My neighbour just dumped this on my drive...

[restlessnative]

Apparantly it's been under a hedge in his son's garden for about 20 years.

It's 5 speed, 26" wheels, everything is rusted solid, even the bottom bracket :roll: although somehow the frame only has a very small bit of surface rust on one chainstay.

Obviously started life yellow and the rear mech is stamped Raleigh so I am guessing a mid 70's BSA Javelin?

Not sure what to do with it but it's actually my size, it's like fate

 

[coomber]

Penetrating oil or soak the whole thing in diesel for a month.

Then get cracking.

If it fits build it up cheap and re-use what you can if I were you.

 

[restlessnative]

Yeah might make a nice winter bike with full mudguards

I think the frame is the only usable part

Am I right in thinking 700c wheels would probably work ok, seems like they would fit in. A 27 1 1/4 won't fit

 

[Bats]

looks older than 70s.

 

[restlessnative]

Found the frame number - HG8236599

So assuming that's a Raliegh number format is that Handsworth May 1978?

 

[BobToo]

I would take it as a challenge to salvage everything but the rubber and cables. You can still get 26x 1 1/4 tyres from one of the online shops (possibly CRC).

Your wheels will be 597mm and 700Cs are 622, so that's 12.5mm bigger on the radius, which I think you just have room for. I can try 700C wheels on a Raleigh Arena I have here if you don't have wheels handy. 27" wheels would add another 4mm to the radius but there would be no point unless you have some already.

The stem does look older but the rest of it is what I would expect to see on a late 70s bottom end Raleigh product. I looked jealously at enough of them when they were new.

 

[jon w]

Nice project.

You'll be amazed what you can save. As said above, feed it penetrating oil for months and it'll come apart.

Kenda to the tubes and tyres for 26x 1 1/4". Or 700C wheels will fit fine.

 

[restlessnative]

Cheers for the advice. All in bits now except the drive side BB cup which will take another go.

Measured off the 700c off my cross bike and yeah looks fine, so need to sit down and have a think about it now

 

[hamster]

I would look to switch to 700c if only to upgrade to aluminium rims. Steel ones are needlessly heavy and wet weather braking performance is usually on the disastrous side of dangerous.