F
Forjador
Guest
Just acquired a '72 Raleigh Super Course, just like the one I bought years ago in high school with
paper route earnings. Given that it's 30 years old, the bike appears to be in decent shape. Most of
the components appear to be original. The paint's a bit worse for wear, but the frame and fork
appear to be true and undamaged. The Brooks B15 has got a nice, 30-year burnish to it. Even the old
Weinmann wheelset has held up pretty well. I'm considering the possibility/feasibility of upgrading
this bike with an idle Dura-Ace 8-speed setup for weekend riding, but would like to hear from more
experienced wrench-turners. Here's what I'm considering:
--Swap out 27" wheels for 700C; replace Normandy hubset with newer hubset that will accept "modern"
8-speed cassette; stretch rear triangle from 120mm to 130 mm. --Pull off the Simplex front
derailleur and Shimano Eagle II rear (may not be original--IIRC, my first Super Course had a Simplex
RD) and downtube shifters; replace with 8-speed Dura-Ace STI brake/shifter combination. --Pull
Stronglight crank and original BB setup and replace with DA BB and cranks.
To effect these changes, here's what else I think needs to happen:
--Replace old handlebars (the originals are very narrow, anyway)with newer ones that can accommodate
cable routing for STI shifters. --Dura-Ace brake levers should work OK with Weinmann centerpulls,
but brake blocks would have to be lowered to properly contact 700C rims. --Downtube shifters are
clamp-on style; would have to install braze-on cable routings for STI setup. --Rear dropouts do not
have a derailleur hanger (the old Eagle II has an integrated hanger that mates with the dropout);
not sure how to mount the DA derailleur. Does Shimano or some other after-market manufacturer market
some sort of adapter?
Should I take this on, or am I better off to "make do" with existing parts? Any thoughts or advice
from anyone who has attempted a similar upgrade is appreciated.
paper route earnings. Given that it's 30 years old, the bike appears to be in decent shape. Most of
the components appear to be original. The paint's a bit worse for wear, but the frame and fork
appear to be true and undamaged. The Brooks B15 has got a nice, 30-year burnish to it. Even the old
Weinmann wheelset has held up pretty well. I'm considering the possibility/feasibility of upgrading
this bike with an idle Dura-Ace 8-speed setup for weekend riding, but would like to hear from more
experienced wrench-turners. Here's what I'm considering:
--Swap out 27" wheels for 700C; replace Normandy hubset with newer hubset that will accept "modern"
8-speed cassette; stretch rear triangle from 120mm to 130 mm. --Pull off the Simplex front
derailleur and Shimano Eagle II rear (may not be original--IIRC, my first Super Course had a Simplex
RD) and downtube shifters; replace with 8-speed Dura-Ace STI brake/shifter combination. --Pull
Stronglight crank and original BB setup and replace with DA BB and cranks.
To effect these changes, here's what else I think needs to happen:
--Replace old handlebars (the originals are very narrow, anyway)with newer ones that can accommodate
cable routing for STI shifters. --Dura-Ace brake levers should work OK with Weinmann centerpulls,
but brake blocks would have to be lowered to properly contact 700C rims. --Downtube shifters are
clamp-on style; would have to install braze-on cable routings for STI setup. --Rear dropouts do not
have a derailleur hanger (the old Eagle II has an integrated hanger that mates with the dropout);
not sure how to mount the DA derailleur. Does Shimano or some other after-market manufacturer market
some sort of adapter?
Should I take this on, or am I better off to "make do" with existing parts? Any thoughts or advice
from anyone who has attempted a similar upgrade is appreciated.
