Raleigh Nitro refurbishing

[MikeW-71]

My Dad has a Raleigh Nitro in the garage that gets some very occasional use. It's basically untouched since it was new in about 1990 and the frame is in good condition. If it's done 300 miles, I'd be amazed

The rear wheel is not however. The axle is bent and the bearings are about to collapse, so I'm thinking of giving the bike a refurbishment to make it a properly useful bike again.

Replacing the wheels I think is needed, but the original has a 5 speed freewheel, so I need to know a new one would be compatible with that. The brakes might need replaced, along with a new set of cables. That and a thorough cleaning and greasing should sort it I think. The original derailleur works fine, shifters work fine, chain is still in great shape and not rusty. I'd basically pop some new semi-slick tyres on it and turn it into a Hybrid.

Any recommendations on wheel? We're not wanting to spend fortunes on it (understandably) but is there anything else we need to watch out for, or is it just not worth it?

Any opinions or info appreciated.

This is the bike in question:

 

[DCLane]

You should be able to pick up a rear wheel easily; via eBay or online.

I've just re-done a 1990 GT Timberline with minimal work to date; new bar grips and a saddle changed because I wanted to plus new tyres.

You may need to fit new cables but I'd suggest get the new wheel / tyres fitted and take it from there.

 

[Torslanda]

You can pick up an acceptable wheel at any cycle shop. It hardly matters what brand as long as the hub has a one piece alloy shell. Sadly bent rear axles are commonplace with screw on freewheels. The drive side bearing is so far inboard that the cone almost acts as a stress point.
If you are, ahem, somewhat heavy in build, it's possible to change the axle for a M10 cromoly version which is stronger. Also your Raleigh is probably 130mm across the locknuts. Some replacement wheels come with the locknuts spaced to 135mm and a removable spacer on the left hand end. This may or may not mean that the rim may not then be central in the frame. A few minutes with a spoke key can sort this out. Look for a double wall rim, 36 spokes and something branded for the hub.

 

[shadow master]

Local bike shop should have an alloy/alloy ordinary wheel about £24.00 take the old one in and they can swap your sprocket for you.

 

[MikeW-71]

I'll whip the whole thing down to the LBS and see what he can get. If my usual one can't help, there is another that sourced some 20" wheels for a kids MTB. Glad that it looks like it'll be straightforward.

 

[Drago]

I briefly had one of those. Would've been about 1993ish. So heavy it had its own gravitational field, but the frame was surprisingly well finished with a deep, very tough marble effect paint.

 

[shadow master]

I briefly had one of those. Would've been about 1993ish. So heavy it had its own gravitational field, but the frame was surprisingly well finished with a deep, very tough marble effect paint.

Yeah this was post mustang,massif,activator.etc.....final swan song really before Raleigh sank into the abyss.

 

[MikeW-71]

It's not exactly a lightweight, but compared to the 5 year old Apollo "full sus" MTB sat beside it, it's a featherweight

I know which of the two I'd rather ride.

 

[Drago]

The Raleigh Max Cromo series was Raleighs final swan song. Not to be confused with the dire Raleigh Max the Max Cromo came along in 1996 and ran for a couple of years. Rigid and front squidge, superb double butted 4130 frames with very neat tube manipulation, good gruppos, a real gem but saddled with a by then deeply unfashionable name.

 

[shadow master]

The Raleigh Max Cromo series was Raleighs final swan song. Not to be confused with the dire Raleigh Max the Max Cromo came along in 1996 and ran for a couple of years. Rigid and front squidge, superb double butted 4130 frames with very neat tube manipulation, good gruppos, a real gem but saddled with a by then deeply unfashionable name.

Don't forget the attempt to revive themselves using the dynatech name on titanium frames that were so poor they had to paint them,I remember the Odyssey, one of the only bikes with campagnolo's very brief attempt at MTB groupsets....I always think who ever at campag decided not to pursue the MTB market,must be dead in a ditch now,they could have prevented the likes of SRAM even existing, mind you suntour went one better and gave up alltogether,now they just make,market I should say mediocre suspension forks

 

[Drago]

Dynatechs were indeed dire, but strangely change hands for a.fortune these days.

 

[shadow master]

Dynatechs were indeed dire, but strangely change hands for a.fortune these days.

The failure's always become the most desirable......us Brits love a loser!

 

[raleighnut]

Lovely looking bike, I'd try changing the axle/bearings in the back wheel as a cheapo one will be likely to break even quicker. The weight is not caused so much by the frame but by the steel handlebars/seatpost and the crank, if you swap those for aluminium ones you'll be shocked at how much less it weighs, I did this to an old Mustang and then to an Outlander (after the Mustang was stolen)

 

[Squid lips]

Had a cromo in about 93 or 94 really nice bike in that great champagne colour ,think I paid about £300 ,sold it about 3 years later .Wish I had of kept it now

 

[S.Giles]

For safety's sake, I would make sure the brake cables are in good condition. I just found that one of mine had fatigued down the the last couple of strands, but a visual inspection caught it in time. I'll be checking more often in future.

I wouldn't worry too much about the weight. My old Apollo was about the same weight as a Lambretta, but it didn't seem to matter too much (to me, anyway) from a riding point of view. Weight does matter, however, if (like me) you carry your bike on and off trains, up stairs, etc.

Steve