newbie doing up my Wisp

[French Marigold]

Hello. At 68 I have decided not to buy a new bike but to update my Raleigh Wisp, bought new in 1980 when the children were small (and which replaced my all-steel Raleigh with locking front fork!) and which I've ridden ever since. So I've ordered new tyres so that I can go down tracks not just along the road. But I need new gears. I've always hated the 10-speed derailleur gears, never known what to do with them, could never find the right position and so for the past 20 years have just left them both on a middle setting and pedalled harder up hills. However I have been out on my husband's mountain bike which has very nice 5 speed gears that click into position. I even worked out which gear for the front and which for the back! I don't want to pedal downhill, that's when I'll freewheel but I want gears that will get me easily up hills. Can anyone recommend what I should buy please. My husband has kindly offered to do all the work involved. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Bats]

Ahh, you've discovered Indexed (clicky type) gears.

What'll be a big help is if you can take some photos of it, that way we can tell exactly what the bike is like now, and advise the most suitable parts.

Does it look like this?

 

[French Marigold]

Re:

Oh doesn't that look lovely! Yes, sort of. Same gears I think but my seat is the original and therefore quite worn but so comfortable I would have swapped it onto a new bike. I changed to straight handlebars a while ago (after coming off on a gravelly corner, seriously damaging my arm and loosing confidence) and will need to get new (straight) ones as mine are now pretty rusty. I normally have a (rusty) carrier on the back with a saddlebag. I can't remember whether it came with a carrier. I have ordered some Schwalbe Marathon Original GreenGuard Rigid Road City Tyre Black 27 x 1 1/4. which I think will allow me to go down tracks as well as on the road. The tyres I have actually show the fabric in parts! My husband was amazed I was still riding round on them. Any advice very welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bats]

Right, looks like your chain is already off, so that's one less tool you might need...

Could you do one last thing and measure the gap for the back wheel?

Like this

That lets us know if there's space for a 5 or 6 cog freewheel in the back. 6s are easier to find for index gears, these days.

After you've got that for me I'll pick out all the bits.

 

[French Marigold]

Re:

Hello Bats. Will this do? The gap is 5 inches. (or 12.7 centimetres). Sorry, the ruler is plastic so it's not that easy to read. My husband suggested moving the gears off the mountain bike but that that will mean it has no gears then!

 

[hamster]

OK, that's a good start. You need wheels with 126mm OLN, they will go up to 8 speed and use a freewheel.

Probably the simplest thing for clicky gears on flat bars is an MTB thumbshifter, 7 speed - you can get them on this site in the secondhand section. They aren't made any more, but last forever.
You will need a screw-on freewheel for the existing wheel:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-mf-tz21 ... freewheel/
and a 7/8/9 speed Shimano rear derrailleur (again a secondhand one from here will be £10-15).

Finally add modern cables and a 7/8 speed chain and job's a good'un.

Longer term, you will probably find that the chainrings are a bit big at the front, so an MTB triple chainset with 22T smallest cog iwll give you gear low enough to climb trees.

The Wisp wasn't the greatest bike ever, so don't go mad on spending stuff on upgrades for it. Buying secondhand should give you the clicky lower gears for around £80 all-in, especially if you buy secondhand - but it might be worth looking for a donor bike.

 

[French Marigold]

Re:

Thanks so much, that's really helpful and kind of you. It probably wasn't the best bike ever made but I like it, and I particularly like the saddle! I've been to look at new (hybrid) bikes but mostly they weren't any lighter and looked decidedly chunky. The cheapest was £150 plus so since I'm not thinking of selling, even if I spent that on the Wisp I reckon I'd would be worth it for another 30, well 20 - better be realistic - years!

 

[MrW]

Maybe Tel on here has some of the parts you are after?:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=300629

 

[Bats]

I was actually thinking since she's already bought the tyres, that she's best sticking with the standard wheels.

That'll make things a lot cheaper.

7 speed hyperglide freewheel, about £8
chain, £6. or go for a posh 9-speed chain to quieten it down for £10 or so
Tourney Dérailleur, about £15
7 speed shifter, no more than £12

No more than £45 or 50, minus the cables.

I wouldn't bother changing the front too much, if she's used to using the small ring. Maybe take the front Dérailleur off? Saves having to trim the thing.

French Marigold, where would you be buying them? If you get them from a seller with a website, or ebay we can pick the exact parts for you.

 

[French Marigold]

Re:

You are all so kind and helpful! What a wonderful forum. The information from you has been relayed to my husband and galvanised him into action. He now says he has various bits in his shed that "might do" and has gone to check (he bought a large job lot of bike parts at auction some years ago which he squirreled away) . Having rendered me temporarily bikeless if he doesn't come up with the goods I will be making a shopping list based on the information you have all provided and will check out this website.