A Quandary - all advice welcome NOW WITH PICS

You asked about the forks.........they are full sloping crown jobbies and would be typical for a raleigh frame of that era :)

are the dropouts stamped Gipiemme ?

I'd ride the new road bike for the fitness you wanted to improve and have fun with the Raleigh bringing back to how it was :)

That's what I do. My modern road bike is a Basso..............what did you buy ?

Shaun
 
The dropouts are stamped Gipiemme, i presume the forks are steel but i have seen similar forks which were 501.

The new bike is a Forme Longcliffe 3.0 i think, 7005 Triple Butted Aluminium frame, Forme T700 Carbon forks, Mavic Cxp22 rims & Formula Sealed Bearing Hubs and Shimano Tiagra/Microshift 10spd. Not that this means much to me, i am thinking about getting used to the shifters on the bars as opposed to on the frame. I am also pondering the new pedals - Look, my old ones have toe clips and leather straps and a great pair of Sidi shoes - slightly worn but stll functional with thier wooden sole - my daughter finds this funny, i am stuck in the 80's!

I am actaully quite excited about the prospect of a new bike, feels like being a child again!
 
This thread has a copy of the 83 catalogue and specification, it says the forks are high tensile steel.

Not sure what the bike is as it does not look like an 1983 or rapide.
 
Quick post before bed as it's work tomorrow......... I'd suggest SPD's if you are going for cleats :)

Shaun
 
broadway":2hbvyhfm said:
This thread has a copy of the 83 catalogue and specification, it says the forks are high tensile steel.

Not sure what the bike is as it does not look like an 1983 or rapide.

It would have made a bit more sense if I'd put the link in :)

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=211782

ral83_08.jpg


ral83_09.jpg
 
Thanks for the info. The link shows the Road Ace forks which are identical in style to the Rapide but, obviously, not in construction.

The catalogue helps demonstrate my quandary, I love the look of the Road Ace but is it worth my while converting the remainder ofl my components to Shimano 600ax? A check on ebay last night revealed a chainset and front changer but due to circumstances beyond my control, i did not get an opportunity to buy them. I would be interested to know how much they sold for - the chainset was £31 inc. P+P and the front mech was £8 inc P+P when i last checked.

I am getting close to a final decision, and i am tending to think that i want the 600ax stuff to remain on the bike with a new chainset and front mech. I will definitely clean the frame up and try and remove the yellowed touch up paint. Dependant on funds, i may get it resprayed or touch up the damaged areas.

If anyone has any info on cleaning alloy etc. or could direct me to a good maintenance manual i would appreciate it. I presume there is some info on this forum regarding cleaning and polishing old components.

I am getting more excited each day at the prospect of the new bike but i am almost as excited at the prospect of getting my Rapide sorted.

Thanks to everyone (so far) for their helpful advice, it has assisted me in making my decision and also given me more to think about (in a good way).

I shall continue to ponder as i clean the bike - any advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
Autosol is perfect for polishing tired looking alloy components. Bear in mind some may be anodized or clear lacquered though.

autosol-chrome-and-metal-polish-1573-p.jpg


The irony is that upon reading the specs of your new bike, you've bought something very similar to your existing bike, just 3 decades apart.
 
The other irony is that i am three decades older and i really do not accept this fact!

I have Autosol in my garage from my motorbike days. If a part is coated with lacquer, how would i go about re-lacquering? I seem to remember that without lacquer, parts corrode much more quickly unless they are kept clean, dry and polished frequently. I would hate to make a mess of any part at this stage, replacement may be difficult and, yet again, costly.

Thanks again
 
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