Raleigh Lizard, remember them?

[PoweredByVeg]

Picked up this Raleigh Lizard off the local freecycle, it was very dusty and the chrome rims were a bit rusty

Luckily the drive train had no wear and the frame was rust free, so after a really good clean it's come up quite well and the chrome rims have responded well to a good Autosol'ing

Next question is, why did I actually get it?

 

[MontyVeda]

there's still at least a couple of those knocking about this neck of the woods.


ugly bike but 100% theft proof

 

[PoweredByVeg]

I reckon it would actually take two tea-leafs to cart it off, it weighs a ton!!

 

[LosingFocus]

A beauty. Had one of these, and a Raleigh Marauder before that.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

A Mustang with green paint instead of red/black

I had one. 23" frame. I'm 5'8" and was probably an inch or so shorter*. Wonder why I couldnt handle it off-road at all?

2.125 chrome steel rims that were so wide they were weakened and buckled/dented if you hit so much as a piece of fish-tank gravel

Lee Chi cantilevers with a rear brake (partly due to the silly long internal cable run) that were as effective at stopping as sticking a mackerel through the spokes

Annoying quill stem with cable stop built in so adjusting handlebars meant adjusting brakes


I still loved it - until I bent it. Took me about 6 weeks to kill it!


*(parents doing the usual "must buy child biggest bike he can possibly fit on with seat as low as it can go - if seat is rased then bicycle is too small")

 

[Baggy]

My borther had one as his first courier bike, it did sterling service or a couple of years until the frame went "crabby". No-one ever attempted to nick it!

 

[Garz]

I loved mine, outgrew it for a racer when I was about 11. Re-used it a few years later before trading it in for a BMX in the good old younger days.

 

[opticcircus]

I wanted one of these as a young 'un I had a brief look around ebay but couldnt find any local to me. I have no idea what I'd use it for possibly to get and forth to work

 

[skudupnorth]

I looked at them when they were new but ended up buying a Mirage ( i think ) The dark purple with black rims which soon became silver after some braking ! Good until the rear drop out snapped which was not an issue due to Raleigh's 15 year guarantee !

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

I've still got mine, had it from new back in 92 I think it was. Got a smiley face wheel disc fitted to the rear wheel, neon green saddle, neon green padded cross bar protector, put suspension forks on it, changed the wheels to aluminium ones and put v-brakes on it. Put slicks on it and ride it in the summer when I'm out with the kids. I love mine never get rid if it!

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Raleigh Commando, beautiful orange, now were talking !

 

[suterman]

Hello, newbie here.


I just rescued this Lizard from a skip, It still had the original wheels and everything else apart from the seatpost and saddle. which was missing.

I pinched the seat off my Puch cavalier for now, got a set off used wheels off ebay, kind of bodged the rear brake for now and its good to go, I need to get another chain though as this one is too short for the top front ring. I had to get the seat way up high to give my legs a chance to straighten so they can work a full stroke if you know what I mean (is that normal?) , I'm not a serious cyclist and will only use it for a bit of exercise and local mud so its fine for me.

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

The brake cable goes through the inside of the cross bar, it's internal that's one of the nice points of the lizard. If you undo the Allen key bolt on the top of the stem which the handle bars are attached to, you can higher the handle bars up about 3 inches. Your probably having to higher the saddle alot because the frame is to small for you. If you got some riser handle bars you'd achieve a bit more height compared to the flat bars which are on it. You'd then find it probably more comfortable to ride.

 

[PoweredByVeg]

Nice one suterman

 

[suterman]

ok ta pj79lizard, I hadn't noticed that about the cable, now re-routed through frame. I sorted the chain now by adding a few links. More fiddling with the front brakes, I got it adjusted nice and tight and they were working well but on testing in the shed (luckily not on the road) the front cable shroud split right open! so now I need a new shroud.