Hello and what tyre pressures for my old Chiltern?
Chiltern
Posts: 4
Hi everyone,
My first post on here. On a bit of a whim I've just picked up a Raleigh Chiltern with the Sturmey Archer 3 speed, for the grand price of £30.
It needs a little TLC but that's part of why I bought it, I love working on my old cars and it'll be nice to have something small and easy to tinker with when I need my car on the road.
I haven't ridden a bike in 15 years and my long term plan is to commute across Manchester to work on it at least twice a week(about a 9 mile round journey).
Before I can do that it needs a little work(as do I!), the front and rear brake blocks are worn down to the metal, I visited my LBS today and picked up a new set so I will fit them tomorrow. I also need to adjust the hub, it slips out of second into neutral but there's not enough adjustment left on the nut to set it up properly so that needs looking into.
Most importantly at the moment, the tyres need pumping up, they seem pretty low and squidgy, it made it very difficult to ride even 10 or so metres. The tyres say Raleigh Record on them which I believe is a different model of bike, does this mean the wheels/tyres are the wrong size? If not then what PSI should i inflate them to? I am 13 stone and I'll be riding on the streets of Manchester.
Thanks for any advice in advance, I hope to be an active member of the community.
Cheers
My first post on here. On a bit of a whim I've just picked up a Raleigh Chiltern with the Sturmey Archer 3 speed, for the grand price of £30.
It needs a little TLC but that's part of why I bought it, I love working on my old cars and it'll be nice to have something small and easy to tinker with when I need my car on the road.
I haven't ridden a bike in 15 years and my long term plan is to commute across Manchester to work on it at least twice a week(about a 9 mile round journey).
Before I can do that it needs a little work(as do I!), the front and rear brake blocks are worn down to the metal, I visited my LBS today and picked up a new set so I will fit them tomorrow. I also need to adjust the hub, it slips out of second into neutral but there's not enough adjustment left on the nut to set it up properly so that needs looking into.
Most importantly at the moment, the tyres need pumping up, they seem pretty low and squidgy, it made it very difficult to ride even 10 or so metres. The tyres say Raleigh Record on them which I believe is a different model of bike, does this mean the wheels/tyres are the wrong size? If not then what PSI should i inflate them to? I am 13 stone and I'll be riding on the streets of Manchester.
Thanks for any advice in advance, I hope to be an active member of the community.
Cheers
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Comments
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Hello and welcome!
I've no idea what kind of bike a Raleigh Chiltern is. Drop bars or flat bars?
Doesn't really matter, it's a 2nd hand bike and could have had all sorts changed on it over the years. It should say on the sidewall of the tyre what the recommended pressure is, generally speaking narrower tyres need more pressure and roll faster.
Assuming your tyres aren't in their first flush of youth I wouldn't experiment with over-pressuring them either - 60 psi is a good a guess as any. You may be wanting new tyres if you're commuting in a city, expect a few punctures a take some spare tubes with you.0
