I've been offered this Sun Solo bike (it's over 40 years old, I assume it's all or mostly original) and I'm curious how feasible it would be to modernize it with at least:
- Brifters
- Brakes
Probably derailleurs as well if the current ones are too worn out. Maybe the handlebar too, but it'd be nice to keep the retro style.
I have wanted an old steel roadie as a project for a while and this has come up. I've never had a drop handlebar bike, I commute most days on a hybdrid and like to mtb when I can. I've owned a couple of Raleigh bikes in the past and although I've never heard of this brand before, it seems Raleigh owned the Sun brand until the mid-80s and this model was released in the early 80s as part of the "bike boom" of the time. Also, this bike was probably made in Nottingham, where I'm living at the moment.
Although this is was one of Sun's cheaper model, I'm hoping it'll have potential to be a retro-mod that's faster than my commuter. Since I can't afford a proper modern 9kg roadie for all our speed it'd be nice to have a quick dry weather bike.
by krush_groove
15 Comments
You can do it, but it’s kind of all or nothing. Brifters will need more modern derailleurs. And it will have a rear freewheel whereas you will need it to take a cassette. So the bridters mean at least a new rear wheel, new derailleurs, new cable, new cable housing, new cassette and a new chain.
It’s probably not worth it, in short. There are lots of cheap bikes on eBay at the moment that won’t need as much changing.
Be prepared to change everything, except frame, fork and bars.
If that is too expensive, don’t bother. If not – bother and have a project.
Can’t feel the bearings through pictures. Can’t test if the seatpost or fork is dead-rusted-in from pictures.
Everything is fixable with the right money or skillset.
I’ve brought my fair share of “sentimental value” bikes back from the dead. Takes time, money, blood, sweat and beers.
Just did this to a mid 90’s litespeed. If you are prepared to sped several hundred to about a grand then it’s super easy most of the time.
If it were me, I would have fun restoring this bike (new chain, bar tape, cables, etc.) as well as have a modern bike. There are so many factors working against you modernizing this, including 27 inch wheels. Honour the old, appreciate the new.
I just posted my project on Reddit. Its honestly incredibly fun and I think its worth every penny.
Så far my fork, frame, derailleurs and front cassette are original. Will change the rear derailleur though so not much of original and that’s what’s fun with it, you choose how much you want to change and for how long.
My project has lasted 6 years now lol
Just be sure your frame has the spacing for brifter style drivetrains. If they’re at 125mm spacing you’ll have to cold set it to 130mm, I’ve never done it myself but I’ve seen people do it with just a threaded rod and some nuts and washers. Otherwise find a bike shop who’d do it for you, not sure of the fee for such an operation though. From there you should be good to go.
If you want cheap brifter setups I know that Shimano has a tourney level offering but I’ve not heard many good things of those. Otherwise the most recent cues offerings are fairly nice but of course heavier and without electronic shifting as you’d find at higher price points. Used Shimano setups are a good deal too if you’re careful with eBay shopping.
It really depends on how far you want to go with it.
You could pretty easily transition this to a 3×7 Shimano Tourney setup, with a new freewheel and brifters, and it would work just fine. But, even just for that, you’d still be looking at probably at least $150 in parts, and you could very likely find a better, more upgradable bike for that cost. If this was a higher quality frame, I’d say go for it, but I’m not sure it is.
Really, what I’d suggest for this bike would be just more of a refurbish. New tires, new brake pads, a good cleanup and lube job, some new bar tape, that sort of thing.
How do we know the derailleurs are worn out, that’s an old Suntour design. My advice, don’t. Bring it back as much as you can without opening a can of worms. Bare minimum for this bike, IF the frame and wheels are good is around $100 in parts to get it road worthy if you do it yourself. A bath and heavy degrease with fine steel wool on the bright metal it will be looking good.
It will be a labor of love, don’t go in as an investment
It’ll be fun. It’ll be expensive.
To the experts: how much would making it single speed simplify things? That feels like the way to me.
I’d turn it into a nifty single-speed and then have a bit more modern frame with a proper groupset. But what do I know.
https://preview.redd.it/in9n47b5hnve1.jpeg?width=2341&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0ba7572506da3e261a274a2292fe7fd7eab3a8c
This is a late 1980s Peugeot I did up. It would have had first edition chorus. I put 10 speed chorus on it.
I didn’t want to spread the rear stays so I had a custom 126mm hub made and used 8 sprockets from a 10 speed cassette. This introduced another issue and I had to get longer derailleur limit screws made to stop the rear derailleur going into the spokes.
The frame is Reynolds 753 and weighs about 1600g. Overall the bike as pictured was about 19 pounds.
I almost purchased one of those frames ca 1991 and always regretted not getting it.
If you get a steel bike from the 1990s which has 130mm rear spacing then you can run 8,9,10,11 or 12 speed groups.
Why modernize something perfect
Cool find, I like the graphics. Unfortunately you’re going to spend so many hundreds of dollars you’d be better off buying a used alloy road bike for like $800-1200. It will cost at a minimum $600 to get this thing comfortable and safe. A trek domane from 2014 with a 105 group is a pretty kick ass bike compared to a vintage roadie especially. If you’re commuting you’re going to hate this thing.