Late 1980s Barry Hoban - advice

[robbo400]

Hi all,
I'm returning to cycling after an absence of 15 years and, before buying a new bike, have decided to get back into things with my 1980s bike: British Eagle (badged Barry Hoban), 531 frame/501 fork, Simplex friction 12 spd, Rigida rims.
The bike has been sitting unused for a long time so I will service it and change the tyres and saddle to try and make it as comfortable as possible. My first question: are there any recommendations (currently Hutchinson 700 x 25 and a budget saddle)? I am now overweight by 15kg and will be using the bike over London roads and footpaths.
Secondly, some helpful guys on a general road bike forum explained that I would need to cold set the frame to fit on a modern groupset with Ergo leavers which I don't really want to do. I wanted to update the gears as the budget Simplex groupset I have was not great when the bike was new and I'd like to have something more reliable. As Ergo leavers seem to be out of the question, I was wondering whether you have any recommendations to improve the gears generally? I do recall that indexed gears (still with leavers on down tube) were quite new when I bought the bike and wondered whether this is a worthwhile upgrade and, if so, is it easy to do. But, you may have other ideas which i'd love to hear.
All advice gratefully received as well as recommendations for independent bike shops who are known for working on bikes of this era in the West/North West london area - although i am happy to travel if there is a leading specialist further afield.
Many thanks, Rob

 

[hamster]

You should be able to get a 7 speed freewheel on to replace the 6. At that point you can fit the original RX100 7 speed STI shifters - although there aren't that many around. Failing that, there are plenty of 7 speed indexed downtube shifters around, and any pre-10 speed Shimano mech will work with them. If you are lucky you might find some 7 speed bar-end levers which would work almost as well as STIs.

 

[Johnsqual]

Re:

If you want to upgrade the tyres, you could certainly try a 700x28 which would give a bit more comfort. I think Decathlon still do a basic Michelin tyre in that size for about 15 quid.

If the clearances allow it, you might be able to get anything up to a 35c tyre in there, which would be good for on towpaths and such like. If the bike is a general all round touring-sport model there might well be room for bigger tyres since the frame would be made for mudguards.


For gear shifting, you might be able to use indexed shifting if your bike has room for a 6 or 7 speed cassettee/freewheel. You need to measure the space between the rear drop outs:

http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

I think a 1980s 6 speed frame would also have room for 7 speed.

For the actual shifters, you have four options:

1) Indexed downtube shifters were made in 6 or 7 speed

2) Bar end shifters (i.e. on the end of the handlebar drop outs) can also be found in 6-7 speed (perhaps even up to 11 speed if you count modern triathlon)

3) Shimano do a Sora 7 speed STI type shifter. I think it's still manufactured so online retailers or a good bike shop should be able to find it.

4) Retrofiction downtube or bar end shifters are also a possibility. Retrofriction uses a ratchet system that gives easier and more reliable shifting than friction shifters, but without the fiddling about and compatibility problems you get with adjusting indexing. I think Dia Compe make some retro friction shifters. I used retrofriction bar end shifters for a good while on my cyclcocross bike and really liked them.

Johnny

 

[hamster]

Good point John about the Sora 7 speed STIs - I have forgotten them. IIRC they are now called 2300, but not sure.

 

[David B]

Re:

My early 90s Raleigh tourer runs Vredestein 28mm V-Tour tyres, which pop up on eBay at attractive prices sometimes - that's where mine came from. Not the lightest around (they have a rigid wire bead so quite hefty) but when it comes to puncture-proofing and durability they're as tough as old boots; my touring bike is regularly used for medium-sized supermarket shops and the Vredesteins still feel nice and stable with laden panniers on the rack, as well as the back tyre showing little wear. They have reflective sidewalls too for a bit of extra visibility on winter evening commutes.

David