1955 raleigh roadster wheel change, full chainguard

bikerboy

Retro Newbie
fun and games with my raleiogh roadster project. The chainguard fully encloses the chain and is a nightmare to get on/off. Does anyone know if there is a relatively quick way to get the back wheel off -think punctures. Also how do you fit the big circular window plate in the chain guard around the crank once you have put the crank in as it is bigger than the hole you are fitting it into? Thanks
 
Re:

Could do with pictures or more info. Is this a cable or rod brake model. Also bolt on seat stays with rear facing rear end or forward drop outs.

If the tyre is not damaged a simple puncture is done without removing the wheel.

The circular cover is like a paint tin lid, just presses in.

Keith
 
For rear wheel dropout, there is a removable section at the rear of the guard. This allows the wheel to be removed, but is is a messy bu**er!

As to the front, there is a slide on piece to close the gap to the crank, slide this back and it will fit over the pedal and crank arm. one on the hole you have to "persuade" it in. It is a tight fit.
 
Thanks jonw, I did the removable bit on the rear part of the chain guard but it was a real bu#er as you say for getting the wheel out. I have done this 3 or 4 times now and have to believe there must be a simpler way - messy and very difficult thinking about the tools one needs to carry around to do this. As retro guru says, looks like punctures are mended with wheel in place which hopefully I can avoid by spurting in some repair slime.
As for the front, 'persuade' has a different meaning to it - it seems to be crying out for the ability to split the chainguard in half. I will have another go as its clearly supposed to go in the manner you describe and in fact, if you cant split the chain guard there isnt another way it go in without brute force. Thanks
 
Hello Shaun - almost. Mine doesnt split like the rudge one at the back inward curve (its one piece). The only other difference is that the rear loose section is at the top corner rather than the bottom one. The circular push out plate is identical tho - you have to fit the crank and chain in first, the plate has a slidable window in which means that you can address it over the pedal and up the crank, but as the plate is larger than the hole it fits into (and the crank is unhelpfully there as well) it needs a touch of paul daniels methinks. Internally within the chain guard there are sliders for the plate to slot in to (it doesnt fit like a paint pot lid (that would have been much too easy for the raleigh engineers to think of!))
 
Re:

It seems you have the rod brake 1920s style roadster with the bolt on rear seat stays.

So the rear wheel is removed to the rear. I was repairing these in the 1950s.
After getting the rear brake out of the way, I used to hang the bike downwards with the rear wheel down. Remove the rear bit of the chaincase, then remove the chain connecting link, but make sure you have a couple of bits of wire to secure the chain ends so that you don't lose it inside the chain case.

I still remember the circular front cover as fitting in like a paint tin lid. How is yours held in?

Much easier with the brazed frames with forward rear dropouts. just secure the chain.

I still hate the things now.
On here I put a similar answer for a Sunbeam.

Keith
 
Thanks Keithglos. Funny how when you take a step back it all goes together and you think duh! The circular cover does indeed fit exactly as you say - like a paint tin lid. When I got the bike this wasnt fitted and has actually been painted inside out! when you flip it over it fits exactly like a paint tin lid!! Easy peasy! Now smiling again! Just needs painting now on the correct side.

The bike does have the bolt rear stays.

On the splitting of the chain - the split link only has a split link on one side-the other side of the link is a normal plate. Would there be another one on the chain with connectors on both sides to enable it to be split, or am I missing something?
 
Re:

Chain link should have a spring clip on one side fitting through slightly longer rivets with a groove.
We used to lift one end of the clip and turn it round a bit to release one end. The outer side plate is then removable, and the link can slide out. This is done on the rear cog. Do not drop the chain, have some handy wire to put through the chain ends so that you can tie them up somewhere, so that the chain does not fall off the chainwheel, If you decide to remove the chain just think first how you will get it back in.

As I am over 80 it is sometimes difficult to be sure of memories.

Keith
 
Thanks Keith, I will give it a go. I have special clip, like half a safety pin that I use on my new fangled bike chains for this purpose. Your memory seems fine to me my friend.

A task in the next couple of weeks will be getting the gears just right-its the original 1955 AG hub. Can you recall if at that time these were all 3gears (not 4?) - I suspect they were? The sturmey archer lever is definately 3speed and I suspect original. Its far from right at the moment and will need some fettling.

Thanks again,

Martin
 

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