Renewing a Retro Raleigh Royal.

[djnotts]

(I can't resist alliteration).

I have an '88 Royal in very nice nick. Love the frame and the fit. Currently flat barred with 'bar mounted Suntour frictions, rather than d/t, with original 3 x 6.

Having searched in vain for something similar but with 27 speed/mtb gearing, wondering if worth conversion. I've tried a 130 oln wheel in the rear and it fits no trouble with absolutely minimum hand stretching.

So.… what hidden drawbacks to newer wheels (or even just build existing barely worn rear rim into a decent 130 hub), new rear mech, new(er) mtb c'set, 3 x 9 speed LX/XT shifters and new front mech (maybe not necessary?) am I missing? Happy to put 2-300 quid into it and spend time hunting good used parts. I may not have time to do this myself - any recommendations in E Mids for a "shop" that would do the rebuild?


Thanks.

[geomannie]

Hi

I refurbed my 1989 Royal and all was sweet. Having said that, the '89 had 130mm spacing and a 3 x 7 gearing as original. I resprayed the frame and fitted all new gearing and wheels. I stuck to friction shifting so that I could use either 8 or 9 speed cassette on the back, eventually setting on the eight. There were no major problems but this was 10 years ago and 9 speed stuff was easier to find.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. It remains my day to day and touring bike, being exceptionally comfortable and reliable.

Cheers

[djnotts]

Thanks for the encouragement! The 126 to 130 jump doesn't seem to be a problem - just realised that the wheel I tried was wearing a 10 speed and even with the ancient shifters/mech/chain it pretty much ran OK across most of the range without adjusting the limits!

[geomannie]

Thanks for the encouragement! The 126 to 130 jump doesn't seem to be a problem - just realised that the wheel I tried was wearing a 10 speed and even with the ancient shifters/mech/chain it pretty much ran OK across most of the range without adjusting the limits!

Hi

Its possibly worth getting a frame builder to set the frame to 130mm but if it works it works. You could do it yourself- I have never been brave enough. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

[djnotts]

I have stretched one or two in the past - big vise and/or threaded rod as I recall but this one really doesn't seem to warrant it. Haven't measured it precisely but I suspect a bit "oversize" from new.

[hamster]

I re-spaced a 531 Witcomb using the Sheldon 'big bit of wood' method. It was very easy, took around 20 minutes when taking my time and ooching the stays out about 1mm per attempt.

[andrew_s]

I'd just spring the frame for 126 --> 130, but if I did respace, on a tourer I would probably be inclined to go straight to 135, and use an MTB hub.

If you do respace the frame, the Sheldon bit of wood method is probably better than threaded rod.
The drive side chainstay is often dimpled for chainring clearance reasons, and it it is, it will be less stiff than the other chainstay, leading to an out of track result.

[Alan O]

I built up a Raleigh Royal a couple of years ago from a frame I got locally (for, I think, £45) on the famous auction site. Don't know the date, presumably mid-80s, the black frame with silver-painted head tube version.

I built it mostly as it might have been originally, with friction-shifting 3x6 with Shimano 6-speed 14-28 block (they're still easily available, very cheap, and just as good as they ever were), but using a 28/38/48 Biopace chainset.

27" wheels were new for 6-speed screw-on - most main suppliers don't stock them any more, but a handful of eBay sellers do and at very good prices. They're built with budget components - Weinmann rims and Quando hubs - but with 36 spokes they're tough, and the hubs are easy to maintain.

The rest of the components were period where possible, and include a lovely almost-new Suntour Vx long-cage rear derailleur for only about £20, which is very smooth. Front derailleur is a Shimano Exage - friction-shift triple front derailleurs are a bit harder to find.

Also GB randonneur pattern bars, no-name quill pedals with clips and straps, period seatpost (but with Brooks Cambium C17 saddle - anal comfort is far more important than period saddleness). Cantilever brakes are modern Shimano ones but are in keeping with period style (well, near enough for me). Headset and period stem came with the frame.

I actually got two pairs of wheels, and have one shod with Marathon Greenguard and one with Gatorskins (both 32mm), which covers everything from soft-ish canal paths and gravel, to road.

And it's a lovely bike to ride. It's very comfortable, and the gearing is just about perfectly suited to me and my rides. 28x28 gets me up all the hills I face, and 48x14 is enough to get me to a bit over 30mph which is about as fast as I feel comfortable with these days. It feels super stable at higher speeds too.

I've ridden about 1,200 miles on it so far (mostly this year), with a longest ride of 105 miles.

Good luck with yours, djnotts. It should be interesting to hear how you get on converting it to modern spacing and gearing - do let us know how it turns out.

[djnotts]

Thanks all.

Alan O your renovation sounds painstaking! Mine was I think entirely original when I got it and the paint etc is more like 2-3 years old than 30. I've changed the brakes to modern cantis, swopped the inner ring from a 28 to a 24 and flat-barred it with Suntour thumbies running friction (seem to have lost the 6 speed indexing capability). I have all the original parts.

My main problem with it is that 24/28 is not low enough for me. Toyed with a mega range 6, but rear hop from a 24 to a 34T seems a big ask to me. If I could buy a more evenly spaced 6 speed block that goes to say 32 I'd keep it as it is now. The more I consider/cost what I am contemplating the less it seems worthwhile!

[djnotts]

Just found an answer.....IRD do a "14-34T = 14 / 16 / 20 / 24 / 28 / 34" freewheel. Only drawback is the eye-watering 60 quid at SJS. OTOH, cheaper than a complete make over.

[Cyril Haearn]

Like to see some pictures
Diolch

[Brucey]

…. if I did respace, on a tourer I would probably be inclined to go straight to 135, and use an MTB hub....

yup, that'd be my approach too.

Thar goes double if you intend to use an MTB chainset, else the chainlines will be worse than you might expect.

cheers

[le.voyageur]

13-32 on ebay at present, BIN £7 plus £3 delivery
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Giang-Wide-R ... m570.l1313

[slowster]

Ebay looks like the most likely place to give you what you want. This apparently NOS Shimano freewheel has the same sprockets as the IRD freewheel:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-MF-TZ31-7-Speed-Cassette-Megarange-Screw-On-Freewheel-14-34T/172865776590?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D52543%26meid%3D306cc5a699594680940ad91e8ba08b5a%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D253745549775%26itm%3D172865776590&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

[The utility cyclist]

I did this to a raleigh Royal Lady some 10 years ago for a 6ft woman. 2x9 speed, bar end shifters, clamp on downtube cable stop, you can buy modern variants for about £6. Had no problem with fitting a pair of 700C Alexrims from a Specialized bike and the RX100 deep drop dual pivot brakes worked perfectly, I don't think I had to file the slot to get the reach but if I did it wasn't much.
I retained the original compact chainset and Sachs Huret FD and added some single sided Wellgo SPD road pedals.
Yes the brake levers are out in that pic