# Raleigh Super Record Road Bike - fixer for college kid??



## ddddd (Jul 27, 2014)

*Raleigh Super Record Road Bike $120- fixer for college kid??*

Have a chance to purchase the following bike for $120. Planning on fixing/cleaning it up for college kid. He has a nice road bike..., too nice for college campus, thought this might work.

Is it worth it?

From the ad:

Good quality older RALEIGH road bike 12-speed (steel frame and steel fork). Size, 22 inches center to top (54cm), stand over height 31 and one-half inches. Will possibly fit person 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. Bike is in good condition, good paint, signs of use not abuse, has not been ridden very much. Equipment, quick release front wheel, OK tires, good shimano components, friction shifters on the handle bar stem. $120.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

If everything mechanically is fine, a good value might be between 50-100. It is not a hidden chunk of gold. It is a modest-level bike, not meant for competitive riding. The details that give it away include these: higher-end road bikes don't have the circle on the outside of the front chain rings to protect your pantleg or whatever, and they don't have the ring inside the rear set of gears to protect the chain from getting into spokes if derailleur gets shifted too far to the inside, and the front forks have a fair degree of bend, instead of being more straight - the bend makes the bike mnore confortable over bumps, while more race-intended bikes have less bend making the bike more responsive when the handlebars are turned.

A problem could be that a lot needs ot be replaced - spokes could be old and have worn out with age, and will start popping off, the brake or shifter cables could be rusted and need replacing - 

If you can do this yourself, and have the time, it is not a lot of money, but the other thing to try might be to check out the shape of this bike, then look around for what else you could get that is actually younger for about 100, or factor in these replacement repair issues and let your budget go to 200.

If Craigslist covers your area, you can check there. 

Every now and then I see a decent but older bike at a pawn shop tempting me at 150 or 200. Sometimes, these have been well-maintained, and are road-ready.


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

A few more of the "low end" features.



Integrated derailleur hanger on the rear derailleur 
Those look like steel 27" rims. The true racing bikes, even at that era had 700c, although probably sewups, and definitely had narrow alloy rims. 
Bolt on rear wheel. 
Steel seat post. 
Stem shifters. Those never caught on with the racing community. 
Idiot brakes. Perhaps a good idea, but they also never caught on with the racing community. 
Foam on handlebars. I must admit that I tried it, but it didn't last well. Just about all road bikes will have wrapped handlebars. 
Schrader valves. 
This bike appears to have forged dropouts. That is a good sign as the low end bikes had pressed steel dropouts. 
This bike also has alloy cranks which is a positive compared to one-piece cranks and cottered cranks. 

As far as value, it is hard to say. Whatever makes both the seller and buyer happy. I agree that $100 would be high if it was in reasonably good condition. The paint looks good. The tires have air. The rear valve stem is pretty crooked, not a big problem, but one wonders about the mechanic.

For a college beater, this is no better than a $100 to $200 new bike from Walmart, except that it ISN'T a Walmart bike. It certainly would be fine for local commutes, but not for heading out on 20+ mile rides.

Personally, I think it is good for kids to learn to do their own bike maintenance and auto maintenance, and what better way than practising on a 20 year old bike or 20 year old car.


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## Duane Behrens (Nov 8, 2013)

It's well worth $120. Far more valuable than any bike coming out of Walmart these days for twice the cost.

If you do the work yourself and keep all the original parts you can, you'll probably get it roadworthy and reliable for an additional $100 or so: new brake pads, new bearings, new chain, new bar tape, possibly new cables and housing.

For another hundred or so, you could make this bike better than new: 

1. New-old-stock (NOS) down-tube shifters (Suntour Power shifters are best) will make the bike a pleasure to ride and shift.
2. New brake hoods (Tektro or Cane Creek) combined with new bar tape will REALLY transform the look of the bike while making it a much more pleasurable and efficient riding machine.

Most importantly - I don't know why people forget this - you MUST service the wheel, bottom bracket and steering head bearings. Many bearing sets of this age have never been touched and have turned to gray sludge. This is actually an easy job for you to do on your own. It's time consuming so the bike shops don't want to do it. There are lots of how-to videos on You Tube.

Of all my bikes, I like my 30-year old Raleigh Super Course the most. I paid $270 for it, I put another $400 into it (spokes, brake hood assemblies, cables, housing, tires, tubes, brake calipers, brake shoes, seat, front and rear derailleurs, etc). I count it money well spent. I ride it every day and it gets lots of comments. Around $700 total. Is it worth that much? 

It is to me. 

Good luck with yours.


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

Those two bikes have a different frame.

The OP's bike is a Raleigh Super Record, and is a fairly low-end Raleigh.

The second bike posted is a Raleigh Super Course which started out as a completely different beast, and much higher quality before undergoing hundreds of dollars worth of upgrades..

If you wish to rebuild a racing bike, then start with a racing bike frame, not a dime-store frame.

It will be functional as a beater bike, but can't be made into a $1000+ bike.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

CliffordK said:


> It will be functional as a beater bike, but can't be made into a $1000+ bike.


Agree, especially since the person who's going to be the recipient of this bike already has a nice road bike. Chances are good this $120 Raleigh will lead a rough life, like being chained to a rack outdoors in all sorts of weather and suffering the indignities of having parts removed by force. But worst of all: with or without permission, a room mate will borrow it and return it thrashed.


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## Duane Behrens (Nov 8, 2013)

I agree with both of you on the frame type and relative worth. However, if the bike rolls, if the tires hold air, if the shifters shift and the brakes brake . . . how could this bike NOT be worth $120?  

Moreover, if Dad buys the bike for Son and says, "Let's get this thing ready for school . . . " and if they then together begin to replace, tune, grease and adjust, one component at a time. . . . well, enough said.

I picked up a trashed old Nishiki once for $60. It was a low-end bike when new. And that actually made restoration easier and less expensive. $40 wheels, for example. A $35 FD brand new. In all, I may have spent $400, including new paint, the new seat and the cost of gas to go pick it up. Wouldn't trade it for anything now; I love how it looks. 

We work at local universities and colleges quite a bit, so I see those bikes you're talking about - tied to the racks outside, many of them mostly abandoned. But I also see pristine, restored bicycles that are kept in the students' dorm rooms and given proper care and maintenance. All beautiful.

Pride of ownership does not need to go on hiatus during college.


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

wim said:


> But worst of all: with or without permission, a room mate will borrow it and return it thrashed.


One day when I was living in the co-op, I got my bike out only to discover the rim bent with nipples pulled through the rim. My roommate said he knew nothing about it, and I never discovered the real story behind how the rim got bent.


Duane Behrens said:


> Moreover, if Dad buys the bike for Son and says, "Let's get this thing ready for school . . . " and if they then together begin to replace, tune, grease and adjust, one component at a time. . . . well, enough said.


By the time the kid turns 18, the father has nothing left to teach him. 

I was doing most of my bike maintenance by the time I was 10, and my car maintenance by age 18.


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## ddddd (Jul 27, 2014)

Thanks for all of the responses!

I got the bike for $100. The guy got it from a friend. He use to ride bike races in the 70s, and so we had a good discussion about "the project". 

Last year, I took my 1980 Fuji S12S and updated it, as my daughter's boyfriend needed transportation, placed straight handlebar, and added hand brakes. He keeps it locked in his apartment, and has figured out a way to attached his book bag to the blackburn rack. That was 2 years ago, and he takes care of it like a car. Makes one feel good that someone is still spinning the wheels. When I was my son's current age, I rode it with another friend from Thunderbay, Canada to Iowa City, IA. We survived a number of logging trucks, the flies of Minnesota, and ate bread with wild raspberries from the ditches.
Remind me why I finished college and got a job???

Memories.


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## Duane Behrens (Nov 8, 2013)

CliffordK said:


> [snip]
> 
> If you wish to rebuild a racing bike, then start with a racing bike frame, not a dime-store frame.
> 
> It will be functional as a beater bike, but can't be made into a $1000+ bike.


I don't recall the OP wishing for a race bike. I don't recall the OP wishing for a $1000 + bike either. And WHAT in your mind, exactly, dooms ANY bicycle to "beater bike" eternity?

I've got an old entry-level Nishiki that is as immaculate as it is treasured. And I find your dismissal of these fine old bikes to be . . . . well, never mind. 

The Raleigh Super Record may not have been Raleigh's most expensive, but it was anything BUT a "dime-store frame." A "dime-store frame" would have failed and been scrapped within a few months or years of use, like most current BSOs purchased from the big box stores these days. THIS bike appears to have provided reliable transportation for 30 years or more. (Not sure of its age.) That is NOT a "dime-store frame."

I'm always amused at the number of "experts" here who criticize older, entry-level steel bikes as unworthy of restoration. It's simply not true. They may have been sold with cantilever brakes and 1.25" tires, and they may have weighed a couple more pounds than the top-end bikes of their day. But most of them - including the OP's purchase - were stone reliable. And they are an excellent starting point for a bike that will last the next happy owner for another 30 years. 

Those inch-and-a-quarter tires, combined with that cushy steel frame, will ultimately provide a ride better than any modern aluminum bike owner can dream of. 

So congrats to the OP on an excellent and timely purchase. Keep us posted on your progress. Don't forget to lube the bearings.


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## Duane Behrens (Nov 8, 2013)

ddddd said:


> Thanks for all of the responses!
> 
> I got the bike for $100. The guy got it from a friend. He use to ride bike races in the 70s, and so we had a good discussion about "the project".
> 
> ...


Great post and picture. Good on you . . .


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## ddddd (Jul 27, 2014)

FINSHED!

Second refurbish project. Had to steal some parts from another old Raleigh I had. 
It works....And should work to get my son back and forth to college classes


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## Gregory Taylor (Mar 29, 2002)

Nice!

I put together a little "care package" for my college kid so he could take "care" of his bike while at school. A Leatherman, a cycling multi-tool, a Blackburn Road Morph (with gauge), a tube, and some Tri-Flow. Oh, and a rear blinkie. They do ride them at night.


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## ddddd (Jul 27, 2014)

Gregory Taylor said:


> Nice!
> 
> I put together a little "care package" for my college kid so he could take "care" of his bike while at school. A Leatherman, a cycling multi-tool, a Blackburn Road Morph (with gauge), a tube, and some Tri-Flow. Oh, and a rear blinkie. They do ride them at night.


Great idea


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## BacDoc (Aug 1, 2011)

ddddd said:


> FINSHED!
> 
> Second refurbish project. Had to steal some parts from another old Raleigh I had.
> It works....And should work to get my son back and forth to college classes
> ...


Impressive!

Right tool for the job as they say!


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## BacDoc (Aug 1, 2011)

Duane Behrens said:


> I don't recall the OP wishing for a race bike. I don't recall the OP wishing for a $1000 + bike either. And WHAT in your mind, exactly, dooms ANY bicycle to "beater bike" eternity?
> 
> I've got an old entry-level Nishiki that is as immaculate as it is treasured. And I find your dismissal of these fine old bikes to be . . . . well, never mind.
> 
> ...


Exactly! Couldn't have said it better!


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## Gregory Taylor (Mar 29, 2002)

And tire levers. Don't forget the tire levers.


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