Another Raleigh Moonshine project...

[Skydiveandski]

Hi there from a "noob" to this group but an old man as far as cycling (and life) goes. I bought a "Moonshine" brand new in the early 90's... 92 I think? The first brand new bike I'd EVER had, and I was in my thirties!
I've still got it! In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I dug it out of my parents garage, where it has been languishing for some 19 years (divorce/illness/lack of space being SOME of the reasons why)
I took a load of photos before I tarted stripping it down ready to renovate and re-build. They're attached below.
The bike was originally spec'ed and sold with most of a full Shimano Deore DX M650 group set (cantilever brakes, STI shifter/levers, hubs, cranks/chainset FCC-MT60, derailiers and pedals). Non-groupset head bearings, seat post/clamp were also fitted. Rigida RM 400 rims were also fitted (the Rigida ones are HEAVY).
I did a lot of miles on my bike. Because of it's geometry, it leant itself very well to road riding. The last time I'd ridden it was on the road... I know this as it still had my preferred road tyres fitted (26x1.25 Tioga City Slickers). I had also fitted a Girvin Flexstem and Scott AT4Pro MTB Aerobars. The furthest I ever did on it in one day was 235 miles... Yeah, it was a tough day.

My thoughts when I dug this out of the garage were to resurrect it as a retro in its original form. However, as the strip and clean has progressed, I've come to realise that it would look a lot nicer, and serve me better (getting a portly middle-aged gent a tad fitter whilst having fun and looking better than it ever did - even if I don't!) getting a total respray, semi upgrade and tricking some of the bits.

So far, I've stripped it down to bare components and I've started to polish the alloy parts. I'm thinking of having some anodised. The frame is going down to Argos Racing Cycles in Bristol as soon as I can. It will come back a nice metalic purple. I'm going to change the pedals to Shimano M234 as this is going to be a bike that I will do distance on as well as one that I will use to "pop down the shops" on

If anyone can remember the maximum tyre size that these bike took, it would save me some further research?

Watch this space for more as my project continues...
I guess this is a case of "watch this space"...

 

[drcarlos]

Part of the appeal of the Thunderroad, Blueridge and Moonshine are the lurid 90's paint jobs, unless this is totally ruined or faded I would suggest keeping the colours as is or even having Argos recreate it for you (add some new gil_m decals and you will have your old bike back). It would be for more satisfying for me as painted another way it becomes just another 531 frame and loses it's appeal totally. Restoring the DX is a good option and I like to add period upgrades that you would have added at the time had funds allowed (things like Hyperlight Bars, USE seatpost, better Rims would all work well) but still retain the essence of the bike.

Carl.

 

[Skydiveandski]

Yep, I hear what you say but there are so many dinks, scratches and gouges in the paint that I think I'm going to stay on track as "just another". I wish I'd taken more care of it, but it was ridden hard (a 30mile round trip commute 5/7, then a 20 mile "training run" every week night. Every other weekend was out in the dirt. It carried me on several London-Brighton's as well as Birmingham-Oxford, Manchester-Blackpool, London-Cambridge. The pinnacle of my former cycling "career" was John O'Groats to Lands End... 6 days and the hardest 900 miles ever - even doing it "Downhill"!