Occasionally my lawn guy Jose bird-dogs a curbside find for me. In return i keep him in parts for his Huffy mountainbikes and cruisers.

Today he told me about a "couple of ten speeds" and he mentioned the street they were on. I found a presentable Royce Union ten speed with 26" wheels and an odd but original magenta paint job.

The other is a Rudge Sports THREE SPEED, and was I happy to see it! Black, no fenders and very dirty and neglected. At first I thought it was rusty, but in fact it is covered in grime. I managed to spitshine the hub, and it reads, "60 8". It has had quite a lot of use, but no sign that anything besides tires ever was replaced. The cable housings are ridged gray, and no doubt as brittle as an old wedding cake.
Oh, and the Sturmey shifter must be excluded as well, with its plastic handle and lifting metallic decal.

After foolishly letting my Rudge "Colt" get away, I'm delighted to have another Rudge to lavish some TLC upon, and this one certainly needs it.

What should I do to revive the Brooks? Saddle soap? Neats-foot oil? Lexol or one of the other wonder-restoratives? The cracking looks superficial.