2001 Raleigh Firefly

[StrontiumCat]

Hi all, just signed up to the forums after many weeks of lurking. Am very new to cycling and bought an old Raleigh as something I can tinker with for fun.
Seems to run smoothly enough, although obviously weighs an absolute ton (not helped by my slapping a pannier rack on it). Looking to use it as a comfortable but slow workhorse, predominantly on tarmac, but with the occasional foray onto slightly rougher surfaces (it's not my only bike - I've also got a Giant ATX 2 and a Giant Avail 3, so I won't expect it to do absolutely everything).
If you were me, what would you tweak/improve, short of melting down the poor old buffer altogether? I'm not prepared to budge on the whitewall tyres.

 

[raleighnut]

You could try swapping the crank for an all aluminium one instead of one with steel rings, that'll lose at least a pound (but probably cost over a hundred) Aluminium handlebars help too.

 

[Cycleops]

Hello and welcome. If you're new to cycling then you've done well to collect three bikes already.

I'm afraid there's not really not very much you can do to improve the Firefly if weight saving is your goal, but it shouldn't worry you too much on a commuter. I've just bought a Specialized with steel frame and while its not the fastest its comfortable.
Have fun.

 

[Threevok]

Single speed it - that will lose a lot of weight (Rings, cables, shifters etc) and would be cheap to do (although you may need to spend a little on chain tensioning)

Change the crank too (if possible) to something lighter - second hand would do - as long as it would fit the BB shell and chain-ring bolt circle diameter you intend to use.

Keep the whitewalls though - they are lush

 

[MarkF]

Get it powder coated cream (sub £50) and put on some stitched tan leather grips, a nice chrome light on the front (don't bother wiring it up) and use it forever.

 

[StrontiumCat]

Thanks for all your advice and being so welcoming, guys. I'd already wondered about converting it to single-speed and it was something that the bloke in the LBS suggested too, so I might well go down that route. Powder-coating's also a good shout. Will get a quote, but anything around £50 seems pretty manageable.

I'll be honest with you, I'm not completely new to cycling - I had a Raleigh Grifter when I was 12 or so (a dreadful thing) then after a 20 year hiatus got a Carrera Hellcat thought a cycle to work scheme. This got nicked, so I got the firefly as an emergency replacement, before getting the atx to be my 'proper' bike. That's when I started falling in love with bikes and ended up scouring eBay and Gumtree for a cheap but decent roadbike, resulting in the avail. It's addictive, isn't it?

 

[Threevok]

It is addictive

strangely enough - I've just been offered a Giant ATX 2. However, as I just bought a replacement GT frame on eBay today for myself - the ATX will have to be "for the wife"

 

[StrontiumCat]

That was how I justified the avail - "Darling, I've bought you a bike so we can cycle together!" It's even a woman's frame, just to make it really convincing. Fits me like a dream though.

 

[StrontiumCat]

Just seen a bloke's selling a Marin Muirwoods on Gumtree for £20 and I'm really tempted to get it as a project - year unknown, but it's a quill stem. Fourth bike might be pushing it though.