Buff's Classic/Vintage/Retro rebuilds

[BuffsVintageBikes]

In my spare time I build up old steel bangers that I pick up at a fair price and restore some new life into them. I mostly focus on SA built bikes like Raleigh, Le Jeune, Hansom etc. (because they're cheaper) but won't shy away from an Italian beauty if it comes my way at a good price. In most instances I try and keep the bike as original as possible but that's not always possible due to the scarcity of parts in SA.

Sometimes I might even sell one or two, but that happens rarely as I tend to form emotional bonds with them very quickly

 

I'll use this thread to document and share some of the bikes which I've done and which I'm currently busy with. I try and focus on one bike at a time and generally won't start another project until I've finished the current one.

If you're interested you can also follow me on Instagram as @betarider

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I'll start with this old 1976 Raleigh 5 Speed which I picked up from Eppie on the forum for a very reasonable price. The frame set on the bike isn't anything special but what attracted me was how original the bike was, including the leather saddle. All it needed was a lot of TLC to get it looking good again.

 

The bike is running a full french Huret gear setup with Mafac brakes and an SR crankset.

 

Here's some of the "Before" strip down photos

 

 

[DJR]

Saddle made in South Africa  So cool.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Saddle made in South Africa  So cool.

 

I found that particularly interesting as well. A bit of research indicated that Lycett was eventually bought out by Brooks but the factory continued producing saddles under the Lycett name. Basically a cheaper version of the classic Brooks saddles.

[Hairy]

and follow tab clicked!

[BuffsVintageBikes]

The strip down commenced asap as I was super keen to get this project started.

 

 

 

[DJR]

I REALLY like where this is going

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Because the frameset wasn't anything super special I decided against a full respray and new sticker kit and hit it with a light polishing compound to try and get rid of the worst of the surface rust and old paint. It turned out better than expected.

 

Some before and after photos of the paint on the frame and forks:

 

 

[Beard]

This is awesome, definitely following here and on insta!

[BuffsVintageBikes]

The BB came apart easily considering its age and the cups looked surprisingly good as well with only light marking. It got a fresh lick of grease and new ball bearings and was good as new after the lock-ring got cleaned up.

 

 

 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Headset; what I thought would just be an easy 1 inch headset replacement turned out to be a bit of a headache. After pulling it all apart and replacing the top and button cups in the frame I discovered that the new lock ring wouldn't thread onto the steering tube Some research on Sheldon Brown's old web page brought back bad news. While the whole world standardized on ISO standards for headset thread pitch post WW2, Raleigh decided that it would cost too much to change all their tooling so they kept their existing pitch standard. The result is that you now need a Raleigh specific headset and they're scares as hens teeth. 

 

But fear not, Mark from Mark's Bicycle Workshop came the rescue and cut a new thread on the first part of the headset, just enough for the new ring to bite properly.

 

Then followed a few nights of spit & polish and plenty elbow grease. Here's some before and after pics of some of the parts.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Here's how many parts make up a Huret gear lever set Before the cleaning commenced you couldn't make out the name in the chrome clamp or on the side cups.

[Dirkitech]

I have a great appreciation for quality restoration work and yours seem to fit the bill. If you don't mind me asking, what do you use to clean/sexify the smaller intricate metal parts?

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I have a great appreciation for quality restoration work and yours seem to fit the bill. If you don't mind me asking, what do you use to clean/sexify the smaller intricate metal parts?

 

Thanks Dirkitech  

 

I use a variety of pads and polishes depending on the look I want. For a high gloss shine, Autosol metal polish is first choice but sometimes I need to get the blemishes out of the metal using wet sandpaper in various grit sizes. For a burnished type finish (like on the stem) I use a scouring pad (like scotchbrite) on my drilling machine. I use that to get rid of rust on chrome as well but you need to be very careful not to remove the chrome. I also make use of normal tin foil rolled into a ball to hit rust as well. I also make use of my Dremel and its various attachments. 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Next up was the pedals. Most of the rust on the chrome was removed using tin foil and sunlight liquid and then polished up, serviced with new bearings and re-assembled.

 

The crankset turned out well after some time on the polishing wheel.

 

The saddle got some love with numerous coats of Dubbin which it sucked up eagerly. I'll still give it a few more coats as the leather was very dry.

 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

And finally the Mafac brake set. It's probably worth mentioning that I'd never worked on any Mafac or Huret parts in my life prior to this project so I found it extremely interesting pulling everything apart and inspecting it before cleaning it. The quality is very good considering its age.

Before, During & After