was a typo. I need to
update my bike bio so I may also include some more pictures. It now has an
Accor dual pivot front brake, 8 speed cassette (8 from 9 on 6) and a Dura
Ace lever for the rear mech. I am planning on putting a triple chainset on
it soon also - might be over the winter now. When I do this it'll get a new
front mech (105) and the matching Dura Ace lever for the front mech. I may
also get it refinished too.

in message <[email hidden]>, Martin Wilson

(') said:

My front and rear deraileur is Hurst.

Huret?

My sister's Raleigh Royale (about the same era) has deraileurs which are
badged 'Raleigh', but I'm confident they're actually Huret). It has
ratcheted but non-indexed shifters and Weinmann centrepull brakes
(probably because of the mixte frame). I can't recall whether it
originally had a rack.

It's an excellent bike and is still used every day.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting
me down. I think I'll upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that
comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're crawling with bugs.

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Martin Wilson

(') said:

My front and rear deraileur is Hurst.

Huret?

My sister's Raleigh Royale (about the same era) has deraileurs which are
badged 'Raleigh', but I'm confident they're actually Huret). It has
ratcheted but non-indexed shifters and Weinmann centrepull brakes
(probably because of the mixte frame). I can't recall whether it
originally had a rack.

It's an excellent bike and is still used every day.

As Southern Railway have decided to keep the cattle trucks for another
year I got a Dawes Imperial, a beauty; c 1980, 531c frame with a union
jack sticker (would they be allowed now?) good old Weinmanns,the rest
SR/GB/Sakae custom everything apart from the Suntour ratchet shifters.
And the 10" wide bars, I can almost hear Tears for Fears ;-)