1989 Claud Butler Pagan. Gravelly Rebuild?

[Jaffa]

Hi all, yet ANOTHER Dave here....

I bought a 1989 Claud Butler Pagan, in Reynolds 500, brand new in 1990 and I still own it. Its had a fairly easy life spending many years relegated to the shed by a long line of "better" more modern main bikes.

Somewhen in 2014 I found myself without a main bike so I renovated the Pagan from the ground up and started using it:



Then, as usual, a new main bike came along and back into the shed went the Pagan. It got dragged out again for my son to take to University, he used it for a while in the first year then left it in the garden of his student house for the last two years!

I have just had it returned to me in this condition:



Never trust a teenager with your bicycle.....

So the Pagan was listed in this colour scheme in the 1989 catalogue, it has/had the mainly white decals. Although these were mostly removed years ago, when I was younger and more stupid....

Here's what's left of the original stickering:



So I'm thinking of using the frame to build up a not too expensive urban/gravel/retro/trainer/hack/cruiser thing.

Would welcome views, thoughts and opinions. I need guidance on how to modernise the gears, I'm unfit and live in a hilly location. I need some super low granny gear as a priority and as simple a crank set as feasible. Crisp shifting and quiet running along with brakes that brake and dont howl would be enthusiastically embraced.

Thanks in advance, all the best, Dave.

 

[Takingabreak]

isn't it already an urban/gravel/retro/trainer/hack cruiser thing?

Or are you thinking drop handlebars, panaracer pasela amber wall 1.75" tyres and v brakes?

 

[Jaffa]

isn't it already an urban/gravel/retro/trainer/hack cruiser thing?

Or are you thinking drop handlebars, panaracer pasella amber wall 1.75" tyres and v brakes?

Lol yes kinda, except its mechanicals are rusty and need updating plus I do like the aesthetic of thin tyred, drop bar retro gravel ride.

Thinking about it what I need is ideas for updating the drive train to get the spinniest gear I possibly can plus bars and shifter tips.

 

[Takingabreak]

I have built up something along those lines using a Raleigh reynolds 501 frame from 1991 so can likely answer many of your questions. These types of old bikes are incredibly versatile and built up well into all sorts of configurations. The downside will be you will likely have to replace almost every component and the bike will still be heavy, because reynolds 500 and 501 are heavy. My Raleigh morphed it's way through a few configurations before ending up as a winter road bike, however, a change of tyres and it would be more akin to a gravel bike or as we used to say in the olden days, a hybrid

 

[Takingabreak]

the rear wheel probably has screw on freewheel / cogs. To get the biggest range of gearing would require switching to a cassette type hub but that means a new wheel. If you wanted to keep the original wheel then it is possible to buy a wider range screw on cogs, but they are not cheap and they are heavy.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels/sunrace-mfex9-9-speed-freewheel-1132t44674/https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/freewheels/shimano-mftz500-screw-on-7-speed-freewheel-1434t/
Road type integrated brake / shifters are also not cheap, bar end shifters may be cheaper.

Do you have a budget in mind? It will help shape which parts you consider

 

[Jaffa]

Yep an 80s hybrid.......

That's a cool concept. I know this is based on a modern aluminium hybrid bike but a simple change of parts transforms it into just about the kind if thing I'm envisioning with this old Claud Butler:

Standing back and looking at my frame I really like it. Utilitarian, basic, old......

Well the wheels aren't original anyway, my Dad gave me the old wheels from his tandem and had them rebuilt onto my original hubs. This was about 2000 so they've had a very good innings!



I've no idea on budget, I've managed to collect a shed full of spare bikes down the years so I have load of generic mtb bits I'd like to re-use where possible. As well as two Pashley Couriers I need to sell to fund this.



I'm guessing buying modernish used wheels and deraiilleurs wont work in a plug and play fashion?

 

[Takingabreak]

Yep an 80s hybrid.......

That's a cool concept. I know this is based on a modern aluminium hybrid bike but a simple change of parts transforms it into just about the kind if thing I'm envisioning with this old Claud Butler:

Standing back and looking at my frame I really like it. Utilitarian, basic, old......

Well the wheels aren't original anyway, my Dad gave me the old wheels from his tandem and had them rebuilt onto my original hubs. This was about 2000 so they've had a very good innings!

View attachment 544469

I've no idea on budget, I've managed to collect a shed full of spare bikes down the years so I have load of generic mtb bits I'd like to re-use where possible. As well as two Pashley Couriers I need to sell to fund this.

View attachment 544470

I'm guessing buying modernish used wheels and deraiilleurs wont work in a plug and play fashion?

they pretty much will, depends how modern. I'm assuming your frame has a rear axle spacing of 130mm, which is modern road spacing. Mountain bike went to 135mm a few years after yours was built. You can wedge a 135 into 130 spacing by pulling the rear stays apart as you fit the wheel. Steel frames are springy. I did this to start with then ended up 20 miles from home with a puncture and decided moving forward to use the correct spaced rear wheel. A more modern rear mech will just bolt on.

 

[Jaffa]

Ok, that's great info thanks very much. Where is that measurement taken? I've just measured and the distance between the inside faces of the rear dropouts is 130mm.

 

[Takingabreak]

yep, that's the place.

 

[Jaffa]

Sweet. So modern road hubs. Presumably I wont find 26" wheels built on road hubs so will need to get some made?