What to buy 1980/1990 race bike.

[biggs682]

That'll do as a starting vintage bike. Just don't turn into @biggs682 - I've seen his bike store, plus the other one and I'm sure he's got bikes elsewhere. Me? Nah, honest

Ha @DCLane that was a few years ago , you and anybody else is always welcome to pop in . I am thinking of doing my own bike jumble in the summer as i need to get a grip with the garage soon so watch this space .

So being new to this what type of brake cable/ outer cables do you use and what type of tyres run well for road use?

PS. not sure if I should start a new thread on what to get or stay on this one as I have loads to ask?

Well done on your win and that is a good price

As for consumables like cables, brake pads and tyres i buy what ever is on offer where ever and then i get some bits from my lbs when i can .

I

As for bikes I'm just going to advertise two bikes and buy three but I can see this old school bike thing might get the better of me and I will buy some more?

That's what i do ie sold 2 last week and bought 2 this week

 

[Boon 51]

For brakes - standard outer and inners. They should be similar but check the cable ends. Again tyres should be a usual 25 or 28mm but check whether the wheels are 700c or 27 1/4". Or in the case of my Raleigh Sports below 26 1/4 (or 559mm). Tan-walled tyres go nicely on retro bikes and the Raleigh ones are about £17 a pair delivered.

The difference will be in using downtube shifters and it will feel different on the road. Or should do, but then my current retro bikes are this from 1950:

View attachment 446019

which since the photo above has had new tyres, appropriate saddle, new 3-speed shifter and cables, mudflaps and a dynamo re-build. And this 1975 shopping bike:

View attachment 446020

Erm ... I've got the rear brake working. But done nothing else, and it'll be on sale soon. Oh, and I'm building this 1975 Carlton into a moustache-handlebarred orange fixie with my son:

View attachment 446021

Progress on that is slow. We've stripped it bar one item, sourced all the parts and painted the forks orange to date.

The top one is smashing...

 

[DCLane]

The top one is smashing...

I need an updated photo - it's also gained a big brass horn in keeping with the age.

 

[carpenter]

So being new to this what type of brake cable/ outer cables do you use and what type of tyres run well for road use?

PS. not sure if I should start a new thread on what to get or stay on this one as I have loads to ask?

I have had a look at the listing - well done, should be fun doing it up and cycling later (shame about the "sniper', right on the end of listing ).

How you do it up depends on how "original" you want to keep it.
The brakes are Shimano (exage?), and the cable outers are Shimano - good quality, I have used them on a rebuild but they command a premium over Clarkes cables.
The levers look like Exage motion (I'm not that much of a nerd, it's just that I have a pair) The rubber hoods look in very poor condition and I have yet to find a supply at reasonable price (one supplier in US has NOS but priced at around £40 ). I found it easier to buy a pair of tatty Exage sport levers on eBay and use the (decent) hoods from them for about £12.

Autosol will be your friend along with cheap microfibre cloths.

If it were me, I would swap the saddle for a Charge Spoon - under £20 and I find them very comfortable, although look up other threads on sit bones etc as saddles are very personal.

Amber wall tyres from Schwalbe are very good and under £15 each, Panaracer are lovely but expensive.

Have fun - doing up a bike is very therapeutic.

 

[DCLane]

Have fun - doing up a bike is very therapeutic.

Edited for you: Have fun - doing up a bike is mostly therapeutic.

It can also be frustrating, infuriating and satisfying.

 

[rogerzilla]

That Harry Quinn looks like one of the Jobbies made under the Falcon banner after he had sold his name (but not bought his name back again)....

Yes, the "real" Harry Quinns have a frame number starting with Q, the Q being made up of a 0 and 1 stamp overlapping. Harry didn't build all of the Q frames personally but they were done at his premises and under his ownership. They vary in specification, but the two I have are well mitred and brazed.

Ron Cooper frames are superb.

 

[Boon 51]

Edited for you: Have fun - doing up a bike is mostly therapeutic.

It can also be frustrating, infuriating and satisfying.

I can always find the hard way to do things..

 

[Boon 51]

I have had a look at the listing - well done, should be fun doing it up and cycling later (shame about the "sniper', right on the end of listing ).

How you do it up depends on how "original" you want to keep it.
The brakes are Shimano (exage?), and the cable outers are Shimano - good quality, I have used them on a rebuild but they command a premium over Clarkes cables.some
The levers look like Exage motion (I'm not that much of a nerd, it's just that I have a pair) The rubber hoods look in very poor condition and I have yet to find a supply at reasonable price (one supplier in US has NOS but priced at around £40 ). I found it easier to buy a pair of tatty Exage sport levers on eBay and use the (decent) hoods from them for about £12.

Autosol will be your friend along with cheap microfibre cloths.

If it were me, I would swap the saddle for a Charge Spoon - under £20 and I find them very comfortable, although look up other threads on sit bones etc as saddles are very personal.

Amber wall tyres from Schwalbe are very good and under £15 each, Panaracer are lovely but expensive.

Have fun - doing up a bike is very therapeutic.

I have some green shimano brake cables that I hope will fit and I assume the Autosol is for the alloy bits but the first thing I will be doing is to get some brake levers sorted out as you said the hoods are well knackered.
So if the hoods are dear how much are the whole brake levers then?

 

[Oldfentiger]

I bought a 1986 Carlton Kermesse which had the same white aero hoods. I cleaned the hoods and got them to something approaching white again. After one ride they were dirty coloured again due, I think, to the rubber being degraded. Replacements are like rocking horse sh1t.
Eroica rules specify exposed cables, so I sourced some nice Shimano blue spot levers, polished them up and use them without hoods.

 

[carpenter]

I think these are worth the money - the Exage levers are rather nice IMO:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-SHIM...h=item41f7c467c7:g:xqcAAOSw1qhcBaRM:rk:3:pf:0

not eroica, but match you bike

edit: or these, and no need to worry about dirt showing!:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHIMANO-...h=item3b26d7404e:g:W7wAAOSw6gdb2BWu:rk:4:pf:0

 

[Oldfentiger]

I think these are worth the money - the Exage levers are rather nice IMO:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-SHIM...h=item41f7c467c7:g:xqcAAOSw1qhcBaRM:rk:3:pf:0

not eroica, but match you bike

I don’t think you’all find better for the price

 

[Boon 51]

I pick the bike up on Saturday so when I get home I will look at the lever /hoods and see whats what.
I took the standard bars of my Giant Pro 1 a fitted some carbon aero bars for lots of dosh but it does look stunning.

Do I want original bits, well I'm not sure that's a hard one ?

 

[mikeymustard]

I pick the bike up on Saturday so when I get home I will look at the lever /hoods and see whats what.
I took the standard bars of my Giant Pro 1 a fitted some carbon aero bars for lots of dosh but it does look stunning.

Do I want original bits, well I'm not sure that's a hard one ?

Hi @Boon 51 glad to see you've got yourself a bike sorted, looks like it might be an Elan, I've got a friend who's got one in that colour and she loves it, her hubby keeps offering to buy her a new bike but she won't have any of it! I've had several of these Raleigh 501 frames over the years and like them lots.
Reynolds 501 makes a nice frame, bikes made with 501 sat between Raleigh's 18-23 steel and 531 frames in price.
I don't know if you're aware but you should be able to date it from the frame number, which should start with a couple of letters then the 1st number is the year of manufacture.
I struggle with both down tube shifters and the gearing that these bikes came with (we must've been a lot tougher in the old days), so I've been known to modernise mine a bit with some or all of: brake shifters, 7 or 8 speed freewheel/cassette, lower gearing (sometimes just rear, occasionally with a compact front chainset as well) even occasionally fitted dual pivot brakes because I'm quite big and take some stopping!
If you can cope with DTS and you don't mind grinding up hills in a 24t rear x 40t front (or can find some flattish routes) then you won't have an issue, but steel frames are so nice to ride that the more useable you can make them, the better.
Talking of steel frames, did I read you have an Equilibrium?

 

[Boon 51]

Hi @mikeymustard

To be honest i don't know what the condition is as I've only seen it in a photo but I will know tomorrow. As for replacing things I think whatever I renew it will be an upgrade so I have plenty to ask?
It will be good to get the frame number and work things out what to renew, I will need some advice on what to get for the upgrade and how to fit it as well I expect.
If this all goes well I think I will buy a couple more bike like this, one not to spend on it and see how it gets on and another but spend a lot more and get one in A1 condition.
I do have an Equilibrium 20 and a Giant TCR 105 for sale which I putting on ebay at the weekend.

Cheers Paul.

 

[Boon 51]

Hi Guy's. I need to start a new thread so I can post pictures and ask questions etc where would be the best place to put it. Any thoughts ?