Part two of the build for SB3800, a 1980 TI-Raleigh Team Pro 753; I don’t know if I prefer the first part of a build when the grease and dirt is involved, or the second part when you get down to the detailing. I like both parts but for me, it is all about the details!
The first task was to tension and true the wheels that I laced up at the end of part one.
The rims built really well and allowed a good amount of tension in the spokes. But those Vittoria tyres… wow, were they tight to push on! Blistered thumb tight!
The 7 speed Sachs freewheel is in good shape. I used to build these freewheels up for customers back in the 1990s, the freewheel bodies have excellent seals, and this one has lasted well. The SRAM chain is came fitted with a quick link so it went back together without the need for a chain tool – no stiff links is always good.
New stainless gear cable inners and a new section of rear cable outer make the Suntour Superbe derailleurs move beautifully. The Simplex Retro Friction levers still have good springs which feel light.
I didn’t need to do much with the brakes. The levers, hoods, calipers and brake blocks are all in excellent condition. The aluminium adjusters had seized, so a little penetrating fluid and some heat supplied by a hair dryer was enough to free off the adjuster. Some new cables completed the brakes. These frames are fitted with ‘diver’s helmet’ cable stops. These stops require a step down outer cable ferrule which are sometimes difficult to come across. I’ve got a little stash of them, they fit the stops and cables perfectly.
With the brake levers in the correct position, it was time to tape the handlebars. I’ve been saving a set of Benotto bar tape in white for the right bike and decided to use it on this one. This tape, in white is impossible to get now, even the reproduction ‘shiny’ white bar tape is often not available. Benotto really does look so good on these bikes, finished with some red tape, which was often the way with the TI-Raleigh team. The Cinelli 1R stem and bars are relatively clean with very few marks.
This is the first of the collection to be built with Suntour Superbe Pro and I’m really impressed with the quality. Equally as good as any Campagnolo equipment that I normally build with.
Going back to what I said in part one of the build, I strip down all my new bikes and rebuild them for a reason. That reason is that I can get to know each part of bike. I know that this bike is solid, with no issues and is an excellent example of an SBDU Ilkeston TI-Raleigh Team Pro 753.
If I had the money for one of the SBDU bikes I’d build this exact piece, use the same derailleurs, shifters and freewheel on a bike of mine and they work beautifully, even if it does require a lot of pull on the lever. Of all these builds this has got to be my favourite .