Originally Posted by Paul Sanderson

Many thanks everyone... looks like I've hit paydirt right here! I was already aware of Sheldon Brown's website due to getting interested in bikes a few years ago, but was astonished (and dismayed) to find only a few weeks ago that he'd died at about the time I discovered him. That's well hidden in the labyrinthine Sheldon Brown website.

My Raleigh is completely identical to Sheldon's Raleigh Roadster, even to the extent of being green (though it should be black). Although perfectly useable, at the moment it's hardly worth photographing - you've probably guessed that it's a restoration project, and there's hardly a part on it that couldn't be made better (except for the 26in stainless steel Westrick rims and spokes and amber-walled tyres, which are excellent). I come from 30 years involvement with classic cars (my daily driver these past five years until recently has been a 1961 Humber Hawk) so the spanner-wielding, striping and painting, chroming where necessary and sourcing parts is something that holds no terrors for me.

Despite my request for sources of spares, I prefer to restore the bike's existing parts to retain as much originality as possible.

I've just realised that no one has commented on regular magazines for bikes such as these. Is that because there isn't anything?