Bike repairs and the 1980s...

[Ian193]

I remember the first decent road bike I owned was a Raleigh Medale was an ok ride once I fitted a decent saddle but the brake blocks were Raleigh rain check's and used to squeal something terrible even in the dry didn't need a bell LOL

 

[400bhp]

You know what I don't remember - twuntish drivers.

When I were a lad towards the end of my teens and doing 60 odd milers regularly in the early 90's, I don't remember any shenanigans with cars.

I do remember the 42-18 minimum gearing trying to get up Winnats and failing.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

and the average bicycle weighed more than a Cortina.

Whereas now it is the average cyclist who weighs more than a Cortina!!

like i said,modern bikes are all high priced crap,made to be thrown away,get yourselfs a good old raleigh,thay'r made to last

Raleigh?? Pah, I wouldn't touch that modern rubbish! It is all Penny Farthings for me!! Even rod brakes are new fangled nonesense!!

Round my way some mates got moped handle bars on their bikes

Round our way some lads had old mopeds with the accelerator like a friction shift lever on the bars, no end of fun on the wasteland ,

The best we had round here were wooden ice lolly sticks in the spokes to 'supposedly' make the noise of a motorbike.

All it did was make a racket (albeit a somewhat satisfying racket) that must have annoyed the neighbours!!

 

[flyingfish]

We had playing cards in our spokes

 

[Mrs M]

We had playing cards in our spokes

My brother did that playing card trick on his Grifter.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

We used to use bits of cardboard fixed to the spokes with clothes pegs

 

[midlife]

Oh no! Someone mentioned the Grifter word I remember them being launched.

Shaun

 

[Ian193]

My cousin had a grifter I had a Raleigh chopper my other cousin had a tomahawk if my memories correct

 

[Mrs M]

I always wanted an Ultra violet (purple) Chopper, never got it.

 

[Nigeyy]

Yeah, I'm with some of the other posters..... Brought up in the 80's on a Raleigh Arena. 5 speeds.
Bad? Here we go:

-Really really crap crap brakes (and the suicide levers did slow you down, but they were still terrible)
-Needed to be an Olympian to lift the blessed thing
-Perhaps down in deepest darkest Surrey the thorns were wimpy, but oop int'Noorth they'd slice through the tyre causing punctures and teenage angst
-Was always using black electrical tape for handlebars as being a teenager I could never afford the real thing. Would have been better off with no tape -particularly in hot weather when it just melted and got sticky.
-Putting up with a drive chain that was absolutely knackered and constantly slipped, couldn't afford to fix it -ended up cycling with the only non-slipping gears until it was down to being a single speed
-Crap crap crap cotter pins and bb design (my knocking bb was never replaced)
-And then when I finally did get a new chain, having to use a hammer, punch and half a brick to rest the chain on....
-Crap crap crap friction gear changes -with the lever on the down tube (a very natural at hand position if you were an orangutan)
-Cursing the designers at Raleigh for inventing the worlds most inefficient and useless one eighth size mudguard.

Pros
Freedom and priceless memories over many many miles

Honestly, bikes are much better now, its just the time of my youth I miss.

 

[Dogtrousers]

-And then when I finally did get a new chain, having to use a hammer, punch and half a brick to rest the chain on....

Oh yes. Chain tools? pah.

 

[Nigeyy]

How I learned to spell in the 1980s:

Hammer = m-u-l-t-i-t-o-o-l

Oh yes. Chain tools? pah.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Anyway, as I was a kid in the '80s, I never had any issues with bike maintenance, mainly I guess because if anything had went wrong (I don't remember anything specifically), my Dad would have fixed it for me or the bike would have gone to the LBS.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

That said, I do remember getting a puncture once, and not having the first clue what to do. I was close to home, so just wheeled the bike back and it was all taken care of.

 

[Cp40Carl]

My brother did that playing card trick on his Grifter.

Cool. I had the Striker, a slightly smaller bike but with one awesome feature....the rear brake was activated if you pedalled backwards! This was amazing as you could do bigger skids than anyone.

I remember the siren you could get for the handlebar too; it made emergency vehicle sounds like ambulance and fire engine.

Things were pretty weird when you look back...