OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Erm, chaps... It's the allen bolt that's stuck. 
Secondhand Raleigh Junior Rigid MTB: lemon or worth a punt?
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12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
Do you mean the bolt won't turn or the stem is stuck? If the latter, loosening the bolt then wacking it will in turn loosen the wedge the bolt screws into. Those wedges are cast iron, usually, and can rust so as to stick in the steerer tube. In a pinch I've turned the bike upside down and sprayed WD40 up the steerer tube so as to loosen the rust.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
If it won't turn then WD40, Duck Oil or similar.Erm, chaps... It's the allen bolt that's stuck.
Badger_Boom
Über Member
- Location
- York
My 80s Phillips Premiere was a Raleigh in all but name.
OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
It's the bolt. Have sprayed it with WD40 for the last couple of days but it won't budge.
I *should* have a set of long-handled allen keys in the garage, but can I find them? I've been using my multitool (not ideal, I know), and I simply can't get enough leverage. Will delve into my fencing bag for one of the allen keys that I usually use to tighten the pistol grips on my foils and epees as I think it's the same size.
I *should* have a set of long-handled allen keys in the garage, but can I find them? I've been using my multitool (not ideal, I know), and I simply can't get enough leverage. Will delve into my fencing bag for one of the allen keys that I usually use to tighten the pistol grips on my foils and epees as I think it's the same size.
OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Nope, scrub that, it's a 7mm key and I need a 6mm key.
Patience is a virtue, and I've other things I can do while I wait for the WD40 to do its thing.
Patience is a virtue, and I've other things I can do while I wait for the WD40 to do its thing.
OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
As an aside, these are what I have in mind for tyres:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-l...s-hs484-tyre-with-reflex-24-x-175-inch-47507/
There's nowhere near as much choice for a 24" wheel as a 26", and a lot of stuff seems out of stock. From the reviews I've read, they should deal with mud-beslimed and gravel-strewn roads.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-l...s-hs484-tyre-with-reflex-24-x-175-inch-47507/
There's nowhere near as much choice for a 24" wheel as a 26", and a lot of stuff seems out of stock. From the reviews I've read, they should deal with mud-beslimed and gravel-strewn roads.
Just stumbled across this thread, I can’t believe I missed it, great work @Reynard we need more pictures though.
Just one tiny bit of advice, when you put the chainset back on, put a smear of copper grease on the shaft. Also I copper grease the fixed cup thread (as they’re always a pig to remove) and assemble the adjustable cup and lock ring dry, as ideally you don’t want it moving.
Just one tiny bit of advice, when you put the chainset back on, put a smear of copper grease on the shaft. Also I copper grease the fixed cup thread (as they’re always a pig to remove) and assemble the adjustable cup and lock ring dry, as ideally you don’t want it moving.
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
Did a quick google...Schwalbe Big Apples come in 24"". I like Schwalbe Marathons ok for my Brompton although they are heavy and the sidewalls are stiffer than the hubs of hell. Another tire I've heard praised are Tioga Power Blocks although they may not be available there. I really like tires with supple sidewalls.
Nigelnightmare
Über Member
OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Stem bolt is still stuck. Must source a long-handled 6mm allen key. Am thinking I could stick an old seatpost on the end of the key, fit the bars back on and use the combined leverage. I have a scissor jack lurking somewhere that I could potentially use to apply a steady pressure without rupturing myself. Though if I can't shift it after that, I may admit defeat and take it to my LBS.
Anyways, I've removed the glue residue and other muck from the frame. There is still the odd bit here and there, but I I still need to go over the frame with some hot soapy water anyway before touching up the chips in the paint with Humbrol. The paint on the drive side chainstay is scuffed but intact, though what I'll do with that is just stick some helicopter tape on it. I'm leaving the front mech in situ (I have cleaned it though) as it works perfectly fine, and it will save me figuring out how to align it later. I'm actually rather pleased as to how the frame has come out.
As mentioned the other day, I took some pics of the forks and dropouts etc.
Front forks & brake mounts. Fitting v-brakes sounds like a good idea, but not sure whether mini-v will work or do I need to go for something else. Also, with a view to getting a new wheelset, I'm wondering whether this fork geometry will allow for QR skewers - their profile is nothing like my other bikes that have QR...
Rear triangle from above. I'm wondering whether that left rear dropout isn't bent.Or is it just the angle of the shot, as it's not quite vertical? I've had a look and there's no damage to the paint that I can see. The tentative plan is to fit new wheels with a 135mm axle so I can go cassette rather than freewheel. These dropouts measure at 130mm OLN on the nose, so any "bendage" might be straightened by doing that.
Today's other job was cleaning the rear mech. It was dirty, but perfectly serviceable. Did take the very gummed-up jockey wheels out to clean, but I'm not confident enough to take the RD completely apart, to the rest was done as it was. Fortunately I have small hands, so I can get my fingers into tighter spaces than most. Again, there were some deep scratches on the back, adding to the evidence that the chain had come off, got jammed and been freed forcibly.
The front shifters are SRAM MRX 200-50. They're very plasticky and I can't see any reasonable way of taking them apart to fit new cables without completely trashing them. The cable for the RD really has seen better days and desperately wants changing - the end is badly frayed and it's got an almighty big kink in it about halfway down the downtube. You don't put a crimp like that in steel cable without using a fair bit of force... So it's looking like new cables = new shifters.
The short term plan with this is to service the bike, reassemble it and then ride it for a while, so that I can see exactly what's needed.
Oh, and a gratuitous shot of the headbadge...
Anyways, I've removed the glue residue and other muck from the frame. There is still the odd bit here and there, but I I still need to go over the frame with some hot soapy water anyway before touching up the chips in the paint with Humbrol. The paint on the drive side chainstay is scuffed but intact, though what I'll do with that is just stick some helicopter tape on it. I'm leaving the front mech in situ (I have cleaned it though) as it works perfectly fine, and it will save me figuring out how to align it later. I'm actually rather pleased as to how the frame has come out.
As mentioned the other day, I took some pics of the forks and dropouts etc.
Front forks & brake mounts. Fitting v-brakes sounds like a good idea, but not sure whether mini-v will work or do I need to go for something else. Also, with a view to getting a new wheelset, I'm wondering whether this fork geometry will allow for QR skewers - their profile is nothing like my other bikes that have QR...
Rear triangle from above. I'm wondering whether that left rear dropout isn't bent.
Or is it just the angle of the shot, as it's not quite vertical? I've had a look and there's no damage to the paint that I can see. The tentative plan is to fit new wheels with a 135mm axle so I can go cassette rather than freewheel. These dropouts measure at 130mm OLN on the nose, so any "bendage" might be straightened by doing that.Today's other job was cleaning the rear mech. It was dirty, but perfectly serviceable. Did take the very gummed-up jockey wheels out to clean, but I'm not confident enough to take the RD completely apart, to the rest was done as it was. Fortunately I have small hands, so I can get my fingers into tighter spaces than most. Again, there were some deep scratches on the back, adding to the evidence that the chain had come off, got jammed and been freed forcibly.
The front shifters are SRAM MRX 200-50. They're very plasticky and I can't see any reasonable way of taking them apart to fit new cables without completely trashing them. The cable for the RD really has seen better days and desperately wants changing - the end is badly frayed and it's got an almighty big kink in it about halfway down the downtube. You don't put a crimp like that in steel cable without using a fair bit of force... So it's looking like new cables = new shifters.
The short term plan with this is to service the bike, reassemble it and then ride it for a while, so that I can see exactly what's needed.
Oh, and a gratuitous shot of the headbadge...
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
It depends how brutal you need to get with the hammer. An inflated tyre reduces the effectiveness of the blows, and a flat or removed tyre means the edges of the rim take the brunt of the impact. Agree completely what a wheel between the legs is the best way to wiggle something loose, but if it's proper stuck you've still got to break the seal before the wiggling will achieve anything.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I usually use a suitably sized ring spanner slipped over allen keys when I need more leverage. If I need to stop a fork turning, I'll jam a length of 4 x 2 in between the fork blades up at the crown end and wedge it against the downtube or between my legs. If I need to get really brutal I'll fit a wheel axle or a bit of studding and nuts and washers across the fork dropouts to try to stop anything twisting out of alignment, but I'm probably a bit more of a brute force merchant than you......
OP
OP
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Well, I'm 4ft 11 and 8 1/2 stone, so yeah, very likely you can apply a fair bit more welly to things than I can.
If only my arms were longer, but then I'd end up looking like the Librarian from the Unseen University... 
Screwfix have one of these https://www.screwfix.com/p/teng-tools-metric-t-handle-hex-key-6mm-x-150mm/8623x which hopefully should do the trick...
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Looking great now the stickers are off. Are you going with plain Raleigh stickers at any point ?
