Is this Retro Bike Refurb a worthwhile project?

First things first. I know this is a terrible, terrible bike.

Having said that, I’ve just discovered my Raleigh Activator 2 after 21 years being sat in various garages and part of me is tempted to refurb it for use as an around town hack.

Thoughts at the moment are to convert to single speed and replace the front shocks with some rigid forks, leaving me with some sort of soft tail franken bike. Chucking a 29 fork on it has also occurred to me.

Question is, am I going to have to hunt around for loads of obscure parts?

The bike looks to be in fairly reasonable condition, there isn’t too much rust knocking about so I’m hoping a lot of the refurb is going to be the equivalent of rolling a shit in glitter.

Anyone got any horror stories that I should bear in mind? Will I die?

You’ll be refurbing something which is widely regarded as the worst bike of all time.

I suggest you walk away from it and stop being silly.

If you have to spend a single penny on it then I’d say no. Its nasty.

If its just for use around town can’t it be run as is….?

Its not worthwhile but you won’t die, it might lessen your enjoyment of cycling though.

Awful awful bike.

Worth cleaning/refurbing without parts as a museum piece for a laugh.

Probably 1″ threaded steerer anway?

I[‘m pretty sure a schoolmate had one of these when they came out and the fork lowers dropped off so you may actually die.

This sort of thing?:

TBH its tip fodder, possibly worth keeping if you want a nice display piece that illustrates the beginning of the end of a Great British bicycle manufacturer…

But otherwise Nah…

I was given one a few years back.

It went in the skip (with some help from a friend).

Have a look on Retrobike for one that someone pimped with full XTR, hope bits, etc. quite amusing!

reminds me of my mates off road proflex. A horrible horrible bike with an elastomer each end to provide suspension.

I take it the activator was much much worse?

I take it the activator was much much worse?

The forks were so flexy that on tight turns they kinda twisted in on themselves & fired the front wheel backwards.

part of me is tempted to refurb it for use

whichever part of you that is needs a good solid punch

The internets will not thank you for this project, skip it before any money or time is wasted on it!

I am laughing so hard right now or
“part of me is tempted to refurb it for use”
“whichever part of you that is needs a good solid punch” 😛

cookeaa – Member
This sort of thing?:

Yep. That’s pretty much it. It’s gonna get all the girls flocking after me, right?

I’m pretty sure a schoolmate had one of these when they came out and the fork lowers dropped off so you may actually die.

That’s my main concern, hence the rigid fork idea. I remember popping the bushes out of the forks about 2 weeks after I got it, riding a drop off. The suspension was much better afterwards but did have some front to back play!

Also, those stanchions – They’re about 18mm!

This thread has pretty much confirmed what I already knew. Skip time I think…

trevron73 – Member
I am laughing so hard right now or
“part of me is tempted to refurb it for use”
“whichever part of you that is needs a good solid punch”

Everyone needs cheering up on a Monday 🙂

is this the kind of thing you had in mind?

full spec

It’s got no value as a bike. But the activator 2’s a proper cycling icon. I’m a sarcastic sort of a dude and that’s a sentence that’d even sound sarcastic if jesus said it but I mean it. Manchildren of a certain age lusted after those, full suss for the masses.

And let’s be honest 9/10 retro bikes are rubbish- they were rubbish when they were new and they get lovingly restored to their original rubbishness, and then the owners never ride them anyway because it took them years to track down NOS smokes and darts and they don’t want to get them dirty. And also because they secretly know their labour of love has built a polished fossilised turd- we were all glad to see the backs of our useless shit-heaps 20-odd years ago and bikes don’t mature like a fine wine.

This one’s just a little bit more rubbish than usual.

Just reading that thread, those home made triple clamps are something else. I think I have the Activator GS – I’m assuming GS stand for great suspension.

Perhaps I should put a fat front end on it just so that I can try it with a bit of bounce?!

+1 for Northwind. Very few old bikes worth a damn for anything other than nostalgia or a station bike. That one is ideal for cutting into pieces and making into something else.

ermmm….i used to have the earlier Activator….it was a truly horrible thing….i nicknamed it the Shaftivator and have to admit it wasnt my proudest moment in cycling…but i was only 15 when i got it.

my advice is…

The only possible reasons that bicycle shaped object might be saved from the tip are:

a) Some sort of sentimental value
b) To act as an warning to future generations about everything that went wrong with UK bicycle manufacturing

Use it as a pub bike and leave it unlocked with the confidence that no one, but no one, would have it away.

^
That saddle angle is amazing..

ohnohesback – Member
Use it as a pub bike and leave it unlocked with the confidence that no one, but no one, would have it away.

Don’t speak too soon, it’s got bar ends and still sports the original saddle and rear tyre. In grey.

My mate concreted one into his drive in the late nineties.
Just let the tyres down, turned the bars 90 degrees & poured the concrete on.
Best place for it.
😆