Raleigh - What Drugs were they on ?

Just bought a Raleigh Alaska mtb off Big.Eck from this site, collected it, took it home and started to study it.

Now I was expecting a heavy basic mtb and was not disapointed. However there are several features that make you wonder what drugs the Raleigh execs were taking when they specced this bike.

The rear hub is a Shimano Hyperglide 7 speed with cassette but laced to polished steel rims :shock:. Result zero brakes in wet weather and poor brakes at all other times making stopping the 35lb plus frame interesting. The rims are 575x25 yet fit 559 tyres which is also confusing :?

Next weirdness, the headtube is 1&1/8th inch yet its fitted with a shimmed 1 inch steerer tubed fork. Why not just fit a fork that goes with the head tube :roll:

There may be other features I have not spotted yet but those two mentioned are major failings. I'm now going to rebuild with lighter better thought out bits because, well the geometry is spot on and I like the colour

Velo

velomaniac":34szpm2t said:

I'm now going to rebuild with lighter better thought out bits because, well the geometry is spot on and I like the colour

Velo

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Can't think of any better reasons
You will be posting pic's :?:

i checked a few other alaskas on ebay and they seem to all be a last minute bodge jobs ? they have sis shifters , tourney pedal arms , sis front mech and a 100gs rear mech .

seems they build their bikes like ford build their cars i.e. if theres a ton of bits in stock just use them regaurdless lol

i never noticed the tyre sizes , but would say their more than likely the originals ?

well the most important thing is you like it , and i'm happy it's got a owner that'll use and take care of it

Raleigh was a sad, sad company when your Alaska was built. They had a factory and suppliers that could only produce much more old-fashioned parts than people wanted. They tried to copy the style (look at the poorly regarded Max cr-mo frames), but ultimately, they couldn't compete with bikes from Asia.

It's a shame, because Raleighs were really well designed bikes. Anyone that doesn't think so, just look at how many are quietly taking people to work every day. You won't find a train station in the land that doesn't have a Raleigh mountain bike chained up outside it, which as far as I'm concerned makes a bike like yours well worth saving.

About the only thing that will be original when I've finished will be frame fork and headset. As for looking after it, its an ATB, I'm going to abuse it, possibly around Glentress

Keeping headset because I have no choice. Externally head tube looks 1&1/8th but forks are 1 inch so heres the clincher, headsets 1&1/16th :shock:. Now I do not know this as definite but the cups are half way in size between 1 inch and 1&1/8th inch, I've had them out to check.....AAAARRRRGGGGG :roll:

Has anyone heard of such a thing and if so are there better quality examples out there :?:

Cheers

velomaniac":1tyzpbw4 said:

As for looking after it, its an ATB, I'm going to abuse it, possibly around Glentress Cheers

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thats what i ment ^^^ :twisted:

oh , i started building the zasker tonight , just need a front mech as far as parts go

velomaniac":qm5txj2v said:

Keeping headset because I have no choice. Externally head tube looks 1&1/8th but forks are 1 inch so heres the clincher, headsets 1&1/16th

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1 1/16" ~ 27mm

which is an old 1" standard. (JIS)
supprised if they used it though, they did have thier own standard according to Sheldon brown headsets
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset
but it doesn't tally.

Seems a 1" standard headset should just fit in there though.

I have realised I have incorrectly stated my problem with the headset. The outside diameter of the cups is half way between a 1 inch headset cup and a 1&1/8th inch cup. Though according to the Sheldon Brown Glossary link this could mean its a BMX headset which would make sense.

Why can't Raleighs be easy to work on :roll:

velomaniac":nxqqpkmf said:

About the only thing that will be original when I've finished will be frame fork and headset. As for looking after it, its an ATB, I'm going to abuse it, possibly around Glentress

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Should be good for the wall ride, get it up to speed and it'll stay planted, then just pop off the end

velomaniac":7w5v61w9 said:

Externally head tube looks 1&1/8th but forks are 1 inch so heres the clincher, headsets 1&1/16th :shock:. Now I do not know this as definite but the cups are half way in size between 1 inch and 1&1/8th inch, I've had them out to check.....AAAARRRRGGGGG :roll:

Has anyone heard of such a thing and if so are there better quality examples out there :?:

Cheers

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think I've come across this on a Raleigh Activator and also a couple of kids MTB I rebuild for my girlfriend's little brothers... cups half way between 1" and 1 1/8" and external diameter of quill stem shaft was 21.1mm (rather than 22.2mm of 1" quill stems), confusing - is that a BMX headset size - I can't remember? :?: