After a cheap 2nd hand commuter/trainer/tourer

From July 1994 - Nov 2002 I cycled many thousands of miles on a lovely red Raleigh Criterium bike.

The bottom bracket then seized up, when I took it to the bike shop, they said the chainset was stuck
solid and could not be removed without resorting to extreme measures. At the same time I also needed
a new headset, chainset and rear wheel. Since the bike was getting on a bit, bikeshopman said it
wasn't cost effective to fix all that lot, since the bike wasn't worth much.

Alas I listened to him! With hindsight I would've sawn through the bottom-bracket axel with a
nail-file if it meant I could've kept the bike, but instead I stripped it and scrapped the frame.

I then bought another bike, which turned out to be too small. I then was given my Grandad's
lovely old Viscount bike, many years old, good condition etc. So I stripped that and put all the
stuff on it from my Raleigh. Bargain! Then the bottom bracket went, and bikeshopman tells me that
he can't put a conventional b-bracket on it since the frame had no threads on it to screw in a
b-bracket. He then put a b-bracket in that screwed into itself. I went with that. It then came
loose. He then glued it in with Loc-tite or something. Later I was pegging it down the street,
and the b-bracket cracked. He then replaced it. A few hundred miles later and it cracked again!
So out goes the Viscount!

So is there any point to my essay?

I have a couple of questions:

1. Would anyone like to buy an old Viscount frame, cream coloured, approx 58
cms. photo can be supplied?
2. I'm now after a cheap training/commuting bike wanted - approx 23inch frame - prefer something
with mudguards fitted, rack/decent lights an advantage. Cosmetics unimportant and some light work
not objected to. I live in Cheshire.

 

"Burton Figg" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> From July 1994 - Nov 2002 I cycled many thousands of miles on a lovely red Raleigh Criterium bike.

<snipped tale of wow re lovely old bikes>

Have you considered taking the frame to a frame builder or even to a good quality engineering
workshop. A technician at work (long ago) fixed a bottom with some magic on an ancient frame. He was
good at his job though.

T

 

Not immediately helpful, but I'm after a pair of forks for a 23"ish frame. Have you got that raleigh
one hanging around still?

cheers, clive