I started to worry about the the seatpost and the seatpost bolt. Taking the original seatpost out was extremely hard. When I removed the original seatpost by twisting and pulling - and gritting my teeth against a sore back - bits and shavings of aluminum from the post came off. I didn't understand why.
The seatpost bolt is bent too. Is it supposed to be bent? I presume not, but I don't know.
Carrying on, I measured and remeasured the seatpost diameter and decided that it was 26.6 mm in diameter. So, I ordered a new seatpost from Niagra Cycle (Kalloy Uno 26.6 x 350mm Silver, about $15.00) and installed it. The new seatpost allowed me to get the seat level, just how I wanted it. The new seatpost goes in fairly well, but I can't tighten the seatpost bolt down solidly. It's tight but not tight like I think it should be. I think in fact that the big "R" nut kind of bottoms out at the end of the bolt. This can't be good.
I haven't found good information on the correct diameter for the seatpost. While this table looks promising, I don't think it covers my Super Course and I believe that I've read somewhere that the seatpost sizes varied a good deal on Raleigh bicycles.
I ask the professionals at Recycled Cycles for help. What's going on here? The mechanic tells me that that seatpost is likely too small. That statement confounds my understanding since the 26.6 mm seatpost was a pain in the ass to get out. And, you recommend and even bigger seatpost? You don't understand. But, then I see my mistake: I was thinking about the post in isolation whereas I should have considered the seatpost in relationship with the frame - the seatpost, the bolt, and the frame comprise a system. Those three pieces need to work together.
In the photo above, notice how close the two sides of the frame are to each other. The mechanic saw that immediately. She tells me that I likely need a larger seatpost and that I should carefully bend the frame apart with a screwdriver so that there is more room for the seatpost to go in. That would prevent the nut from bottoming out on the seatpost bolt.
So, I think I will order a 26.8 mm seatpost and try (Kalloy Uno 26.8 x 350mm Silver, about $15.00 at Niagara Cycle). That said, the thought of bending the frame with a screwdriver makes me nervous and the current seatpost setup has yet to move, despite some hard riding. What will I do if I crack the steel or a piece of steel brakes off? But, should I leave well enough alone? Probably not.
I put tape on the handle bars. I used white because I had white tape in my box of parts. It got dirty faster than I expected so I think I'll try to avoid white in the future.
In any case, the tape is temporary, since I have learned about Shellacing handlebars. The hemp string sounds like an interesting craft material too (see Rivendell Catalog #20 and the brilliant video by Brian Trout who also makes cocktails during two intermissions). I'm going to give that a whirl (not the cocktails) over the summer and put the white tape back in my box of parts. Shellacing will also give me an excuse to visit Aaron's Bicycle Repair Shop for the first time, buy some colorful cotton bar tape, and thank them for their excellent website.
I need to do something about the brake hoods. They are hard plastic and the edges are quite sharp. So sharp in fact that I have scrapped and cut one of my fingers while pulling up on the handles. I assume that 40 years ago they were soft but that the material has hardened with age. Not sure.
Looking forward to the autumn, I expect that I will put on some chrome fenders. I found these fenders on a bicycle that was left on a nearby driveway with a FREE sign on it. They were rusty pieces of junk until I got out my soap, water, and tinfoil. I have no idea why I picked up that bicycle and kept the junky fenders and a few other parts but I'm glad I did - perhaps herein is a small lesson of some sort.
These fenders are meant to fit on 27 inch wheels. I've read somewhere that such fenders are hard to find. But, all is not straightforward - unfortunately, the fender stays are too short for my setup and the hardware for attaching the fenders to the bicycle is rotten, pretty much rusted out; I'll have to figure out what to do about that.
Beyond these details, after about 120 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the Super Course. That said, I may decide to work on the wheels. Perhaps a Shimano 105 7-speed hub with a 12-32T cassette would provide more flexibility and reliability and fit my 120 mm frame spacing without too much "cold forging," which I believe is the technical term for bending the frame. I happen to have that cassette and hub in my box of parts. Or, maybe there is a 7-speed 14-32T freewheel out there that will fit? But, that won't address my doubts about the reliability of the hubs.
For more reliability and safety, perhaps I should go with a modern rear derailleur, keeping the friction shifters of course. No need to give those up. And, I think I've read that a modern 9- or 11-speed derailleur will work fine on a 7-speed cassette with friction shifting. Could that really be true? Maybe one of those new Shimano 105 or Ultegra ("pro proven") derailleurs would be the cat's meow.
The seatpost bolt is bent too. Is it supposed to be bent? I presume not, but I don't know.
 |
| The Seatpost, the Seatpost Bolt, and the Frame: A Bit Worrisome |
I haven't found good information on the correct diameter for the seatpost. While this table looks promising, I don't think it covers my Super Course and I believe that I've read somewhere that the seatpost sizes varied a good deal on Raleigh bicycles.
I ask the professionals at Recycled Cycles for help. What's going on here? The mechanic tells me that that seatpost is likely too small. That statement confounds my understanding since the 26.6 mm seatpost was a pain in the ass to get out. And, you recommend and even bigger seatpost? You don't understand. But, then I see my mistake: I was thinking about the post in isolation whereas I should have considered the seatpost in relationship with the frame - the seatpost, the bolt, and the frame comprise a system. Those three pieces need to work together.
In the photo above, notice how close the two sides of the frame are to each other. The mechanic saw that immediately. She tells me that I likely need a larger seatpost and that I should carefully bend the frame apart with a screwdriver so that there is more room for the seatpost to go in. That would prevent the nut from bottoming out on the seatpost bolt.
So, I think I will order a 26.8 mm seatpost and try (Kalloy Uno 26.8 x 350mm Silver, about $15.00 at Niagara Cycle). That said, the thought of bending the frame with a screwdriver makes me nervous and the current seatpost setup has yet to move, despite some hard riding. What will I do if I crack the steel or a piece of steel brakes off? But, should I leave well enough alone? Probably not.
I put tape on the handle bars. I used white because I had white tape in my box of parts. It got dirty faster than I expected so I think I'll try to avoid white in the future.
In any case, the tape is temporary, since I have learned about Shellacing handlebars. The hemp string sounds like an interesting craft material too (see Rivendell Catalog #20 and the brilliant video by Brian Trout who also makes cocktails during two intermissions). I'm going to give that a whirl (not the cocktails) over the summer and put the white tape back in my box of parts. Shellacing will also give me an excuse to visit Aaron's Bicycle Repair Shop for the first time, buy some colorful cotton bar tape, and thank them for their excellent website.
I need to do something about the brake hoods. They are hard plastic and the edges are quite sharp. So sharp in fact that I have scrapped and cut one of my fingers while pulling up on the handles. I assume that 40 years ago they were soft but that the material has hardened with age. Not sure.
 |
| Brake Hoods, Not so Good |
 |
| The 27 inch Chrome Fenders Wait for Autumn |
Beyond these details, after about 120 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the Super Course. That said, I may decide to work on the wheels. Perhaps a Shimano 105 7-speed hub with a 12-32T cassette would provide more flexibility and reliability and fit my 120 mm frame spacing without too much "cold forging," which I believe is the technical term for bending the frame. I happen to have that cassette and hub in my box of parts. Or, maybe there is a 7-speed 14-32T freewheel out there that will fit? But, that won't address my doubts about the reliability of the hubs.
For more reliability and safety, perhaps I should go with a modern rear derailleur, keeping the friction shifters of course. No need to give those up. And, I think I've read that a modern 9- or 11-speed derailleur will work fine on a 7-speed cassette with friction shifting. Could that really be true? Maybe one of those new Shimano 105 or Ultegra ("pro proven") derailleurs would be the cat's meow.
Last question, for now: Is this still a Raleigh Super Course or is it something else? I guess it is a Super Course, upgrade. Whatever it is, so far so good.
 |
| The Raleigh Super Course Upgrade, Version 1.0, June 23, 2015 |
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