90's Raleigh Amazon

Thanks for saving and loving anoher of these clunkers. I've loved reading about your Amazon and its transformation.

I have a modified Raleigh Amazon too.

In essence it's this bicycle that has resurrected my passion for cycling.

A knee injury in 2004 meant that by 2010 I gave in to the inevitable and sold my last MTB (my 1995 Saracen Tufftrax with real sentimental value). I stopped riding of-road completely, never to return... or so I thought.

I put together some bikes from a load of scrappers that a mate and I collected on Freecycle for my Son's college digs to have as "house bikes" while he was in his last year at Uni. One was this large framed (22" or 23"?) Amazon. It rode nicely and I said that they could do what they liked with the rest but this Amazon had to come back to me.

Returned in 2011 it was a bit knackered but my intention was always to turn it into a single speed urban MTB.

On went the wheels, brakes, crank, brake levers and other bits from a Marin that had sat in a mate's garden for 10 years. Various other parts such as the bars and rear V brake were donated. I made up the cables from parts bought on ebay and fitted a Surly chainring and a single speed conversion to replace the 7 speed cassette. A secondhand set of road tyres and tubes plus some bar tape and it was rockin' and rollin'.

In the last year I was roped in to helping a mate train for an off road charity cycling event so I fitted some secondhand Cheng Shin/Duro tyres and started riding towpaths and mild trails.

Although the frame is far to large for a proper MTB and it is heavy, it's been a revelation to ride on road and off. I simply don't feel the need to race and its simplicity means can ride more with less faffing inbetween.

I'm now signed up for the Wiggle Southern Rough Ride in February so I may fit some decent proper off road tyres and lower the gearing with a bigger rear cog.

It is so completely undesirable and uncool and that actually adds to its charm. I had been toying with the idea of getting myself a "proper" bike again now this bike has eased me back in to riding off road but I doubt that I will bother. Parked up with a group of more modern MTBs that my riding chums ride, it's always mine that spurs passing folk to as about it and it sparks a conversation at virtually every pub-stop, usually from someone asking, "Seriously, that's not a fixed gear is it?" :D

It's been christened the ABSO1 (Almost bicycle shaped object number 1).

Ride safe and Merry Christmas to all.







 
Redzero that's a way and a half to save a bike! Looks absolutely beautiful. Definitely an inspiration, too bad my paint is too far gone to be as shiny as yours! How do I remove the decals?? Interestingly, I've made plans of respraying the fork black as well to practice before I take on any bigger jobs.

ABSO1 is a top name, reminds me of some sort of a secret CIA or NASA project.
 
retroyetiguy":3fxpy487 said:
That looks awesome! Reminds me of a 30's path racer :xmas-big-grin: !

Thanks, that's the look I was hoping for, a kind of off-road-ish path racer. :)

CezarB":3fxpy487 said:
Redzero that's a way and a half to save a bike! Looks absolutely beautiful. Definitely an inspiration, too bad my paint is too far gone to be as shiny as yours! How do I remove the decals?? Interestingly, I've made plans of respraying the fork black as well to practice before I take on any bigger jobs.

ABSO1 is a top name, reminds me of some sort of a secret CIA or NASA project.

There's hope yet, mate. This paint wasn't that good. There are areas where it had flaked off completely but I touched them in with a Halfords matte black rattle can. There are also some small areas where I simply haven't even bothered touching up and treated the rust and chips as part of the finish.

The decals peeled off with the application of a bit of heat and T cut on a soft cloth did the rest followed by several coats, buffed up, of Mr Sheen.

Yours looks superb as well. Definitely a keeper I'd say. :)

A couple more photos here, on the South Downs Way.


 
I managed to get some okay photos today. As you can see the bike is all dirty, but every time I clean it it goes back to previous form after a day of riding - hard to catch up!

mmm by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
The bike in it's current form

Drive train detail by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Drive close up, going to make it 8 Speed soon just need shifters (LOOKING FOR CHEAP 8 SPEED SHIFTERS!) More I ride, more gears I ran out of so would love to bump into an unwanted cracks set with bigger chain-rings. Currently got 42T biggest chain ring, 46 might be better?

Center console by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Hoping to find 8 speed shifters, combis, thumb or rapid - something old-ish.

New rear wheel detail by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Detail of the new wheel.

bike detail 2 by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Corrosion on the stem, hoping to respray it black. That seat post needs to go.

Bike detail 1 by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Shinny!!! New BB UN55, so smoooooth. The one I replaced made around 2mm movement at the tip of the crank arm. The frame after one layer of T cut - gonna go at it again once some free time and good weather get together.

New bits waiting to go on. by CezarsBikes, on Flickr
Some new bits, waiting to go on.
 
Re:

I still have the original stem on mine and considered spraying it.

I cleaned it up to get al the paint off and liked the way it looked in bare metal.

So, it stayed that way and I give it a wipe over with some ACF50 on a rag every few months. :)

 
Re: Re:

redzero":z70a5oai said:
I still have the original stem on mine and considered spraying it.

I cleaned it up to get al the paint off and liked the way it looked in bare metal.

So, it stayed that way and I give it a wipe over with some ACF50 on a rag every few months. :)


Would it not be easier just putting a layer of laquer over ?
 
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