1980's Raleigh Sun Solo

Merlydog
Merlydog Posts: 58
edited March 2013 in Your road bikes
Got myself a lovely little vintage raleigh (almost) bicycle from eBay today..

I've bought it to use as my winter work horse for my 12.5 mile each way London commute. Been looking for a while now but this one came up for a very reasonable price.

I know they were budget bikes in there time and cost no more than £2-300 quid, I don't intend on doing much at all to it to be honest, perhaps a new seat but nothing more, I intend to ride it as is!

Anymore solo owners online?

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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Sweet, almost immaculate... :D
    left the forum March 2023
  • kirkee
    kirkee Posts: 369
    Classic, its in good nick. I remember those levers for breaking while on the tops of the bars. I had them on my Raleigh Winner (dubbed the raleigh loser' by my mates at the time as it was very beat up and abused through harsh usage to and from school etc).
    Caveat - I buy and ride cheap, however, I reserve the right to advise on expensive kit that I have never actually used and possibly never will
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    kirkee wrote:
    Classic, its in good nick. I remember those levers for breaking while on the tops of the bars. I had them on my Raleigh Winner (dubbed the raleigh loser' by my mates at the time as it was very beat up and abused through harsh usage to and from school etc).

    Ah that's mean! Lol.. I'm looking forward to having the option actually, less stretching required in the London carnage :)
  • not-another-hillǃ
    not-another-hillǃ Posts: 1,310
    Nice! I think thats early 80s....I had a Sun Solo in 1985 and it was a matt black jobby with orange/yellow decals....my first roadbike....it wouldn't look out of place with all the stealth monsters about at the moment! Shame I got rid of it now, but I went all montain bike for about 20 years!!! :D
  • declan1
    declan1 Posts: 2,470
    Merlydog wrote:
    kirkee wrote:
    Classic, its in good nick. I remember those levers for breaking while on the tops of the bars. I had them on my Raleigh Winner (dubbed the raleigh loser' by my mates at the time as it was very beat up and abused through harsh usage to and from school etc).

    Ah that's mean! Lol.. I'm looking forward to having the option actually, less stretching required in the London carnage :)

    You might re-consider when I inform you that they're known as suicide levers ;)

    Road - Dolan Preffisio
    MTB - On-One Inbred

    I have no idea what's going on here.
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    declan1 wrote:
    Merlydog wrote:
    kirkee wrote:
    Classic, its in good nick. I remember those levers for breaking while on the tops of the bars. I had them on my Raleigh Winner (dubbed the raleigh loser' by my mates at the time as it was very beat up and abused through harsh usage to and from school etc).

    Ah that's mean! Lol.. I'm looking forward to having the option actually, less stretching required in the London carnage :)

    You might re-consider when I inform you that they're known as suicide levers ;)

    Lol yes I've heard that but then its suicide cycling in London anyway isn't it? :lol:
  • declan1
    declan1 Posts: 2,470
    Merlydog wrote:
    declan1 wrote:
    Merlydog wrote:
    kirkee wrote:
    Classic, its in good nick. I remember those levers for breaking while on the tops of the bars. I had them on my Raleigh Winner (dubbed the raleigh loser' by my mates at the time as it was very beat up and abused through harsh usage to and from school etc).

    Ah that's mean! Lol.. I'm looking forward to having the option actually, less stretching required in the London carnage :)

    You might re-consider when I inform you that they're known as suicide levers ;)

    Lol yes I've heard that but then its suicide cycling in London anyway isn't it? :lol:

    I suppose you might as well kill yourself in comfort! :P

    Road - Dolan Preffisio
    MTB - On-One Inbred

    I have no idea what's going on here.
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    edited March 2013
    No idea how people managed to ride on the hoods while out the saddle on these classic bikes. Tried it on a 60's bike the other day, very painful on the hands.
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    Lol I don't stick by the road bike riding mafia laws, I like to be different.. If I'm down that far all the time I'm dodging something flying low :lol:
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    TakeTurns wrote:
    No idea how people managed to ride on the hoods while out the saddle on these classic bikes. Tried it on a 60's bike the other day, very painful on the hands.

    We have bigger, manly hands with thick skin, I suppose... :mrgreen:
    left the forum March 2023
  • declan1
    declan1 Posts: 2,470
    TakeTurns wrote:
    No idea how people managed to ride on the hoods while out the saddle on these classic bikes. Tried it on a 60's bike the other day, very painful on the hands.

    On my dad's Peugeot (same hoods) I just did the entire (35 mile) ride on the drops. I tried the hoods, but as you said they were rather painful!

    Road - Dolan Preffisio
    MTB - On-One Inbred

    I have no idea what's going on here.
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    TakeTurns wrote:
    No idea how people managed to ride on the hoods while out the saddle on these classic bikes. Tried it on a 60's bike the other day, very painful on the hands.

    We have bigger, manly hands with thick skin, I suppose... :mrgreen:

    That must be it lol! I'll keep trying in the hope that I will one day be as thick skinned :mrgreen:
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    That's absolutely peachy. Lovely find, it will be great to sit alongside that outside the cafe. Enjoy.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Cool, very cool. If your changing the saddle then go for something of the same era ish to keep the look.

    Tell you the truth, take it to Hoxton and you'll be able to sell it to some dude for about a squillion quid .....
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    Yossie wrote:
    Cool, very cool. If your changing the saddle then go for something of the same era ish to keep the look.

    Tell you the truth, take it to Hoxton and you'll be able to sell it to some dude for about a squillion quid .....

    I'd like to ride it a while first see how I get on :)

    Do u know what sort of saddle it may have come with? Needs to be fairly comfy as my commute is a 24 mile round trip?
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Merlydog wrote:
    Do u know what sort of saddle it may have come with? Needs to be fairly comfy as my commute is a 24 mile round trip?

    Planet X Turbo would do nicely. Would have been more upmarket than your bike would have had at the time but the design dates from that era (very much a classic) and they are cheap as well.

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/SAS ... rbo_saddle
    Merlydog wrote:
    I know they were budget bikes in there time and cost no more than £2-300 quid, I don't intend on doing much at all to it to be honest, perhaps a new seat but nothing more, I intend to ride it as is!

    I take it you are referring to its cost in modern terms. Back then, £2-£300 would have got you a Reynolds 531 Dawes Galaxy or suchlike!
    declan1 wrote:
    TakeTurns wrote:
    No idea how people managed to ride on the hoods while out the saddle on these classic bikes. Tried it on a 60's bike the other day, very painful on the hands.

    On my dad's Peugeot (same hoods) I just did the entire (35 mile) ride on the drops. I tried the hoods, but as you said they were rather painful!

    This is why those of us of a certain age (people who rode 'racers' pre 1990) are often perplexed at how frequently people on here who have road bikes claim to hardly ever use the drops! We were on them or the tops all the time*.

    *and never mind that those same folk who never use the drops often sneer at 'sportive geometry' bikes!!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Nice bike there Merlydog.
  • Merlydog
    Merlydog Posts: 58
    I was thinking I might treat it to a new set of wheels.. I know they're 27's, my first thought was stick 700's on and a new set of calipers. Nope! Measurements are all wrong and I don't have the inclination to start drilling the frame etc so.... Can you get a 'decent' set of 27 wheels still, just trying to lose a little weight :)

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