Upgrading old road bikes

12 Responses to Upgrading old road bikes

1. David Bishop says:

   April 25, 2012 at 3:50 pm

   I took a liking to Sheldon’s Raleigh International that is pictured on his “personal bicycle page”. I have a Raleigh Sprite 27 about 1970+ vintage 10 speed. I fell off back in Dec 2011 and all the damage I could locate so far is that the handlebar stem is bent so that the right handlebar grip is 3 1/2″ lower that the left. The problem is that the stem is bent to one side. I know that I don’t want to try to straighten it. I like the set up that Sheldon has on his Raleigh International. I would like to either have the same for not a lot of money or find a replacement stem. I like this bike and don’t want to just get rid of it. I was riding it daily for exercise in 2011 until I fell off and haven’t ridden since. I am slowly recovering from the concussion I received. I’d like to get back to riding again slowly but I need to fix the handlebar first. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
   • John says:

     April 25, 2012 at 6:09 pm

     Any bicycle shop can sell you a replacement stem! Also, do check whether the handlebar and fork are bent — but they also can be replaced. Sorry to hear that you crashed.
2. David Bishop says:

   April 25, 2012 at 6:45 pm

   Thanks for the reply , John. I will be dropping in to my 2d cycle shop next week. I know that the handlebar is not bent. I must check out the fork. I think it is OK.
3. Adrienne says:

   November 6, 2012 at 5:23 pm

   Hi,
   I am really glad that someone / people are keeping this excellent resource active. Something I saw the other day made me concerned that old information was being deleted in favour of new; I’m really hoping that none of Sheldon’s original information is being removed. Can you set my mind at rest?
   • John says:

     November 6, 2012 at 5:31 pm

     You can relax. Nothing is being deleted, although some duplicate pages are being converted to forwarding pages. Pages are being expanded and new ones are being added.
4. Adrienne says:

   November 6, 2012 at 5:28 pm

   Oh, just had a look at this article, and not all the links work, ie one to “brakes” under updating a beater.
   • John says:

     November 6, 2012 at 5:34 pm

     Thanks for the heads-up. We’ll check it out.
5. Ted says:

   January 29, 2015 at 6:41 pm

   Question more than a comment. I have an old steel bike, 12 speed vintage mid 70’s. Frame is in good shape, but the old Suntour rear cassette is worn out. I’d like your opinion on the practicality of buying a new group set and rebuilding the bike and any pros and cons to doing so… thanks,
   Ted
   • John says:

     January 29, 2015 at 11:44 pm

     We pretty much cover that in our article on upgrading older bicycles. There’s a wide range of quality but any steel frame derailer-equipped bicycle of reasonable quality from the 1970s, in good condition, makes a good, serviceable bicycle with the right maintenance and upgrades. Please submit a photo via e-mail or on our facebook page, and we can be more specific.
6. Stuball says:

   August 27, 2015 at 11:50 pm

   I have my dads 60’s early 70’s 10 speed bike and I am trying to find more information on it. It is a Jacque Anquetil (Type Tour De France) bike. I was looking to update it but wanted to find out if I should or not, I am replacing the Hoods with Crane Creeks because they are rotten and new bar tape. I was also thinking of replacing the stem and bars but did not know what to look for or what size. I would like to put new pedals that accepts a SPD but the threads are smaller. The bike is white, the decals are a little bet up, if need be I can provide a Photo of the bike. Thanks for your help
   • John says:

     August 28, 2015 at 12:01 am

     This is better addressed by e-mail or on facebook. I’m going to e-mail you.
7. Rick Landers says:

   October 31, 2015 at 10:45 am

   It’s been a while since I checked out Sheldon’s site, figuring it was either patiently awaiting someone to continue to build it to honor Sheldon’s fine work or that it would lay sadly dormant without newer content. So, it’s wonderful to see that you’ve taken on the task and joy of continued building….All the Best, Rick

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