New bike, new member...any tips?

[billby]

Found this website after searching the net for info on my Dads hand me down bike. (Its my inheretance...I've just got it early )
Its from the mid eighties, my Dad and Mum got one each all 531 tubing all ready to go touring. Its been well used and looked after but as he's 75 he cant get his leg over any more.......
Ive managed to source a stronglight 53 chain ring which is fitted and am currently bidding on a set of simplex shifters as Dad only had the one front chainring.
Ive changed the tyres for some cheap black road tyres, swapped brake cables, bought a suntour front derailleur, taken off pannier rack and mudguards, bought some new bar tape erm thats about it.
Going to hack about on it and do some charity rides next year with it.
Top Tips needed
Gum wall road tyres (not touring tyres)
6 speed at the back how can I change it to 7 or 8?
can anyone recommend some good cantilever brakes?

Its all budget driven so please no " simply buy a complete ultegra wheel and group set"

Cheers

pics to follow!

 

[hamster]

A photo would help.

If you go for more gears on the back you will need to get the frame re-spaced from the current 126mm to 130. You will then need a new hub, and a wheel rebuild...none of this is cheap and it's hard to stop.

Does it have cantilever brakes already? If so, the wide profile ones work very well with drop bar levers - but modern levers seem much better. However, the cheapest and most effective upgrade are modern cables and pads. If you don't have cantis, stick with the current sidepulls, as cantis require braze-ons, which means a trip to a framebuilders and a respray afterwards.

As for tyres, I can do you a pair of amberwall IRC Paperlites 700x20c for £10, which will look the part. Failing that, Conti GP 4000 winter are a good all round choice.

Leave the cheap tyres and mudguards on all winter - it keeps the bike cleaner reducing wear, and nice racy tyres just get shredded by all the muck on the road.

Best advice is really to just go out and ride it a bit before you change much. Things may well be the way they are for a reason.
A lot of old kit is not made the same way any more, and once you start changing things it leads to replacing even more. Old bits from bike jumbles is cheap and will keep it going.

 

[billby]

I'm promised a free rear wheel to check for spacing and hopefully the original rear derailleur will have enough adjustment (is this likely) to take it.
I changed the tyres as the old ones were crumbling and splitting when I pumped the tyres up :shock: .
It has cantis on as original spec, but they are a faff to set and to get the wheel out, newer ones seem to be like V brakes where you can unclip them first without taking the tension off the entire brake line.

Pictures as requested

Sorry they are small it wouldnt let me post any bigger!

 

[hamster]

It looks like a really nice touring bike you have there! You shouldn't have a problem with a new hub and 7 speed, as the mech looks reasonably modern.

As for cantis, just don't go for the low-profile ones (usually post-1992) as these require too much pull on the cable and need the brake pads set about 1mm from the rim. Alternatively fit some DiaCompe 287 levers (not 287V) as they work really nicely with later cantis.

If you want to buy the cantis new, try Tektro CR520, which most tourers seem to find work best.

 

[billby]

Cheers for that,
A mate is dropping off an old bike this weekend with a 7 speed on the back so will see if that fits in the frame.

I'll send you a pm about those tyres if these wheels fit.

 

[Old Ned]

I think I've got a couple of pairs of old style Dia-Compe style cantis. They're NOS (which means they're basically brand new) and can come with blocks - but probably no straddle wires. These can be made from barrel ended cables easily enough.

PM me for more info if you're interested. I could send a piccy if so.