Hi

I was given a Raleigh arena GT like these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xraleigh+arena+gt.TRS0&_nkw=raleigh+arena+gt&_sacat=0

it’s 5 speed and quite big 24 inches. I’m just looking to build it up to get some miles in and also have something that won’t be stolen. The indexing seems okay, it has a sachs rear mech with the shifter on the down tube.

Couple of questions

The wheels are very rusty from being left in a garden, can I still buy a 5 speed wheel? It’s not the conventional cassette that I’m used to. I’d want some cheap alloy wheels.

Can the other parts be replaced, like the mech, bottom bracket etc as I don’t want to buy some wheels and be stuck with some other broken part.

Is it worth it as I could probably pick up a modern racer for £200

Cheers

Ebay 2nd hand would be where i started looking.

The rear is probably 120mm spacing so you’ll need to pick up a second hand one or ‘cold set’ the spacing (i.e. give it a bit of brutal pulling apart).
I’m surprised it’s indexed. That’s probably a later add-on.
All the other bits are replaceable.
Those old Raleigh bikes have a nice ride – I’ve got 3 (slightly higher spec) ones from the early 80s and the best one is faster than my carbon bike…

okay thanks for the advice, I’ll measure the spacing.

Yeah the bike seems fine but I got into cycling in the late 1990’s so everything is a bit different on this one.

Money pit comes to mind .

Waste of money pit. It was a lump new. If you can fix it for bugger all( I could but I collect this sort of thing to break, then great but actually buying more than cables, brake blocks and maybe a chain is daft.

Yeah, unless Ican find the wheels for next to nothing it won’t be worth it for sure

Singlespeed it 🙂

problem is that once you change one bit, it sets off a chain of upgrade… I would clean it, get the worst of the rust off and ride it exactly as it is