Your latest bike project?

[vvill]

@hozn 159081 wrote:

Thanks, viill! — Indeed they are nice wheels! Thanks for helping make this build possible. I will admit that I miss my loud hubs, though! . I’m sure I’ll end up with another Hope Pro (4?) wheelset, but even those aren’t as loud as my Pro 2 Evos.

I see you put on nicer rotors too, good decision! Hope the wheels work well for you. The hubs will be serviceable but yeah nothing bling. They are very new though – this was 29 wks ago according to my ‘gram (which admittedly would be many miles for some folks, but back then I still had about 15 wheelsets.)

[hozn]

@vvill 159133 wrote:

I see you put on nicer rotors too, good decision! Hope the wheels work well for you. The hubs will be serviceable but yeah nothing bling. They are very new though – this was 29 wks ago according to my ‘gram (which admittedly would be many miles for some folks, but back then I still had about 15 wheelsets.)

Yeah, I swapped the rear HS rotors from my current soon-to-be-Judd’s wheels; they aren’t the fancy (HSX) ones, but I like how they brake.

The wheels are nice, especially for wheels that came stock on a bike. The rims mounted up the Pro One tubeless probably easier than any other rims I have used — without being hard to mount the tires. I have been wanting to try using some DT Swiss rims in a build.

[dkel]

Today I applied Framesaver to the new frame:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14670[/ATTACH]

And stripped the old Schwinn:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14671[/ATTACH]

I also put the new freeewheel on the old wheel. I have some corrosion (ok, rust) in the heads of the little adjust screws on the brake caliper; anyone have a suggestion as to how to get those cleaned up? I’ll be able to work on the re-build on Monday, and I think the only thing I’ll need to get is possibly spacers for the steerer, though this frame has a very long head tube. I’ll also have to cobble together a better headset press. Speaking of steerers, I’ve never cut down a steerer before; anything I should know about the job? I have a hacksaw, but nothing to act as a mitre box or guide.

Finally, anyone want a functional but somewhat dinged hi-ten steel Schwinn frame? Headset, threaded to threadless stem adaptor, and seat post included. Super cheap! Maybe size 52? 54?

[anomad]

Nothing special about cutting a steel steer tube. Just mark the desired length and put a couple wraps of tape or a zip tie on that mark to give yourself a visual reference. A hose clamp might act as a little bit more than a visual guide if you have one of those laying around. You can trim it up with a file or sandpaper afterwards. I’d offer to loan you my pipe cutter, but its buried in storage somewhere. Carbon steer tubes are slightly more involved.

Not sure exactly which screws you mean on the brakes. I would use a rag and some elbow grease. Maybe some polishing compound. But if the finish is gone the more you clean it the more it will rust in the future unless you paint or protect the bare metal.

[dkel]

The screws are just little tiny screws on the face of the caliper. The rust is in the depression where an allen key would go. I don’t need to turn them, but they look nasty and more rust will make it harder to get a tool in there. But what I’m inferring from your post is that it may be better to leave them alone. I can’t get a rag in there to rub the rust down because they’re too small, but I did think if I could get some of the rust out, I could smear some grease in there, which might mitigate further rusting. I should probably just stop worrying about it. Maybe I’ll go ahead and put some grease in there and forget about it.

[hozn]

I just have used a pipe cutter for non-carbon steerer tubes. You’re welcome to borrow mine; it has been awhile since I have used it, but I think the blade on it is still fine. I do also have a guide (which is designed for carbon, so is a little wider to easily fit the thicker carbon hacksaw blades); that could be useful if you are going to hacksaw it. But I would use the pipe cutter. I just picked mine up from Sears and IIRC it maxed out at 1 1/8″ pipe, which was pretty much perfect for this.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@dkel 159265 wrote:

The screws are just little tiny screws on the face of the caliper. The rust is in the depression where an allen key would go. I don’t need to turn them, but they look nasty and more rust will make it harder to get a tool in there. But what I’m inferring from your post is that it may be better to leave them alone. I can’t get a rag in there to rub the rust down because they’re too small, but I did think if I could get some of the rust out, I could smear some grease in there, which might mitigate further rusting. I should probably just stop worrying about it. Maybe I’ll go ahead and put some grease in there and forget about it.

A bit of CLR on a q-tip.

[peterw_diy]

I think you should try a thinner lubricant that would be more likely to interfere with the existing rust. Personally I would try Boeshield T-9 both to attack existing rust and prevent more from forming, and I would try to move the bolts before things worsen.

[peterw_diy]

@hozn 159268 wrote:

I just have used a pipe cutter for non-carbon steerer tubes

For steel ones? Cutting soft copper is one thing, and aluminum alloys likely not much more demanding, but steel alloys I would expect to be much tougher to cut.

[hozn]

@peterw_diy 159271 wrote:

For steel ones? Cutting soft copper is one thing, and aluminum alloys likely not much more demanding, but steel alloys I would expect to be much tougher to cut.

Yeah. Admittedly I have only owned one steel fork (my Jabberwocky), so I can’t speak from extensive experience. Mostly the pipe cutter has been for aluminum steerers.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@peterw_diy 159271 wrote:

For steel ones? Cutting soft copper is one thing, and aluminum alloys likely not much more demanding, but steel alloys I would expect to be much tougher to cut.

Nah, steel cuts just fine even with cheapo pipe cutters. You’ll still need to file down the outer circumference of the steerer tube because the pipe cutter usually mushrooms out the outer surface near the cut, tho.

[Vicegrip]

An old Raleigh DL-1 and I crossed paths. I am a sucker for old, odd and iconic bikes and this bike covered all three. The DL-1 was almost all there and in reusable condition. It has a S# that indicated a build of 1972 but the 3 speed rear hub has a Sep 1965 date. The chain ring indicates older and the crank pins looked undisturbed. Wheels were often simply swapped out when a rim got bent and Raleigh was know to not be the best at following numbering conventions so who knows for sure.
It only needed a saddle, a set of used/good pedals, brake pads and a rear axle nut. Took it down to the frame and cleaned everything up in the ultrasonic. Buffed out the chrome and there is lots of chrome on this old guy. It is a guy too. No pomp, no muss no Rules.
This bike is a workman’s bike made in Nottingham England by hairy armed workers for bobbies, postmen and general transportation. Made in an old school, very large, all in one factory that took raw steel in and sent finished bikes out. Raleigh made their own tubing and everything in between. This model bike is largely unchanged in form and format since the late 1800s. It is simply one in a long line of similar working bikes that gave form to almost all the other day to day bikes world wide. As Britannia reached around the globe so did this bike in one name or another.

It came apart with no issues, cleaned up well and after an hour or so of test and tune it rides, shifts and stops just like the day it was made. (As to stopping “like new” is not saying much when compared to modern disk and rim brakes) it is a best described as similar to rolling along in a mid 1970s Cadillac. It has a real slack seat and head tube angle and just wants to roll along. A Rastafarian living in Denver, working in a cannabis dispensary on 4/20 at 4:20 is uptight next to this ride. The saddle is a new Brooks. Brooks and the 3 speed rear hub maker Sturmey Archer were both original equipment divisions of Raleigh. The factory is closed and the brand lives on in name and the odd old bike only. [ATTACH=CONFIG]14672[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14673[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14674[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14675[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14676[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14680[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14681[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14682[/ATTACH]

Just found a cool old film on “How a bike is made” in which the Raleigh DL-1 is the subject. Very British, classic form and narration with some long outdoor shots of the factory and people of the time riding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXSHpj74Ksk

[Vicegrip]

couple more pix.[ATTACH=CONFIG]14678[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14677[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14679[/ATTACH]

[Vicegrip]

some more pix.[ATTACH=CONFIG]14680[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14681[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]14682[/ATTACH]

[KLizotte]

^^^Ohhhhh. You’re not planning on riding her and getting her all messed up are you?! I think you should hang her in your living room. Great job!

[Author]

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