New Project. Raleigh Scorpio.

[EltonFrog]

For about four weeks I’ve been walking the dogs past a house in my village that has had this bike sitting outside and unlocked and unloved. Today enough was enough and I knocked on the door and asked about it. Before I could finish the sentence the nice man told me to take it.

It’s another budget Raleigh but in better nick (not by much) than the BSA Tour de France I did up this year, but just what I wanted as another do-er upper.

I’m not going to spend so much money on this one though, I’ll take it apart, clean it all up, and replace what needs to be replaced.
The headset bearings most certainly need replacing for a start off.

I can’t find a stamped frame number, only a printed number on a sticker. It has Sachs Maillard hubs with the following stamped

H 50 92

It was bought from a shop called Dentons Toys & Cycles which is still in business in Witney.

Whad’ya fink?

 

[midlife]

Good find . This is what the Scorpio looked like in the 70's lol

 

[EltonFrog]

Good find . This is what the Scorpio looked like in the 70's lol

View attachment 493909

Pretty.

 

[raleighnut]

Nice.

Late 80s early 90s at a guess, is that a 'biopace' crank.

 

[midlife]

92 on the hub = 1992?

 

[EltonFrog]

Nice.

Late 80s early 90s at a guess, is that a 'biopace' crank.

I have no idea.

92 on the hub = 1992?

I thought it might, but the other figures confused me.

 

[Cycleops]

That should scrub up rather well. I hope you are long of leg.

 

[raleighnut]

I have no idea.



I thought it might, but the other figures confused me.

I'll go with 92.

 

[tom73]

Nice
Why don't I have neighbours like that

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I hope you are long of leg.

I was just thinking the same thing! My legs are pretty long but I'd still think twice about riding that one, especially in traffic. It looks to be a 25"! They didn't mess about with silly little frames back in the steel days. None of that compact geometry nonsense with half a yard of seatpost sticking out.
It's lugged steel, and it's a Raleigh, and it was definitely a good price - which ticks most of the boxes in my book.
Those old basic spec Raleighs with the 18-23 frames seem to be unjustifiably looked down on, IMHO. They weren't BSO's and I suspect many of us on here grew up riding similar bikes when we were youngsters and the budget didn't stretch to a custom-built 531. Those are the sort of bikes that resulted in a lot of people becoming cyclists in the first place, and either remaining cyclists or having that first experience of cycling to return to in later life.

 

[EltonFrog]

That should scrub up rather well. I hope you are long of leg.

I am as it happens, I think it’ll fit better than the Tour de France. All will be revealed when I get a chance to play with it.

 

[biggs682]

I have no idea.



I thought it might, but the other figures confused me.

The other number is the week number

Very nice and should scrub up well

 

[EltonFrog]

I’ve had a chance to sit on it today and measure, the seat tube measures 25 inches, it going to fit me fine.

All I need to do now is get it working .

 

[EltonFrog]

Took the Scrorpio apart this morning, it is now reduced to a frame, fork, wheels and a box of bits.

Unlike the BSA Tour de France I did earlier I will not be spending loads of cash on this bike, new bearings and tyres probably and what ever I can scrounge or re-use. The budget is tight as a tight thing.

I noticed the rear brake cable runs through the top tube, so I have left that in there for now because I'm not sure how I have to thread it through.

I used a crank puller for the very first time too, clever bit of kit that, it has been in tool box for years and I wondered what it did.

@raleighnut I had a google, it is not a BioPace crank.

 

[raleighnut]

Took the Scrorpio apart this morning, it is now reduced to a frame, fork, wheels and a box of bits.

Unlike the BSA Tour de France I did earlier I will not be spending loads of cash on this bike, new bearings and tyres probably and what ever I can scrounge or re-use. The budget is tight as a tight thing.

View attachment 494350

I noticed the rear brake cable runs through the top tube, so I have left that in there for now because I'm not sure how I have to thread it through.

I used a crank puller for the very first time too, clever bit of kit that, it has been in tool box for years and I wondered what it did.

@raleighnut I had a google, it is not a BioPace crank.

It was the little yellow sticker on the chainring that made me think 'Biopace', as for the rebuild this was the components I replaced when I rebuilt my Ridgeback a couple of years ago.

just over £20