# 1968 Raleigh Superbe



## Bossman (Mar 10, 2020)

I just picked up this 1968 Raleigh Superbe for my next project. It appears to be completely original except maybe the tires. The frame has a number of rusted areas that appear to be deeper than the surface rust that I usually encounter. Also the lug between the top tube and the seat tube appears to be separating. Any input on how to approach this would be welcomed and most appreciated!












I only have these two photos at the moment but can download others later.


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## Sven (Mar 10, 2020)

Very nice score.
Prior to be educated,  I thought Superbe was produced  "Super - Bee " not "Superb"
Anyway , keep your progress posted.


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## Bossman (Mar 10, 2020)

Sven said:


> Very nice score.
> Prior to be educated,  I thought Superbe was produced  "Super - Bee " not "Superb"
> Anyway , keep your progress posted.



It is a unique name!


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## rollfaster (Mar 10, 2020)

Love those Superbe’s!


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## Bossman (Mar 11, 2020)

rollfaster said:


> Love those Superbe’s!View attachment 1153833



Inspiration, thanks!


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## SirMike1983 (Mar 11, 2020)

Depends on how deep the rust is and how much separation at the lug. The frames are basic carbon steel, so the tube walls are not terribly thin, at least compared to butted 531 or something like that. If you have enough rust and/or enough separation, then it ends up in the "repair or write-off" category, depending on whether you want to repair and repaint the frame, or write it off. But that would take quite a bit wrong with a frame like this.

The traditional pronunciation is "su-perbuh". A modern variation is "su-perb". It is not "Super-bee".


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## Bossman (Mar 11, 2020)

I am definitely hoping this is not a write off. I'll have a better idea once I break it down and clean the frame. I'll post more photos once I have done that. Thanks for your input!


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## Bossman (Mar 12, 2020)

I have added photos of the top tube/seat tube lug. The underside of the lug at the top tube is separating. I have also added a photo of the BB shell and chain stay connection. I am hoping this is a repair and not a write off.  I haven't had a lot of experience with frame repair and I am still new to restoration in general. Again, I appreciate any feedback!


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Mar 12, 2020)

These old steel bikes are very strong. Personally, I would have no problem cleaning this up the best I can, service everything and ride! I would be more concerned about the weld at the seat stays/seat binder junction on this one.


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## SirMike1983 (Mar 12, 2020)

Lug issue - doesn't look bad to me, based on those pictures. Yeah the joint is not perfect, but few of them are from this period of production. Clean up / rust remove and take a closer look, but I don't think you have a big issue there.

The chainstays near the stand are a little worse, it seems, being flattened and a bit rusty. But again, it doesn't seem too bad to me. Carefully remove the kickstand and do your usual rust removal. Check for cracks or breaks in the stay tube surface. If it cleans up and you have no cracks or breaks, you should be fine. You'll need to decide to how you want to address the flattening of the stays when you re-assemble. Those stands are notorious for crushing the stays. You might want to use a rubber liner if you put a kickstand back on to protect the stays from further damage.

These frames have a pretty good margin of safety because they're heavily built. Clean up and get to work, I say.


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## Bossman (Mar 12, 2020)

Mr. Monkeyarms said:


> These old steel bikes are very strong. Personally, I would have no problem cleaning this up the best I can, service everything and ride! I would be more concerned about the weld at the seat stays/seat binder junction on this one.


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## Bossman (Mar 12, 2020)

Great, thanks for that input, I feel better about this score now. I will carry on, clean it up and see what I find. I have a friend who is a skilled welder and can maybe look at the seat stays for me.


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## Bossman (Mar 12, 2020)

SirMike1983 said:


> Lug issue - doesn't look bad to me, based on those pictures. Yeah the joint is not perfect, but few of them are from this period of production. Clean up / rust remove and take a closer look, but I don't think you have a big issue there.
> 
> The chainstays near the stand are a little worse, it seems, being flattened and a bit rusty. But again, it doesn't seem too bad to me. Carefully remove the kickstand and do your usual rust removal. Check for cracks or breaks in the stay tube surface. If it cleans up and you have no cracks or breaks, you should be fine. You'll need to decide to how you want to address the flattening of the stays when you re-assemble. Those stands are notorious for crushing the stays. You might want to use a rubber liner if you put a kickstand back on to protect the stays from further damage.
> 
> These frames have a pretty good margin of safety because they're heavily built. Clean up and get to work, I say.





SirMike1983 said:


> Lug issue - doesn't look bad to me, based on those pictures. Yeah the joint is not perfect, but few of them are from this period of production. Clean up / rust remove and take a closer look, but I don't think you have a big issue there.
> 
> The chainstays near the stand are a little worse, it seems, being flattened and a bit rusty. But again, it doesn't seem too bad to me. Carefully remove the kickstand and do your usual rust removal. Check for cracks or breaks in the stay tube surface. If it cleans up and you have no cracks or breaks, you should be fine. You'll need to decide to how you want to address the flattening of the stays when you re-assemble. Those stands are notorious for crushing the stays. You might want to use a rubber liner if you put a kickstand back on to protect the stays from further damage.
> 
> These frames have a pretty good margin of safety because they're heavily built. Clean up and get to work, I say.



Thank you!  What would you suggest to remove the thicker rust? Steel wool? Sandpaper?


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## SirMike1983 (Mar 12, 2020)

For fine areas around lugs and around tube joints, I use a Dremel tool with various metal brushes (brass being a softer one, stainless and carbon steel being a little harder). The same can be done with one of the little metal bristle (again, brass and copper are softer while steel is harder) toothbrush-type brushes available at the hardware store. I use WD-40 on the brush because it's cheap, displaces any moisture, and helps break up the rust. Wear eye protection, especially if you opt for the Dremel.

Given the amount of rust in the lower areas of the frame, I'd be inclined to pull the cranks, and then clean and fully re-build the bottom bracket. Use as many original parts as you can, but anything pitted (whether from rust or wear) should be replaced with smooth parts in terms of the moving parts of the bottom bracket. I would not rely simply on dripping oil down into the bottom bracket on a frame like that, given that there was apparently moisture in the areas of the frame not far from the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket sees a fairly high number of RPMs, so you don't want rusted or pitted stuff there.


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## Bossman (Mar 12, 2020)

SirMike1983 said:


> For fine areas around lugs and around tube joints, I use a Dremel tool with various metal brushes (brass being a softer one, stainless and carbon steel being a little harder). The same can be done with one of the little metal bristle (again, brass and copper are softer while steel is harder) toothbrush-type brushes available at the hardware store. I use WD-40 on the brush because it's cheap, displaces any moisture, and helps break up the rust. Wear eye protection, especially if you opt for the Dremel.
> 
> Given the amount of rust in the lower areas of the frame, I'd be inclined to pull the cranks, and then clean and fully re-build the bottom bracket. Use as many original parts as you can, but anything pitted (whether from rust or wear) should be replaced with smooth parts in terms of the moving parts of the bottom bracket. I would not rely simply on dripping oil down into the bottom bracket on a frame like that, given that there was apparently moisture in the areas of the frame not far from the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket sees a fairly high number of RPMs, so you don't want rusted or pitted stuff there.



This is all very helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Superb!


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