The Europa at last.

Dickie

Finally got round to sorting it out. It was a bit like going to the dentist, expensive and painful. Still a couple of chips to touch up and clips and straps to fit.

Bits I reused (not much) frame, fork, bars, stem, hoods, front hub.

New bits, rims, r/hub, tyres, tubes, w/build, h/set, cables, chain, c/set, b/bkt, tape.

Parts bin, calipers, saddle, s/post, pedals, b/levers, assorted nuts bolts etc.

It weighed 30ibs (!!) it now weighs an honest 23.5 lbs. Turns out to be a nice ride though not super light, a 6.5lb saving is not to be sneezed at. The paintwork was was in shocking order and though it looks ok, when you get within a foot or so you can see the pain it has endured. All in all not bad for a bike I had to unearth from a rubbish pile.

http://pics-by-dickie.fotopic.net/c1617482.html

stickman

Nice end result and good weight saving.

meagain

ANOTHER nice job, Rob!
Slightly reminiscent of the Farrel!

And for something completely different, my very recent revived Raleigh (c.91 USA Technium Instinct):

TRADESIZE

how bizzare I bought one of those recently too, and bizzarly i'll probably also be using the same tyres as you!

what crankset did you use and what bb (and what bb width). Luckily unlike 95% of ralieghs the europa is not ralieghs 26 thread pitch and the normal english 24 thread pitch.
mines identical to yours - what year were they bulit?
ta
Jeff

Dickie

Thanks chaps. Dave, that is an unusual/rare bike. Im assuming the Techium is the yank Dyna-tech, cool grey import. I have never seen one in the flesh though.

Tradesize, Raleighs post 1980ish ran 24tpi, though the low end roadsters still carried 26tpi for longer.

The original Europa 1977/8 was a dog, slack geometry, all steel, Huret not Suntour mechs, c/pulls and 27" wheels. The one I have is 1982 check your rear hub if its Maillard it will have a date.
I used a 116mm b/bkt, Stronglight c/set with an Atom/Maillard rear hub. Hope this helps.

For what is worth it seems to ride very well to me, I really enjoy riding it. Geared 46-18 gives a shade under 68" which suits me fine.

meagain

Confusion reigns.....!!

Jeff, the best guide I've found is

www.mombat.org/Raleigh

from which I THINK that it's 1991 (but while I like old Raleighs - very much under-rated IMO/E - and am an "historian" by education!, I can't get excited by the minutiae of period specs etc).

The cranks are just old Spesh Strongarms (I think!) that I had on the shelf. Axle length - not sure - if you get stuck I'll try and measure.

Rob, the Techniums pre-dated the Dynatechs I believe.

Whatever, it is actually rather a nice bike - and meets my main criterion of not seeing a bike identical to what I'm riding at any given time!

Beeblebrox

Aha, interesting.

I dug out a small (24" wheels) Raleigh Europa from the back of the shed a few days ago - decided to do it up a bit for my girlfriend who is currently bikeless. Obviously, it's pretty small, but I can ride it relatively comfortably and she's shorter than me, so hopefully it'll be okay.

I did consider single speeding it, but the extra cost of this meant I just put the down tube shifters back on and kept it a 5 speed. Took off all the rust and as much paint as I could manage, and resprayed it a bright red, which looks nice.
The wheels need truing and I'm waiting for new handlebar tape etc., but just to get around Cardiff it'll be grand and a thief would have to be blind to want to steal it.

Anyway, point is, those pictures were very interesting as I've just be re-cabling it and I could find any proper 'stock' photos and some of mine came out crap. So thanks!
It is a good sturdy bike, under the layers of crap and rust the steel frame was absolutely fine, as good as it ever was, I should think.