Copenhagen wheel for thirty year old Raleigh.

[-alan-]

Dear Alan,

The Raleigh is a bit of a classical shaped English bike of the steel era. I find that sort of proportionality rather pleasing both on the eye, and also in the way these older style bikes ride on real roads rather than the ideally finished one we could wish for.

Fitting an upright sort of bar on the bike does not spoil the aesthetic appeal of the bike at all. I fitted a Nitto Comfort bar about three years ago when I first got the Raleigh. This bar type appears to no longer exist in the same precise form, and bars [of the upright type] now seem to be the more extremely swept back type or more or less straight, while the bar I have has that traditional [and very comfortable] shape of the old steel Raleigh handle bars seen on the majority of bread and butter British bikes made up two the time when relatively simple bikes ceased to be mass produced in the UK.

I have no photos of the Raleigh at the moment, and no recent ones of the Carlton either, but that one has stayed in the same form for many years now, as I got the set up just as I wanted it.

I intend to get the Raleigh frame re-enamelled at Argos Racing Cycles in Bristol and then fit the Copenhagen wheel. It should all be done before the worst of the dark evenings later on!

Best wishes from George

Thanks for that George. Reason I asked btw is I've been going through a bit of a 'bar dilemma' of a kind with an old roadster that I've cobbled together for my son for commuting round the city environment. The fact that he's (a) 6'7" and (b) not really that competent on a bike led us to put quite a high set of bars on it - to help him with all-round visibility, rather than prioritising speed or efficiency.

Just looking back at the original photo of the Raleigh above - those bars and levers on it look quite an unusual combination. Are/were they a set of traditional dropped 'racing handlebars' bent outwards to give that shape, or something else altogether ?

 

[George J]

Dear Alan,

May I suggest SJS Cycles as a source for such a bar.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handlebars/soma-osprey-riser-handlebar-318mm-clamp-710mm-silver/

This is not a Nitto as I have, but the closest I could find in the traditional [sensible] style. I fitted Shimano flat bar brake levers easily. You have to look out for bar diameter and what the levers require, and also the centre clamp. diameter. I bought my Nitto from SJS as well as the brake levers. Also be aware of the different pull ratios for Vee brakes and callipers. If you are worried SJS are really helpful on what fits together.

Of course modern bars tend to be too wide for practicle use, but are easily cut down if they are aluminium using a normal copper [mains water] pipe cutter to make a tidy job. Again a bike shop will help if you are not confident doing that sort of thing.

The upright riding position is very much safer than the drop-bar position for less able cyclists, and also easier for a more relaxing [if slower] progress for a life-long cyclist.

That is why I put the Raleigh like that. It makes a massive contrast to the Carlton, which remains a mean speed machine even with the Great Northroad bar.

A really fast road bike is not the best starting point for a less able cyclist in my humble view, but that does not mean that he or she need be lumbered with a heavy and unpleasant to ride monster like the old Raleigh three speed bikes or the later imported ones.

I hope that helps a bit.

Best wishes from George

 

[-alan-]

A most comprehensive and thoughtful reply George - thank you as ever.

Never thought about using the pipe cutters to trim alloy bars back, thats a nice trick.

That Osprey bar looks the part - aside from the one small fact that it probably costs a good deal more than what we've spent in total on the lad's bike so far, including the initial acquisition cost

 

[kevinrt]

That Osprey bar looks the part - aside from the one small fact that it probably costs a good deal more than what we've spent in total on the lad's bike so far, including the initial acquisition cost

That Osprey bar also has an oversize clamp. Is that what you need? it’s mostly a choice between 25.4 (standard) And 31.8 (oversize) for the central section of the bar where the stem clamps to it.

These Raleigh ones are a bit cheaper and standard clamp:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handleb...der-alloy-handlebar-254mm-clamp-silver-610mm/

In fact I think I have a couple of them in my parts box (i.e. free) if you’re anywhere near Oxford.


Kevin

 

[martin clark]

I`m sure that was good advice, broken spokes are a common problem on new Chrome wire wheels for classic cars where the originals were often just painted and never gave any trouble.

The classic problem with chroming anything steel is hydrogen embrittlement. So chroming suspension components went out of style in Formula racing in the v early Sixties once this had caused a few dreadful accidents.

As a process problem it''s almost unavoidable, might be alleviated to some extent with a post-chrome heat treatment (not cheap, and not guaranteed) - and no surprise that chroming spokes - with their tiny cross-section, but immense tensile load - exposes the idiocy of doing so.

 

[-alan-]

That Osprey bar also has an oversize clamp. Is that what you need? it’s mostly a choice between 25.4 (standard) And 31.8 (oversize) for the central section of the bar where the stem clamps to it.

These Raleigh ones are a bit cheaper and standard clamp:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handleb...der-alloy-handlebar-254mm-clamp-silver-610mm/

In fact I think I have a couple of them in my parts box (i.e. free) if you’re anywhere near Oxford.


Kevin

Ah that's very decent Kevin. I would gladly take you up on that if we weren't the other side of the Irish Sea from you. I think if truth be told there's another couple of abandoned wrecks languishing round the back of our garage that might furnish something usable - I haven't been fully checked yet. And failing that, a few others languishing in skips round here that could be 'up cycled' before going mad and (shudder..) spending money on the heap

I do like the look of the trad bars inverted as on George's bike mind you - pretty cool.

 

[kevinrt]

Shame. I was over on holiday in Cork a couple of weeks ago.

Kevin