mkeller234

I just picked this one up today, I almost passed because of the condition and size, but I figured there were enough cool things to buy it. I'm pretty sure it is pre-Raleigh because of the chain ring, the 1958 date stamp and the Birmingham England decals.

There are a few bummers about it, this is the second darned SW hub I have gotten....why can't I seem to find an AW? I think the fork may be bent back a little, the mattress saddle has seen better days, and it seems small. The north road bars seem to be narrow, but they were on my Norman 3 speed too, do these three speeds just seem small because of the wheel size?

The main reasons I bought it were the phillips chain ring, the wing nuts on the axles and the general 3 speed coolness.... and because I seem to feel bad for these beat up old bikes..

Well here it is, inner tube wrapped around the saddle and all. I would like some opinions on the fork specifically please.

Edit: This thing smells like cat pee....yuck

nlerner

Yeah, that fork is looking a bit tweak-ish in those photos. But the frame finish looks in pretty good shape and should clean up well. I had a 1959 Phillips and found that the chrome was really crummy, flaking off of the fenders and rims, but the cool chainring cleaned up well.



Neal

mkeller234

Yeah, my Norman seamed to be very slightly nicer than this phillips. What do you think the chances are of salvaging the fork?

Matt

NormanF

If you have the funds, Spectrum Powder Works could restore it to showroom quality appearance.

cudak888 

That would be a waste of time and effort - particularly as this example seems to be very nice under the grime and surface rust.

However - and I hate to say this - the fork is toast. Bent steer tube (though I've heard of one fellow who has been able to straighten a bent S.T.). Replace it, clean the rest up, and you'll have a nice little machine there.

-Kurt

mkeller234

I would never think of doing more than just cleaning this one up. That said, with the fork the way it is, and being on the small side, plus the SW hub, I may be more inclined to part it out. I have to think on it a bit more. Either that or I just sit on it until a fork comes along, i'm sure there is one in a basement around here waiting for a garage sale.

graywolf

For a display the steering tube could be straightened, but I would not want to ride it. The steering tube can also be replaced, but the heat would ruin that nice paint (the pinstriping is still intact). So trying to find another fork does seem to be the best option. I guess it depends upon how much the bicycle means to you.

cudak888 

The fellow who cold set his did so on a DL-1 (mind the frame angles). He has been riding it with no ill effects to the fork.

-Kurt

sonatageek

The Ohio City Bike Coop up in Cleveland has the tools, or I should say they and one of the members, to straighten a fork. Might be worth a call -- I am a member and would be happy to meet you up there to help facilitate things. I was there one day late last year then they were doing just that to a very vintage Raleigh.

mkeller234

I may have to take you up on that one, it's worth a shot right?

cudak888 

Blades, or steer tube? It's one thing to straighten the blades, another to do so to the steer tube.

-Kurt

mkeller234

Kurt, check out the second photo down. You can see a point on the fork blades where the paint seems to have split and the steel appears to bulge right around the rim brake surface, maybe this is a compound bend?

Matt

mkeller234

Any more thoughts on whether this bike was for a child or an adult?

wahoonc

Small adult or large child, 26" wheels is a pretty good indication that it was intended for an adult or nearly adult rider. FWIW my wife rides a 17" Raleigh Colt which was considered a tweens bike. Most bikes intended for younger riders would have 24" wheels on them. Those seem to be fairly rare from makers like Raleigh, I seldom if ever see them.

Aaron

viscount

What a pity about the forks
The rest of the bike looks to be in good shape under the grime.
Me, I'd be tempted to try to straighten them. Nothing to lose by trying so long as it isn't expensive.
Replacement forks, if you can find them, will need painting and not a prospect IMHO.
Looks to be steerer as well as lower down, but I've straightened worse before with judicious use of hydraulic car/auto chassis equipment.
The safety aspect isn't really much of an issue since it is not the type of bike that is going to be overstressed.
Steel is very forgiving, with a good bit of elasticity, and a few degrees either way is not going to be too traumatic to reverse. It's done on cars all the time.

mkeller234

I started the cleanup yesterday, the paint actually is pretty good, the top tube has some nasty spots though. I am going to at least look into straightening the fork, I figure it may work since it is just good old hi-ten steel.
Time will tell with this one, I paid 30.00 for it (probably 20.00 too much) so I don't have much to lose.

Matt

wahoonc

I would consider $30 a steal...that won't even get you a broken down Magna around here.

Aaron

rhm

I'm pretty sure you can straighten that fork and use the bike. It won't be good as new, but it'll be better than the alternatives, namely a new (wrong) fork, or leaving it bent.

mackerel

I've straightened things out on a few of my old English bikes using a heavy lead mallet.
English bikes can take it.
They're tough.