Raleigh Royal

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gucu

Regular
Hi
I am back to cycling after about 30 years of not... I am 58 and survived cancer but ballooned in weight so decided to cycle to get fit. I live in Cornwall and with those hills decided I needed a hand so fitted an electric wheel to a bike and thoroughly enjoyed that. Sold the bike to someone who wanted it and converted an old Raleigh for my wife to ride. In the meantime I picked up a couple of Raleigh's, one which I am happy to pass on to anyone who wants it, the other is a Royal. I like the look of the bike and want to upgrade it. For instance I am changing the handle bars as I don't like drop bars and will fit some sit up and beg bars. Will I need to change the head stock for this. I am going to fit an electric wheel to the rear but will transfer the rear gears over but want to get rid of the front gears for a single hub, is this possible? Also when I change the bars I will need to change the break levers and gear changers, any ideas as to what I should get please?
Final questions, is it possible to fit front forks with suspension and disk brakes please?
Thanks
Rich
 
Hello Rich, and welcome to the forum.

Wow, that's some project you've got planned. I know next to nothing about electric bikes, and even less about conversions. Handlebars and levers, fairly straight forward to convert I would think. As to adding a suss fork - not recommended, as the frame geometry will be altered to the detriment. Can understand you wanting to go electric and with more powerful brakes for a hilly area, but have you considered getting a MTB for such a conversion. It would be more robust from the start, with front suss already, and disk brakes included, and the more upright riding position. To me it would seem a more logical starting position, but it's all down to you in the end. Best of luck :okay:
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
A Raleigh Royal has a nice lightweight Reynolds 531 frame that rides extremely well, and is the last sort of bike you should be thinking of using for the more extreme sort of modifications you have in mind. You will just spoil all the things that make it such a good bike, and end up with a tank.
Flat bars can easily be fitted in place of drops using the existing 1" quill stem, and since you live in a hilly part of the world you might well benefit from fitting a triple front chainring in place of the standard double.
All the other stuff, the e-bike conversion, horrid suspension forks and discs - you are just going to end up with a real dog of a bike, even if you actually manage to succeed in completing the work.
 

simon.r

Person
Location
Nottingham
For instance I am changing the handle bars as I don't like drop bars and will fit some sit up and beg bars. Will I need to change the head stock for this.

Do you mean the stem? Probably not, as most styles of bars are available in different diameters. Just make sure the new bars are the same diameter as the existing ones where they are clamped by the stem.

I am going to fit an electric wheel to the rear but will transfer the rear gears over but want to get rid of the front gears for a single hub, is this possible?


Yes. Just remove the gear lever, front mech and surplus chainring/s.

Also when I change the bars I will need to change the break levers and gear changers, any ideas as to what I should get please?

Brake levers, yes. It depends what type of gear levers you have. Do you have any photos?

Final questions, is it possible to fit front forks with suspension and disk brakes please?

Technically the answer is yes to suspension forks and front brake, but you will also need a new wheel with a disc mount. Not possible to fit a rear disc unless your frame has a mount.

What you’re proposing is going to be fairly expensive and complicated. Unless you desperately want to keep the frame I’d be very tempted to do as @FrankCrank suggests and think about getting a MTB (or a hybrid) as a base to work with.
 
OP
OP
gucu

gucu

Regular
Thanks for all the replies. It has helped me rethink the plan. I have decided that what I want to end up with is a cross between a road bike and an mtb and this, therefore, is not the way to go.
I still like the idea of building a bike from the ground up, starting with a good frame. I am steering clear of ebikes because you only get 250w and they cost a lot of money. The ebike I did for my wife cost around £400 and that was starting with a Raleigh frame.
Anyone like the idea of restoring a Royal, yours for free, collection or the cost of postage, otherwise?
Thanks.
 
OP
OP
gucu

gucu

Regular
Just thinking out loud before dumping all ideas.... What do folks think of keeping this more or less as stock with a change of handlebars, an electric wheel and some racks?
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Thanks for all the replies. It has helped me rethink the plan. I have decided that what I want to end up with is a cross between a road bike and an mtb and this, therefore, is not the way to go.
I still like the idea of building a bike from the ground up, starting with a good frame. I am steering clear of ebikes because you only get 250w and they cost a lot of money. The ebike I did for my wife cost around £400 and that was starting with a Raleigh frame.
Anyone like the idea of restoring a Royal, yours for free, collection or the cost of postage, otherwise?
Thanks.
That's very generous, but depending on condition and model, I'd suggest posting a pic here and we'd give you a view if it's worth actual £money :smile:
 
OP
OP
gucu

gucu

Regular
I'll post pictures but also point out that the bike wheel is jammed. I am currently soaking in oil to see if I can free it, other than it looks in good condition. I like the idea of passing the bike on to someone with expertise who can restore and rather than get money for it, give it to them. It seems a good thing to do and fits with who I am as a person.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Thanks for all the replies. It has helped me rethink the plan. I have decided that what I want to end up with is a cross between a road bike and an mtb and this, therefore, is not the way to go.

So what you really want is a flat bar hybrid, with fairly wide range gearing to cope with the Cornish gradients, and possibly some tyres better suited to off-tarmac riding.
Get yourself a steel framed 18 speed Raleigh Pioneer from the 1990's, for not a lot of cash, and if the standard tyres are not knobbly enough, fit a pair of 700 x 40 Schwalbe Land Cruisers to it. Many models came with mudguards and racks as standard so in reality might need virtually nothing doing to them beyond normal maintenance.
All Raleigh Royals have some value, because of the nice frame. Really tidy ones can fetch strong money, less cosmetically good ones are still worth something. They are better than skip fodder, even in a rough state.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Hello and welcome to the forum.
You could indeed fit the straight bars but you’ll need new levers and changers, fit the electric kit and rack. Why don’t you keep the drop bars? You can use them like straight ones but you will have more hand positions which is why people like them, you don’t need to go on the drops.Good luck with whatever you decide.
 

simon.r

Person
Location
Nottingham
I have decided that what I want to end up with is a cross between a road bike and an mtb...

In modern terms, that’s what’s known as a hybrid. There are all sorts of variations, but they generally come with 700c wheels (road bike size) widish tyres, flat bars and lower gears than a pure road bike.

They’re often fitted with suspension forks, but whether these are worth having is debatable.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
In modern terms, that’s what’s known as a hybrid. There are all sorts of variations, but they generally come with 700c wheels (road bike size) widish tyres, flat bars and lower gears than a pure road bike.

Like this:
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513185
 
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