SB3800 1980 SBDU Ilkeston TI-Raleigh Team Pro Reynolds 753 – Rebuild (Part One)

I have a few SBDU frames in the queue waiting for a rebuild. Time is just conspiring against me – It is the one factor that I lack at the moment. I sometimes manage to squeeze 30 minutes every now and again to bolt a few pieces together; it’s so frustrating having the frames and having the parts but not having the time. Even time for blogging is at a premium at the moment and most or my posts are written late at night with my eyes squinting at the bright screen. 

I had intended to do a comprehensive rebuild blog on this TI-Raleigh bike but I’ve had second thoughts. Instead, I’ve decided to use SB6398, a 753R frame with a Super Record 50th Anniversary group for a detailed post; it is sitting in the workshop waiting to go back together. That means SB3800 will just be an overview, split into 2 posts, but hopefully still interesting.

SB3800 is in very good condition, it has a few grubby spots and some paint chips but nothing that requires major surgery. I’d rate the paint finish at good to very good. A little cleaning and polishing, followed by some Kurust and paint touch up make the red colour shine! While I’m at it, some new titanium bolts help to finish the frame before I start fitting parts.

First things first… I build in a certain order. I start with the headset and then the BB. Once the BB is fitted, I can attach the chainset and pedals. When the chainset is attached, the front derailleur can go on together with the rear derailleur. Gear levers and brake calipers are next followed by bars and stem and brake levers – that just leaves wheels, chain and cables.

Lots of people have lots of ideas about what grease to use for different areas of a bike. I have two!

If it moves it gets multipurpose grease… if it doesn’t move it gets copper grease. The multipurpose grease is the stuff I use on something like car wheel bearings. My thinking is that if it can survive the heat and speed of a car wheel bearing, together with every type of outdoor conditions, rain, water, snow and mud, then it can handle some bicycle ball bearings without any problems. The copper grease is an anti seize compound. I use this on every thread and static item such as seat pins and stems. Those two are all you need.

Facing tools are expensive so I only use them when I need to. This frame isn’t a new respray, if it was, I would have faced the head tube and BB shell. But this frame is good, the faces are smooth and free from paint and other blemishes. The headset and BB were smooth when I took them out so there is no reason they won’t be when I refit them.

Before fitting the forks, I removed the nice but incorrect Reynolds 753 fork blade transfers and replaced them with period correct circular TI transfers. They look much better and are correct for a 1980 TI frame.

Bottom bracket, chainset, gear levers and bars/stem/brake levers all quickly follow.

This bike didn’t come with any pedals and when I took it apart, I was left with the decision to go with clips and straps or go clipless. Well, I decided to go with traditional clips and straps. I had some nice chrome Sturmey Archer toe clips and some new Alfredo Binda toe straps that were spare from SB4059 and managed to acquire some gorgeous Suntour Superbe pedals – these fit in perfectly with the rest of the Suntour spec.

Last thing to do today was measure up for spokes and lace the wheels. I have the Campagnolo Record hubs that came with the bike and some H PLUS SON TB14 rims. The website for these rims does give the ERD but it is always wise to double check. ERD is the Effective Rim Diameter – google it for a full explanation… It is one of the measurements needed for calculating spoke length.

I use the 2 x 200mm spoke method. Cut two old spokes down to 200mm and set the spoke nipples to the end of the thread. Place these spokes in opposite rim holes and measure the gap between the spoke ends. Your ERD is 200+200+(gap).

The gap between the spoke ends was 210mm which makes the ERD for these rims 610mm (200+200+210). This is exactly what H PLUS SON quote on their rim specification. Measure the hubs and add all the measurements into spocalc (an Excel spreadsheet to calculate spoke length). For 32 hole rims using a 3 cross lacing pattern, Spocalc has told me to use 296/299mm on the rear and 299mm on the front.

I’ve used DT Swiss double butted stainless spokes and the wheels are laced and ready to tension and true.

That is all for part one…

Part two will be the final assembly. Rim tapes, tyres and tubes for the wheels and fitting the freewheel and chain. Inner and outer brake an gear cables will be cut and fitted and the final saddle height and stem setup will be done before fitting the white Benotto bar tape.

I’m really pleased with how this build is going so far. The frame is looking amazing and the parts look great against the gleaming TI-Raleigh paint.

Now all I need is just a little more time…