Daughter wants a new bike

[Mick F]

It is a nice bike, and may be a sort of classic, although it only has two 531 tubes, but you cannot see the black chainset from the saddle.

You can't see many things from the saddle either.

Why have a nice paintwork for instance?

[Mick F]

Well, that was an interesting half hour!

The RH crank and chainring had come off the square taper easily. The extractor that I've had for 40years? worked perfectly.
Just taken the LH crank off, but it was touch and go.

The extractor screwed in, and I tightened the plunger and I could feel the crank coming off .......... then I realised it wasn't the crank pulling off, but the extractor pulling out!

I released the pressure and unscrewed the extractor right out and saw the threads were on the verge of being stripped out. I cleaned the threads, put dribbles of oil on them and screwed the extractor back in. Then got my heat gun and warmed the crank nice and warm - just so I could just about touch it - then tried again and off it came!

The BB cups came out easily - too easily.
The lockring was tight-ish, and the LH cup unscrewed nicely. The RH cup was only finger tight! I had my spanner ready but it wasn't needed at all. Ball bearings in there in clips. The spindle and cups look fine. I'll clean it all up and re-fit it later.

The heat gun idea came off this wonderful forum. People have had the problem I encountered and that was the advice - that or boiling water poured over the crank.

Either way, it worked, and for that I am grateful to this forum.
Thank you.

[Mick F]

Just want to say, that I'm very grateful to all the contributors, and for the PMs people have sent.

The whole idea is on the back burner - said this before? - and until Daughter2 and I have the way ahead agreed and I understand what she wants, all I'm going to do is refurbish the mechanicals. Should possibly see her in the next day or so.

Busy here. Mrs Mick F has her plans for going to Gambia volunteering - certainly NOT a holiday! - are very much at the forefront of our minds.
She should be going in a couple of days .............. but maybe not.

[philvantwo]

Never mind all that now mick f........all pubs are shut from tonight! What are you gonna do????

[nigelnightmare]

Never mind all that now mick f........all pubs are shut from tonight! What are you gonna do????

That's a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted!

[rjb]

Never mind all that now mick f........all pubs are shut from tonight! What are you gonna do????

If I were you, I'd go and buy a bottle of HG and another of OSH and try them back-to-back. You're not going to spend a fortune on them!
Very different beers.
Don't put them in the fridge, just serve at a cool ambient temperature and pour gently into a pint glass . We keep our bottles on a shelf in the north facing front porch open to the breeze.

HG=Hobgoblin, OSH=Old Speckled Hen, in case you need a translation.

[Mick F]

Never mind all that now mick f........all pubs are shut from tonight! What are you gonna do????

There are ways and means.

Takeaways will be available, and there's a big garden. Buy two or three pints, walk away and sit on the benches in the garden.
The better weather is coming ........ or so I believe ............. so it'll be quite pleasant.

Mrs Mick F cannot go to Gambia. She was to be getting the train to Gatwick first thing this morning, then flying to Gambia with an hour's stopover at Lisbon. The flight is going to Lisbon, but the connecting flight to Gambia is not happening.

I've singled out some components for Marjorie Dawes, and had a chat to Daughter2 and she's fine with what I'll be doing. We also had a chat about easier (but longer) routes from work back to her home.

[Mick F]

PS:
This cassette is the one, I reckon.
12-36

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s150p32 ... o-CS-HG400

With a 34t inner ring, her bottom gear would be 25" ......... that's good.
Similar bottom gear as Mercian, and I can get up just about any hill with that.

[Mick F]

Just fitted a 130mm Campag Chorus rear hub in the frame. The hub is knackerd.
Went in easily enough, just a tight-ish fit.
Won't take much spreading at all.

Yes, that's the bike workshop aka spare bedroom!

[Mick F]

Pulled the front wheel apart down to the bare rim, and stripped the front hub.

Normandy large flange.

The hub felt notchy, and I hoped it was because it was adjusted too tight, but on inspection I find one of the cups very badly pitted. The other cup looked ok. Both cones were worn and pitted, so all the balls must be shot too.

By the time I've sourced new cups and cones and balls, then removed the cups and put the new ones in, I may as well have bought a new (modern) hub. £15 from Spa for a new Deore hub.

[MikeF]

She's very lucky she has a dad that can do the necessary work.

[Mick F]

.......... and I'm enjoying doing it!

[The utility cyclist]

I did this with a Raleigh Royal Lady some years back for a tall lady that was originally 6x2, Ultegra bar end shifters 12-27 9 speed and 50-34, the wheels Alexrims on I think some hubs that specialized were using as OEM worked perfectly fine.
You can buy a 33T ring to lower the gearing another 3% or so.

[Bonefishblues]

I did this with a Raleigh Royal Lady some years back for a tall lady that was originally 6x2, Ultegra bar end shifters 12-27 9 speed and 50-34, the wheels Alexrims on I think some hubs that specialized were using as OEM worked perfectly fine.
You can buy a 33T ring to lower the gearing another 3% or so.
Royal lady.jpg

My wife had one of those. When it was traded it had been pretty much transformed, all that was left of the original spec was the frame, seatpost & bars. Wish we'd kept it, we'd have got way more stripping it and selling the parts. Oh well

[The utility cyclist]

I did this with a Raleigh Royal Lady some years back for a tall lady that was originally 6x2, Ultegra bar end shifters 12-27 9 speed and 50-34, the wheels Alexrims on I think some hubs that specialized were using as OEM worked perfectly fine.
You can buy a 33T ring to lower the gearing another 3% or so.
Royal lady.jpg

My wife had one of those. When it was traded it had been pretty much transformed, all that was left of the original spec was the frame, seatpost & bars. Wish we'd kept it, we'd have got way more stripping it and selling the parts. Oh well

If I recall I think it had a Sachs New Success long cage, I actually fitted the Suntour retro friction shifters to my Carlton and bought a Huret band on double cable stop, the original blue suede saddle I flogged on the bay of e for a tenner or so, the wheels/freewheel, calipers and brake levers I can't honestly remember what I did with them but the bike was in very tidy order so I probably got a decent amount for them, the c/set+BB/FD, bars, stem and seatpin I left in place.
The A550 dual pivots I've always been a fan of and look really nice too, I made a hash of the aero levers and had to reposition them.

I've done a fair few ladies bikes over the years, some of the nicer ones: Raleigh 'Royale', Clubman, Dawes Londoner, a very nice Gitane, all Mixte's plus normal downtube lightweight Gitane, another Royale, a Quinn Bros, not all drops and not all modern gear replacement.

Unless it's someone close to me or someone asks me to find and do one up and will pay a decent amount to do one up agreed in advance I just won't buy an older frame/bike to do up to sell on, most people can't appreciate an older but decent frame with more modern components to make them more usable/easier to ride whilst having the look so aren't prepared to pay the money for them. It's been almost 5 years since the last ladies one.