Advice on old bike

H-Giant

Hello,

I am after some advice on what to do with a very old Raleigh road bike

Its around 37 years old, frames in decent condition, needs all other new parts including wheels

It belonged to my late uncle so I want to keep it and have 3 options:

1. Turn it into a fixie
2. Fix it back to original - it has the gear shifters on the down tube
3. Fix it with upgraded current parts

What would you guys do with it?

cooldad

By fixie do you mean fixed or single speed?

If it's sentimental, make it original.

Will you actually ride it?

craker

Got a photo?

Only you can answer the question though.

keef66

cooldad wrote:

By fixie do you mean fixed or single speed?

If it's sentimental, make it original.

Will you actually ride it?

Ditto. I always think classic bikes can look a bit sad with modern kit on them. If you want to keep it for sentimental reasons, restore it to it's original condition as near as possible. You can get a modern wheelset built using a classic rim profile and a rear hub for126mm OLD spacing, a new screw-on freewheel, and 700c tanwall tyres. Downtube shifters are simple and timeless. You can get a Rolls or Brooks saddle. New cables, chain, bartape, brake blocks, tyres and tubes.
If you need to get rid of it in future there's a demand for older bikes in good nick for events like L'eroica

perfectmark

Making it as original as possible is probably the most sensible option. But if I was doing something like that, I would personally try and keep everything looking original except the gears.

H-Giant

Thanks for the advice guys

Think im going to restore it back to original as possible and just ride it about to shops and when out and about with the kids

simon_masterson

Just go for a sympathetic restoration - i.e. any part replacements, just go for roughly period correct, or appropriately styled modern.