My BSA Javelin

[iAmiAdam]

Recently acquired from my dad. 70's steel frame.

Photos before any work;

All de-rusting work is now done, got some new tyres today, tomorrow is just basic setups then it's ready to ride.


Tyre change;

Old tyre on left, new on right, thought they were a bit shot.

Who needs tyre levers?

New tyre fitted.

 

[just jim]

Those mini- mudguards are bringing it all back - I think I had some on my first bike - a purple Raleigh "Hustler".

 

[mickle]

Lovely to see that, particularly as that's just the kind of bike I started out on, my Raleigh Flyer had all the same parts.

And looking at it really makes me grateful that things have moved on so much in the intervening years!

Good luck with the restoration.

 

[iAmiAdam]

As I say, the de-rusting is finished, just gotta do the tyre change tomorrow and it's fully ready, bib shorts anyone?

 

[mickle]

iAmiAdam, grease of the kind used in your Javelin is composed of oil and soap. Over the decades since it was squirted into your main bearings the chemical components and volatile compounds have evaporated out leaving mainly soap. Which isn't a lubricant. I've quite literally lost count of the number of bikes I've encountered which have been wheeled out of sheds after years of neglect and ridden for just a few miles only to have their bearing surfaces destroyed. Wheels, BB, headset and pedals.

Open them up, what you see in there isn't grease its cack. Replace it if you have any intention of riding that bike.

 

[iAmiAdam]

I've oiled up all the moving parts and my chain, will this do or do I have to take the bike apart etc?

Edit; with proper oil, not wd40, that's not a lubricant

 

[Muddyfox]

Great to see this bike restored ... a mate of mine had the Javelin when we were kids and i had the Raliegh Arena (complete with short mudguards) and GT brakes Then i progressed onto a Raliegh Europa with proper 27" wheels lol

Simon

 

[iAmiAdam]

I think it's great, I'm keeping all the original parts for when it retires. I just need to know about the oiling situation now.

 

[iAmiAdam]

Still looking for an answer if I need to grease up even though I've oiled to hell and back?

 

[mickle]

Still looking for an answer if I need to grease up even though I've oiled to hell and back?

Yes Iamiamaaimadam you should re-grease the bottom bracket, wheels, headset and pedal bearings if you want them to last more than a few hundred yards.

There is no grease in your bike anymore, its all degraded.

 

[iAmiAdam]

I did the saddle trick, The bottom bracket sounds fine and I don't really want to open that up, rear hub is spinning fine as I had that off yesterday, headset also feels fine with no pitting and sounds like a smooth movement. Front wheel however, it was missing three ball bearings, replaced these, regreased and it was fine.

Did two miles today, no problems at all, apart from the bottle cage being too big.

 

[mickle]

Please let me know how many miles your back wheel and BB bearings cover before they give up the ghost.

 

[bauldbairn]

Great to see this bike restored ... a mate of mine had the Javelin when we were kids and i had the Raliegh Arena (complete with short mudguards) and GT brakes Then i progressed onto a Raliegh Europa with proper 27" wheels lol

Simon

+1, Well done!

When I was a kid one of my mates had a BSA Javelin just like that, another a silver BSA flat bar tourer(with full mudguards - can't remember bike name), another a Raliegh Arena 10 speed, one a Raliegh Arena 5 speed, another a Raliegh Record(Bit posh, I think - had a 501 tubing sticker, ) and I had a Raliegh Europa Ti 5 speed. Exactly 30 years to the day! -

 

[iAmiAdam]

Please let me know how many miles your back wheel and BB bearings cover before they give up the ghost.

Done about three on them before I checked, then I did two on Sunday after the front, I'm doing the rear hub this weekend and I'll leave the bb as I've heard it's a pain to take apart and it seems fine. The grease in the front hub wasn't too bad, like it had been done recently tbh. :/

debating the headset.

 

[kewb]

my very first proper bike was a javelin , did my cycle proficiency test on it lol 

 the memories are flooding back looking at those pics