My bike -- it's nothing special but I have added
for reference in case it helps anyone looking for
information.
Bikes have certainly changed a bit since my youth
when handlebars all came with bends in them and fixings
were nuts and bolts in imperial sizes, now they are all
Allen bolts in metric. My previous bike was a (c.
1950s) Coventry Eagle frame with beautifully tapered
seat stays. Running gear was any bits I came across
over the years, finished as 10 speed but spent many
years as a high geared fixed wheel. I had to get rid of
it when the ex-wife got rid of me.
I recently bought another, just to potter around
locally when the sun is shining. I don't do cold, wet
or windy these days. It's windy today so I am writing
this...
Green Ventures is an organisation close to where I
live that sells old and unwanted bikes from £15
(they sell new bikes too). You can pay more if you want
them to tidy it up for you. I spent a while looking
through what they had (they used to have a lot but I
believe fewer now and restricted opening times sadly).
Eventually I came across one that seemed quite
reasonable, appeared to have had little use and been
stored mostly under cover.
Paid my £15 - plus about twice that for new
tyres and tubes, removed the front wheel and put it in
the car.
Once I got home I thought I would try to find out a
bit more about the history and specification of the
model.
Absolutely nothing.
Googling brought up a few mentions of people owning
one in their youth, a number for sale on the usual
auction sites now and in the past but nothing regarding
dates or spec. other than the very occasional mention
of wheel size, and once in a while frame size too.
I suspect this means it is regarded by those who
know as a BSO (Bike Shaped Object). As I bought it to
potter around on that doesn't concern me but I still
wanted to find more about it and help anyone who may be
in the same position. I have no idea whether it would
have been classed as an MTB or hybrid or something else
entirely.
The bike is a Raleigh
Ascender.
I have no idea of year of manufacture but suspect it
to be 1993. There is a sticky
label on the seat tube with the number 03932091.
The frame
number 2403612 is stamped on the LHS of the seat
tube between the front dérailleur clamp and the
bottom bracket and was very difficult to find and read.
The saddle was manufactured in September 1992, the
brake callipers April and July 1992, rear
dérailleur April 1990.
Since creating most of this page I have found some
links to old scanned catalogues that include the
Ascender
1992 catalogue
1993 catalogue
1994 catalogue
1995 catalogue
I believe the listed items were all original
equipment unless stated otherwise.
This bike has had very little use since new, the small
amount of rust and corrosion damage has occurred in
storage.
| Item |
Description |
Comment |
| Frame |
18" |
A transfer
states 'ATT 23 fork blades, stays and main
tubes'.
ATT is Raleigh All Terrain Tubing, no idea what
23 is. Probably high tensile of some sort. |
| Forks and headset etc. |
Raleigh |
Rigid, no suspension, no additional
markings. |
| Brakes |
Weinmann cantilever. Rear dated on the
casting April 1992, front July 1992 |
There is a small Weinmann logo on
the calipers and hangers. No idea
of model number so far, had enough trouble
finding out they were Weinmann. |
| Brake levers |
|
I assume Weinmann, perhaps Raleigh, no
markings but not stripped yet. Plastic/resin but
seem sound. Brake action overall is not very
positive. |
| Shifters |
Shifters |
Indexed thumb shifts. |
| Front Derailleur |
Shimano
FD-TY15 GS |
Works well following new cable and
adjustment. |
| Rear Dérailleur |
Shimano
RD-TY15. |
Date code April 1990. Works well following
new cable and adjustment. |
| Freewheel |
SHIMANO SIS
MF-Z015 14T-17T-20T-24T-28T |
Date code January 1993 |
| Chain |
1/2" x 3/32" |
I think this will be replaced very shortly.
Although running freely now, I imagine the
rusting over the years has done it no good. |
| Cranks |
Thun 170mm,
cotterless |
Very little information on
these. |
| Chainrings |
48T-38T-28T |
Riveted, no idea of manufacturer but not
stripped down yet. Thun or Raleigh? |
| Pedal |
Union |
No idea of model, plastic/resin type. |
| Hubs |
Steel, unknown make. |
There is a logo followed by W GERMANY stamped
around the centre but I have not been able to
identify a manufacturer. |
| Spokes |
36 to front and rear |
Galvanised but no rust showing. |
| Rims |
ETRTO 559x19
DIN Made in Belgium Alesa Alloy
419-26x1.75 |
I guess made for Raleigh. |
| Tyres |
26x1.75 |
Unfortunately I threw the original tyres so
have no details.
I bought 26x1.95 Kendas, but too fat and the
brake blocks would catch the tyre as brakes were
released.
Replaced with Schwalbe 26x1.75 Land Cruisers.
Schraeder valves. |
| Saddle |
Raleigh badged Selle Royal, dated Sep
1992 |
No idea of model, padded vinyl type. |
| Weight |
31.5 lbs |
As bought without panniers, rack or
mudguards. |
| A few
images - some poor quality |
The bike, Raleigh Ascender.
There were no panniers, rack or mudguards when I
bought it,
saddle is a new one. |
 |
| Weinmann caliper showing logo |
 |
Cable hanger showing Weinmann logo
|
 |
| Thun crank showing name |
 |
| Plastic Thun dust cover |
 |
Frame number.
Image enhanced slightly to make clearer. |
 |
| Front dérailleur showing Shimano
stamp |
 |
| Rear dérailleur showing Shimano
stamp |
 |
| Rear dérailleur |
 |
Hub showing unknown logo
|
 |
Rim - ETRTO 559x19 DIN
Made in Belgium Alesa Alloy 419-26x1.75 |
 |
| Transfer on down tube |
 |
| Transfer on forks |
 |
| Transfer on seat stays and seat tube |
 |
| Transfer on seat tube |
 |
| Bars |
 |
| Original pedal |
 |
| Original saddle |
 |
Another bike -- again I have added details for
reference in case it helps anyone looking for
information.
This one is a Claud Butler and was advertised
locally. It looked interesting so I had a look and
bought it.
The advert stated it was a Claud Butler Legend, 6 x
3 speed so I guessed it was not one of the more recent
versions of this model as most now seem to be 21.
It looked quite tidy with only a few minor scuffs to
the dark green metallic paintwork. The seller told me
he had bought it around fifteen years previously so I
assumed it dated from around 2000.
It's not one of the classic Claud Butler Claud Butlers
but it is interesting to me that it is in near perfect
showroom condition.
It rides very well, excellent gear changes and
brakes, I am very impressed.
Once again when I got it home I thought I would try
to find out a bit more about the history and
specification of this bike.
Even less than for the Raleigh Ascender.
There is
this page from a 1995 catalogue. The frame is
pretty much the same but almost everything else
differs.
I wonder if mine might be one of the first hybrids that
Claud Butler produced - for no reason other that I can
find nothing earlier than this 1995 date.
Of course, there are so few Claud Butler catalogues
archived online I may be completely wrong :/
The bike is a Claud Butler Legend
Action Sport according to the frame
transfers.
I haven't been able to pinpoint year of manufacture
but suspect it to be around 1991/1992, certainly
nowhere near as late as 2000.
There is a sticky
label on the seat tube with the number C030074.
I haven't found a stamped frame number so far but I
will keep looking. There must be one somewhere.
As with the Ascender I believe most of the listed
items on this Claud Butler are original equipment.
| Item |
Description |
Comment |
| Frame |
21.5" |
Transfer says
Reynolds 500 Chrome-Moly frame tubes. |
| Forks |
Claud Butler |
Rigid, no suspension, no markings. |
| Stem |
Kalloy AL-222 80 |
9010 marked on the stem, perhaps 1990 and
week or month 10? |
| Bars |
Straight |
label with
Neil Scott, Worcester.
Was this the manufacturer of bars or shop that
originally sold this bike? |
| Brakes |
C-Star
cantilever, reinforced resin. |
Dated on the casting front and rear June
1990. |
| Brake levers |
C-Star |
Alloy. |
| Shifters |
Shimano |
Indexed thumb shifts. |
| Front Derailleur |
Shimano
FD-TY25 PC |
Date code March 1991. |
| Rear Dérailleur |
Shimano
RD-TY20 OC. |
Date code March 1990 |
| Freewheel |
SHIMANO SIS
MF-HG20 PB
14T-16T-18T-21T-24T-28T |
Date code February 1991 |
| Cranks |
Stronglight
390, 170mm |
Very little information on
these, French manufacturer. |
| Chainrings |
Biostrong
48T-38T-28T |
Bolted, alloy, chainrings are oval a bit like
Biopace (see also Sheldon's
page), around at the same time.
They look odd but fine to ride so far. |
| Bottom bracket |
Thun |
Thun 348 marked on BB. |
| Pedals |
HTI-P32 |
Plastic/resin type. |
| Hubs |
Front: Sachs-Maillard, G 17 91 (week 17 of
1991).
Rear: Sachs-Maillard 6V K 21 91 (week 21 of
1991). |
Alloy |
| Spokes |
36 to front and rear |
Galvanised but no rust showing. |
| Rims |
AS 23X
Rigida, ETRTO 17x662 DIN Made in France |
Eyeletted. |
| Tyres |
700 x
38C |
Tioga Bloodhound Sport.
Due to the lack of wear evident anywhere on this
bike I now believe these were original but in
good condition visually, they still have sprues
to the sides of the tread. Even so, well overdue
for replacement if they are over 20 years
old!
Presta valves (nice, I much prefer Prestas over
Schraeders).
Replaced with 700x35C Schwalbe Marathons (700x38C
so difficult to find in real shops).
There was some slight deterioration evident on
the old tyres when removed. |
| Seat post |
Alloy |
With QR. |
| Saddle |
Vetta,
Made in Italy |
No idea of model, padded vinyl. |
| Weight |
30.4 lbs |
Including panniers and rack with full alloy
mudguards. |
| A few
images |
The bike - Claud Butler Legend Action Sport as
I received it.
I believe everything is as when the bike was sold
originally
apart from perhaps panniers and water bottle and
cage.
Original equipment on a later 1995 Legend can be
seen
here. |
 |
CB logo on head tube
|
 |
Stronglight crank and Biostrong chainwheels
including front changer.
The front changer requires a greater range than a
standard 48T-38T-28T
due to the eccentricity of the chainwheels. |
 |
| Freewheel |
 |
| Rear derailleur |
 |
| Biostrong logo |
 |
Pedal.
I'm puzzled about these.
They have reflectors on both faces but one of these
is bolted on
as can be clearly seen. Same to both pedals.
I don't think it can be a bodge or repair as the
bike has had so little use.
Perhaps done like this to weight the pedals? |
 |
| Tyre |
 |
Claud Butler Legend Action Sport logo
- and a proper pump :) |
 |
| Frame number sticky label |
 |
| Frame steel logo |
 |
| Rim details |
 |
| Bars |
 |
| Saddle |
 |
| Pannier rack |
 |
| Pannier |
 |
|
