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Old 10-26-09, 07:11 AM
  #13  
southpawboston
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somerville, MA and Catskill Mtns
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Originally Posted by Veloria
Thanks for posting these! Is this the bicycle you had with you the other day?
If so, I must say that it looks to be in even better condition in person.
yes, it's the same bike, and thanks! i think it's because i don't know how to photograph worth beans .

Originally Posted by Veloria
Whatever it is you do to your bicycles, I am taking your advice from now on; I was very very impressed!
we should start a co-operative effort: you photograph my (and my wife's) bike collection and provide aesthetic consultation, and i will provide technical and repair/upgrade assistance for your DL1s.

Originally Posted by Veloria
Do the dyno lights work reliably? And are they bright enough for night-time, or do you supplement with LED?
well, not really. the front headlight is not as bright as modern LEDs and can't provide illumination for the rider or acceptable visibility to others as well as a LED does, even though it does appear bright when you're looking right at it. the taillight is surprisingly bright (about as bright as a single or double LED taillight) and has 270 degree visibility. i replaced the front and rear bulbs with the standard 2.4V and 0.6V bulbs, respectively, but there does seem to be a rear bias. the dyno itself seems to output as well as a new one. the weak link is definitely the old-style incandescent bulbs. i am working on a home-brew LED retrofit.

rather than load up all my bikes with various LED lights, i keep a permanently mounted rear LED on my helmet, and i have a larger front LED that i attach to my helmet at night. my setup is designed for visibility to drivers, not illuminating the roads since all my riding is on lit urban streets. if i were to commute on unlit rural roads, i'd have to have a different setup with more robust lighting. obviously, this arrangement doesn't work for helmet non-wearers, but it works for me..

Originally Posted by Veloria
My husband is planning to get a full chaincase for his 24" DL-1 next and do some other upgrades. He would love the look of yours.
any time...we can PM and arrange a meet up.

Originally Posted by Coreyk
What is it about Somerville, MA and marvelous English Roadsters? They must grow on trees out there.
the greater boston area (and somerville in particular) are rich in cycling history, with lots of local frame builders and bike shops that go back generations. (not to mention, the late and great sheldon brown lived in this area). but i suspect that raleigh roadsters can be found in most metro regions in the country. interestingly, at the last local swap meet i attended, there were a ton of DL1s represented, but most were 70s models, nothing really too old.

Originally Posted by Coreyk
I have a neighbor who occasionally loans me her 1980 model; it feels fairly light when compared to my 1983 Stumpjumper. Is your 1951 model comparable in weight to the later ones?
really? that surprises me since the stumpjumper has the compact MTB geometry and chromoloy tubing. i think the DL1s of different vintages are about the same in weight, since the parts didn't really change much. however, accessories can make a difference. the dynohub's huge magnet itself adds a couple of pounds, and the rack and chaincase add some weight as well. i wouldn't call the DL1 light by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a few pounds lighter than a very similar dutch roadster that i have that is built in holland. [/QUOTE]

sirmike, i love your headlight. is it a sturmey archer unit? it looks older than the ubiquitous teardrop unit that i have (which was also put on the superbes and sports of the same era).

Last edited by southpawboston; 10-26-09 at 07:22 AM.
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