My Raleigh Bike. The Start.

[mikeymustard]

Btw nice looking bike, I'm a sucker for blue bikes!

 

[carpenter]

as above - vintage (27") wheels always seem to be very expensive to buy compared to whole bike

 

[midlife]

Likely be running 700c clinchers in that era?

 

[Illaveago]

It looks a bit like a Criterium .

Nice bike .

 

[Boon 51]

Did you push the pin out completely ? With a bike that old I'd be tempted to buy a new chain / cassette / freewheel.

The chainring bolts have a special tool for the inside half.
View attachment 446883

As mentioned above, a big flat bladed screwdriver should stop them spinning.

I will try and put the chain back on with the original pin but if that fails I will just get a new chain as they are only a few quid.

 

[Boon 51]

The wheels are Elsa 622 700cc and not bad condition really.

 

[Boon 51]

My first big problem.. can't get the pedal off on the chain side I have soaked with WD 40 but its not budging, Any tips?

 

[Alwaysbroken]

My first big problem.. can't get the pedal off on the chain side I have soaked with WD 40 but its not budging, Any tips?

More leverage, heat, protect the other crank arm & lock it in a vice & use sensible impact repeatedly on the pedal spanner.

 

[biggs682]

My first big problem.. can't get the pedal off on the chain side I have soaked with WD 40 but its not budging, Any tips?

As @Alwaysbroken says more leverage and turn it the right way

 

[midlife]

There's a good YouTube vid on how to position the bike, cranks, pedal spanner and weight to remove pedals. Mind you the bloke in the vid I've seen is twice the size of me lol I guess you have a proper pedal spanner

If the pin is completely out then its a nightmare to get back in. The trick is to leave the pin just in the outer plate and flex the chain to separate. A new chain on a worn cassette / freewheel is liable to skip

 

[Boon 51]

As @Alwaysbroken says more leverage and turn it the right way

A load more WD 40 over night and my mate has a bit of piping for an extra bit of leverage.

 

[Boon 51]

There's a good YouTube vid on how to position the bike, cranks, pedal spanner and weight to remove pedals. Mind you the bloke in the vid I've seen is twice the size of me lol I guess you have a proper pedal spanner

If the pin is completely out then its a nightmare to get back in. The trick is to leave the pin just in the outer plate and flex the chain to separate. A new chain on a worn cassette / freewheel is liable to skip

I have a few pedal spanners but the biggest is only 10 - 12 inches which when you are putting a bit of weight behind it its not that long.
Yes I took the pin right out so I might need a new chain but the old one is old so it won't hurt really.

 

[Boon 51]

The bike has white brake and gear cables but I was thinking about putting black on the bike but would that be to uniform or dull perhaps?

 

[midlife]

Can you extend the spanner in some way? Cable colour is personal choice as long as they don't clash lol

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

If you start replacing every little thing that isn't cosmetically perfect it will quickly get expensive and far outweigh the value of the bike. It's probably getting on for 28 years old, so you cant expect not to find signs of wear & tear and atmospheric exposure. Best to accept it for what it is and don't go too OCD.
I would just strip and regrease the headset and see what it feels like afterwards. The one in my pub bike was full of filth and rust and I just cleaned it out and whacked it back together with fresh grease!
As for pedals, if they wont come off, repeatedly spray them with penetrating fluid and just carry on using the bike. I've found soaking time can make a big difference. Sometimes it takes weeks but stuff does normally come apart eventually. Seatposts are another pig job that require persistence.