What Raleigh road bike did my older brother have?

[I like Skol]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282281840985
£95 for a beat up old frameset, avin a larf! It is also monster size so only apply if you are 6' 3"

 

[keithmac]

I used to have one of these when I was a yoof, thought it wad the best thing since sliced bread!.

To be fair the Shimano Biopace was a very good idea, strange how it's been phased out?.

 

[fossyant]

Biopace is back in - or oval chain rings are for 1x setups, and the MTB people are raving it makes a difference (kerching).

 

[si_c]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282281840985
£95 for a beat up old frameset, avin a larf! It is also monster size so only apply if you are 6' 3"

Bit scruffy that frame. Overpriced too given its condition, which is a shame given it's my size.

 

[Nickbell25]

I have a Raleigh Vitesse that I bought new in 1990 in my garage. It is in complete original condition including the original reflective Michelin tyres. I occasionally pump up the tyres and take it for a spin....very smooth. Only issues are tyres are now starting to disintegrate and the seat material is loose. Love it

 

[Globalti]

There's a rosy-tinted glow of romance surrounding old thin-tubed steel bikes and while I'm prepared to accept that they may have ridden nicely I also think they may have had the torsional flexibility of a farm gate, especially under a heavy strong rider. My brother and I once hired a thin-tubed steel tandem and it was terrifying; it flexed exactly as if the two of us were balanced at each end of a field gate. Purists may sneer at carbon but a thin-walled fat carbon tube has to be more rigid than a thin-walled skinny steel tube.

 

[si_c]

There's a rosy-tinted glow of romance surrounding old thin-tubed steel bikes and while I'm prepared to accept that they may have ridden nicely I also think they may have had the torsional flexibility of a farm gate, especially under a heavy strong rider. My brother and I once hired a thin-tubed steel tandem and it was terrifying; it flexed exactly as if the two of us were balanced at each end of a field gate. Purists may sneer at carbon but a thin-walled fat carbon tube has to be more rigid than a thin-walled skinny steel tube.

They don't flex as much as you think, I ride one daily, and whilst it does flex more than my alloy bike, it's much more like a spring action than a resistance to be overcome. For racing I can see why you might want a stiffer frame mad from carbon, but for the majority of us I'm sure a well built classically built steel frame would be fine.

 

[I like Skol]

There's a rosy-tinted glow of romance surrounding old thin-tubed steel bikes and while I'm prepared to accept that they may have ridden nicely I also think they may have had the torsional flexibility of a farm gate, especially under a heavy strong rider. My brother and I once hired a thin-tubed steel tandem and it was terrifying; it flexed exactly as if the two of us were balanced at each end of a field gate. Purists may sneer at carbon but a thin-walled fat carbon tube has to be more rigid than a thin-walled skinny steel tube.

I am about to test this theory.
I have ridden the Raleigh Vittesse at the time, and again now when I can compare it to more modern machines and have not noticed any unwelcome flex. I have also just taken ownership of my brothers mid 90's Kona Cinder Cone.

I remember riding it when he got it and it felt as flexy as the aforementioned old farm gate. However, this was in comparison to my stiff aluminium frames and although I still ride that same stiff ali bike, alongside others, I don't think the Raleigh is too flexible. It will be interesting to see how the Kona rides once I have rebuilt it.

 

[Globalti]

Wow, look at the length of that stem!

I also had a steel Kona Explosif followed by a titanium Hei Hei. I remember the Explosif with fondness, maybe because it did ride in a nice zingy way with those rigid Tange steel forks. However at that stage in my reborn cycling career I wasn't experienced enough to recognise lateral frame flex; all I know is that I once jumped on somebody's modern carbon Specialized hardtail and in a very short test ride I was blown away by the way it turned in, which I guess would have been down to stiffness keeping the wheels "parallel".

 

[Deleted member 1258]

There's a rosy-tinted glow of romance surrounding old thin-tubed steel bikes and while I'm prepared to accept that they may have ridden nicely I also think they may have had the torsional flexibility of a farm gate, especially under a heavy strong rider. My brother and I once hired a thin-tubed steel tandem and it was terrifying; it flexed exactly as if the two of us were balanced at each end of a field gate. Purists may sneer at carbon but a thin-walled fat carbon tube has to be more rigid than a thin-walled skinny steel tube.

I'm old enough to have done many many miles on 531 steel framed bikes, as well as the gas pipe specials that were around at the time, the 531 framed bikes rode very nicely, nicer than the alloy bikes that I have now, not as harsh.

 

[Drago]

Purists may sneer at carbon but a thin-walled fat carbon tube has to be more rigid than a thin-walled skinny steel tube.

carbons properties depend on the design and construction. There are some incredibly stiff carbon frames, and also some shonk. Carbon can be made so flexi that some car manufacturers make suspension springs out of it, most notably Chevrolet on the top end Corvettes.

I can recall the standard Raleigh pipe pipe and thinking it was ok, but the Reynolds and high end CroMo tube sets weren't nearly as common so I never knew any better. Indo recall that Peugeot gas pipe seemed to be better than Raleigh, but that may be decades of beer rotting my hippocampus.

 

[chriscross1966]

And another? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-V...827977?hash=item25d005c109:g:gW8AAOSw5cNYhM5l

 

[I like Skol]

THIS came into my inbox this morning. £225

I have one that is more original, in better condition and even has the rubber grip tabs still on the gear shifters, yours for only £199

 

[clown]

Hello, just wanted to ask a quick question. My brother gave me a Vitesse in spring this year and i've been riding it to work and back since (That's 34 miles a day). The bottom bracket started making some very nasty sounds last week and after googling a little I realise I've got to service it. My problem is, after removing the pedals and cranks, the wierd bottom bracket. I live in Germany and am not sure where I can get the tools for this job!
Any tips or tricks?
The locking ring came off easily with a pipe wrench ;-) And, yes I know there's a lot of other work to be done!

 

[si_c]

Hello, just wanted to ask a quick question. My brother gave me a Vitesse in spring this year and i've been riding it to work and back since (That's 34 miles a day). The bottom bracket started making some very nasty sounds last week and after googling a little I realise I've got to service it. My problem is, after removing the pedals and cranks, the wierd bottom bracket. I live in Germany and am not sure where I can get the tools for this job!
Any tips or tricks?
The locking ring came off easily with a pipe wrench ;-) And, yes I know there's a lot of other work to be done!
View attachment 422801

Tools can be bought easily online. To service a BB you need a locking spanner (you can use a screwdriver and hammer, but the proper tool is about €10) and a large adjustable wrench (35mm or so ) or BB spanner.

You'll also need a pot of lithium bearing grease and on a bike of that age I'd suggest replacing the bearings too. A bottom bracket will take 11 1/4 inch balls on each side - but my suggestion would be to use caged bearings as it's much easier to get them in place.

Be liberal with the grease - and plan on servicing twice annually - before and after winter if you ride year round or just in spring if not.

This guy has loads of great videos on servixing bikes, well worth watching.