hi, i bought a raliegh esprit racer nearly 3 years ago its been a excellent bike,but it needs upgrading,its got a cotterpin crank which needs upgrading to a cotterless crank is this possible with it being a old bike?(its currenently a 5-speed)the wheels are 27x1/4 steelrims which need replacing,what size wheel could i use as i'm concerned the brakes won't be level with the rim!i thought about 700c rims but not to sure,its a 23"frame its been a reliable bike but i'm in 2 minds to upgrade or buy a newer machine.does anybody know the age of this bike?
Don't know the Esprit as a model, at a guess seventies or early eighties?
You can change cranks but are you sure it's worth it? If you are really attached to the bike it's possible, you will need a new bottom bracket and chainset. You'll have to ask around to find the right bottom bracket as it is a size that was unique to Raleigh bikes.
27x1 1/4 rims are usually (but not always) interchangeable with the now standard 700c size, you need to check them in the frame to see if the brakes have enough reach. New (and better) aluminium 27x1 1/4 wheels are available in most bike shops, by the way.
I don't mean to put you off but I suspect it won't be worth doing. It will cost far more for these bits than the bike is worth. You could buy a secondhand road bike on ebay for less than the price of the bits and it would be much nicer to use. Look for an old Claud Butler, Dawes or Carlton as a starting point.
