Raleigh Pioneer Classic

[biggs682]

Thanks for the detailed replies guys, much appreciate! I’ll get those pads ordered today as these seem way past it. I was thinking about some drop bars, what’s the thoughts in that?

Before you do too much get it all working and make sure it's comfy for you

And swapping bars will change your positioning on the bike so check and you might need to swap the stem over

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I wouldn't be inclined to fit drops to a Pioneer, at least not if your intention is to make it more "sporty". The frame has long chainstays and a long wheelbase, and it's construction is at the "solid" end of the spectrum. One converted to drops could make a half decent tourer, but with the best will in the world you aren't going to quicken the handling or overall performance. They excel as tough general purpose workhorses with good visibility of traffic and the scenery from the upright riding position. I find mine well suited to mixed use tarmac/gravel rides as they are faster on good surfaces than a MTB, but the tyres are wide enough to cope with bumpy tracks without shaking your fillings out.
Maintenance is straightforward with normal bike tools. There's no shite modern road bike engineering lurking in a Pioneer; it's all conventional - quill stem, 1" threaded headset, threaded cup & cone BB, cup & cone wheel bearings. Basic toolkit and a tub of car wheel bearing grease and you're good to go.

 

[simon.r]

Also, really keen as suggested to strip out the bb, headset and wheels to grease up the bearings. Having never done this before, do I need any special tools and which grease is reccomended?

You will need some specialist tools, probably easiest is to look at one of the many sites that covers this sort of thing. Park Tools site is well regarded. Example here of servicing a BB:https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bottom-bracket-service-adjustable-cup-and-cone

 

[simon.r]

I’ve more or less got all the little jobs done on my bikes over the last few weeks, but you’ve motivated me to give my Pioneer a wash and mini-service. I’ve posted photos of it in its ‘as bought’ state before, but don’t think I’ve posted it as it is now. Largely unmolested, but after a few wet rides on the original steel rims I swapped the wheels and went for a dynamo front. Also replaced the rear rack with something more substantial:

 

[mjr]

Nope definitely not V-brake levers (they'd not been invented when that was built) I had exactly the same on my Mustang with Cantilever brakes.

OK: I wondered if those "Lee Chi" ones were replacement levers.

 

[rogerzilla]

Also, really keen as suggested to strip out the bb, headset and wheels to grease up the bearings. Having never done this before, do I need any special tools and which grease is reccomended?

You need quite a lot of special tools.

For the headset, you need a thin headset spanner (probably 32mm) and a large adjustable spanner. If the headset adjustable race is just knurled and doesn't have spanner flats, you only need the large adjustable spanner. This latter type is hard to get right as the locknut can't be tightened hard against the adjustable race and you are relying on the locktab washer in between them, which never really works.

For the hubs, a small adjustable spanner and a thin cone spanner of the correct size. It is probably different front and back. You will also probably need to remove the freewheel to access the rear bearings, and this will require a freewheel remover of the correct type - probably Shimano UG* - and either a securely-mounted vice or a very large adjustable spanner and a mallet.

The bottom bracket is probably a cup-and cone type. Traditional Raleigh ones can be serviced with just a large adjustable spanner and a lockring spanner. More advanced cup-and-cone types often need a pin spanner to hold the adjustable cup while the lockring is tightened. Don't try to remove the cup on the RH side unless it needs replacing. If you do, it has a LEFT HAND THREAD. If the BB is a sealed unit, leave it alone unless there is play when you grasp the cranks and try to rock them from side to side. Removing a sealed unit generally needs the Shimano BB tool and a large adjustable spanner. Don't forget the left-hand thread on the RH side!

Any general-purpose bike grease from Halfords is fine, as is automotive lithium- or calcium-based grease. Bikes are not very fussy. Don't use anti-seize or Vaseline in bearings, though!

*not HG (for freehub lockrings) - they look just the same but the HG one is fractionally larger in diameter!

 

[DCLane]

I've a 1996 Pioneer Trail 21 - lighter as it's aluminium with 21 gears. Having bought it on a whim 4 years ago I upgraded the crankset and other parts - it's in regular use for local journeys:

The bottom bracket should be a simple square taper one. The gears may just be down to gunk in the cables or derailleurs/shifter?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I've a 1996 Pioneer Trail 21 - lighter as it's aluminium with 21 gears.

You sure about that? Go stick a fridge magnet on it. I've never yet come across a Pioneer with an alloy frame apart from the more recent imported rebadged versions - which look visibly different to the ones made in Nottingham.

 

[Little Butch]

Plenty for me to digest here, thanks! I think I’ll work my way through giving it a really good clean and go from there.

Took it for a 17 mile ride earlier and it rode okay.

what’s the best way for me to clean the wheels up and degrease all the gunk from the sprockets, derailers etc?

 

[simon.r]

I really rate Muc Off - https://muc-off.com/collections/bicycle-step-1-clean/products/nano-tech-bike-cleaner

£11 for 5 litres here:

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muc-Off-Motorcycle-Bike-Cleaner-5L/dp/B01DVJITYK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Muc-Off+Nano+Tech+Motorcycle+Cleaner+5L&qid=1586784303&sr=8-2

From @AuroraSaab on the ‘Found a bargain...’ thread. https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/found-a-bargain-do-tell.16260/page-1052

 

[Little Butch]

I done as much cleaning as was possible with what I had laying around/could be bothered with today 🙄
I’ll buy two sets of brake pads tomorrow. One of the wheels has been replaced, not sure which because the rear is 700c and the front is a 27.

Its still filthy but as I don’t want to strip it into a million pieces right now and it’ll be getting used I think I’ll just slowly clear the grease off it.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I volunteer at a community bike workshop renovating and selling on old donated bikes.

Over the years there is no doubt that the Pioneer is the bike we have had in most frequently. It's a good, well built workhorse and we rarely have any problem getting them back in good working order, nor selling them on.

It must have been Raleigh's most popular model over the past 30 years.

 

[raleighnut]

OK: I wondered if those "Lee Chi" ones were replacement levers.

I've still got the pair somewhere in the shed that came on my Mustang, they may be aluminium but they weigh a bunch and are probably more robust than the levers on my old XL125 Honda were.

 

[Little Butch]

I thought they were replacements too.

I've still got the pair somewhere in the shed that came on my Mustang, they may be aluminium but they weigh a bunch and are probably more robust than the levers on my old XL125 Honda were.

 

[simon.r]

I’m 99% sure the levers on mine are original and they’re identical to the one on the OP’s bike: