Hi there! first time poster long time lurker, I’ve recently been bequeathed a project bike from a friend who said it was built on an old Raleigh frame from the 80s. He had it as a fixed gear but I want to be able to climb the small hills near my house without breaking my legs. The frame is also covered in 4 layers of paint. If anybody knows how best to get it off I’d really appreciate it!
by Kinerlu
4 Comments
Use a paint scraper, then sand paper. Wear a mask.
A modern group should be fine.
Probably cheaper to find a used bike that meets your needs than painting and upgrading this one.
Media blasting is the best way to remove paint. You could also use aircraft paint remover.
Yes, that is a fairly standard road frame and should accept modern components. However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
I mean, if you’re looking for an oldshovel-style restoration project, have at it. If you’re looking for a basic old steel road bike to outfit with 105, you’ll be much happier finding a bike in a more “functional” condition which you can upgrade.
That rear hub spacing is probably 126 mm. If you are willing, a steel bike can be “cold set” to 130 mm rear spacing. As always, [Sheldon Brown has good instructions](https://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html) (scroll down to “Do You Need To Permanently Spread Your Frame?”)
When I was still in university, I stripped and re-painted a 1980s steel Giant. I used chemical stripper, a wire brush, and sandpaper. And of course gloves!
Things you will need:
* A new rear wheel (to accommodate a wider cluster)
* new cables and housing
* Down tube cable stops (probably) – most older bikes would have been designed for down tube friction shifters. Best case scenario you have bosses in your bike (look like little square bits protruding from the down tube), and you buy [something like this](https://velo-orange.com/collections/parts/products/dia-compe-dt-cable-stops). If there are no bosses on the frame, you need a clamp-on set of stops [like these](https://www.rivbike.com/products/clamp-on-cable-stops)
* you need to check the dimensions of your handlebar. It looks like it might be steel, and older steel bars have a brake lever clamp diameter of 22.2 mm, while newer alloy road bars (and therefore shift/grip levers) have a clamp diameter of 23.8 mm.
* group set of your choice – likely with a clamp-on front derailleur mount (unless your bike has a brazed-on tab).