#1 The Beginning

 
Here is the blank canvas, the unrestored 1985 Raleigh Equipe which has been dry stored for over 30 years.

The Breakdown: 

Frame: 
The frame has areas of rust but from first inspection all the mechanical components are in great condition. The frame itself is a 18 - 23 vintage steel tubing with the original Raleigh Nottingham England badge still intact.
The handlebar stem is a Custom (custom being the company name) and the seat post is in great condition, the seat however will need to be changed. There are no dents or holes and forks and frame are all straight.


Wheels:
Both wheels on the bike are 700 x 25c and are not matching as the rear wheel is a Holland made Van Schothorst 28 x 15/8/662 with a Berko by Bitex hub and the front is a Raleigh England 622 x 28 700-280 with a french made Maillard hub. The rear wheel is a newer made wheel that is in great condition however the front wheel that is presumed to be the original looks to be in VERY poor condition. From this it may not be useable and the next post will be an update on it's status as I will have to check the hub.
Both wheels come with short mudguards and worn Michelin tyres with one useable inner tube. 

Unless I find another identical frame, the bike will undergo a full repaint as I am unable to find the original decals/stickers.  The colour of choice will be an all black finish.

Gears:
It has Sachs Huret downtube gear shifters with a 6 speed (28-14) Shimano SIS Freewheel and a Custom 2 speed (52 - 42) chainrings and crank. As the rear wheel was changed at some point I'm guessing they changed the freewheel too, making the Shimano SIS not original. After doing some background research and comparing to another road bike I have (Raleigh Winner), the original freewheel was either a French 6 speed made by Maillard or a Japan made 6 speed Suntour. I shall restore the Shimano but will continue to look for an original freewheel.
 



   




Derailleurs & Pedals:

The front derailleur is Sachs Huret and the rear derailleur is a Shimano SIS and I am assuming the front is the original but unsure of the rear so this may be replaced. The saddle pedals are not original but I have the originals although I may choose to upgrade with some NOS 'rat trap' pedals that I have available.

Brakes:
Both front and rear brake calipers are original Weinmann type 500 and the brake leavers come with added safety leavers The brake pads/blocks have very little wear indicating low millage from it's last use and the cables are the older, thicker kind from the bikes production that will need to be replaced.
  


Finally, the bike comes with some other parts such as wheel and frame reflectors.

Overview:

All mechanical components of the bike are aimed to stay as original as possible however the seat, cables/cable housing, chain, tyres, and handlebar sponge/tape will be changed.

All components will have a greater description and images during the thorough overhaul and restore period. All posts will be as detailed as possible and with perfectionist tips, tools/equipment used and mistakes to avoid. 

If you have any questions or feel that I have made a mistake somewhere feel free to ask and I'll answer when I can. You can also email me personally ryandavidjones95@gmail.com and have a few other bikes, some vintage and some recent but all road bikes.