My 7 y.o has been pestering me to get him a road bike for the past year. He wanted one just like my winter hack
Getting a road bike for a child that age is very very difficult. One rainy sunday afternoon late last year i was browsing ebay and came across an old kids raleigh road bike with 20" wheels for sale locally and i managed to grab it for 20 quid.
this is how it was after a good clean. not much of an improvement really, just less cob webs.
it needed more work than i originally thought but for the cost i thought it was worth restoring it for my eldest. once he has done with it then my youngest (5) can use it as his first road bike in a few years.
parts restored
the bike was fully stripped and the frame was shot blasted and powder coated at vernon barker cycles of dronfield, who in his day was one of the best steel frame builders going - these days he just repairs and restores but his work is exceptional.
bike has had brand new genuine raleigh tyres, new brakes and cables, all bearings stripped cleaned and repaired as necessary. new bar tape (same as mine), new rim tape and wheels fully restored. the pedals are the only thing which let it down but i cannot find a set i like that would suit the period.
brakes are weinmann with extra brake levers and the 5 gears are controlled with a sachs huret rear derailleur. it is non indexed so i'm not sure if he will struggle with this set up but that is why it is on the turbo trainer so he can get used it before summer.
i have yet to find a bike pump that will fit in the gap under the top tube but my search continues.
finished bike - excuse the mess behind the bike, we are halfway through a lounge upgrade/resto.
http://s37.photobucket.com/user/ktuluda ... ke%20Resto
Getting a road bike for a child that age is very very difficult. One rainy sunday afternoon late last year i was browsing ebay and came across an old kids raleigh road bike with 20" wheels for sale locally and i managed to grab it for 20 quid.
this is how it was after a good clean. not much of an improvement really, just less cob webs.
it needed more work than i originally thought but for the cost i thought it was worth restoring it for my eldest. once he has done with it then my youngest (5) can use it as his first road bike in a few years.
parts restored
the bike was fully stripped and the frame was shot blasted and powder coated at vernon barker cycles of dronfield, who in his day was one of the best steel frame builders going - these days he just repairs and restores but his work is exceptional.
bike has had brand new genuine raleigh tyres, new brakes and cables, all bearings stripped cleaned and repaired as necessary. new bar tape (same as mine), new rim tape and wheels fully restored. the pedals are the only thing which let it down but i cannot find a set i like that would suit the period.
brakes are weinmann with extra brake levers and the 5 gears are controlled with a sachs huret rear derailleur. it is non indexed so i'm not sure if he will struggle with this set up but that is why it is on the turbo trainer so he can get used it before summer.
i have yet to find a bike pump that will fit in the gap under the top tube but my search continues.
finished bike - excuse the mess behind the bike, we are halfway through a lounge upgrade/resto.
http://s37.photobucket.com/user/ktuluda ... ke%20Resto
