Originally Posted by SirMike1983
Do the shops in your area have websites and online ordering?
They have a website, but the website pretty much tells you to visit the shop, you know. The owner of the shop knows he has a few DL-1 parts kicking about, but I guarantee you he doesn't even have an inventory of them.
But you're looking for any DL-1 parts, just let me know. I'm more then happy to act as an intermediary for anyone here on Bike Forums who wants to purchase these parts. (Yes, mods, I know for-sale and the like is not technically allowed here at C&V, but I can't give away these parts - the shop makes me pay for 'em too, you know).
Originally Posted by SirMike1983
I took my DL1 to a local shop in CT and they didn't know what the rod brakes even were (and they reinstalled the front wheel backwards with the cone adjustment on the wrong side). In DC I've found a shop that knows how to work on my Sports but they were also at a loss as to the DL1 and its parts. I do most of my own work, but some things still are a shop item (especially truing and changes to the wheels).
Mike, there's only one way to keep these machines rolling right, and that's to teach and do everything yourself on them, for it's a rare shop that knows how to work on these older Raleighs (not that they are mechanically drastically different then a modern Nexus-equipped hybrid). Repairs are also often rushed at some shops due to the volume of repairs that are brought in.
Of course, it is best to take your wheels to the LBS for final truing, if you do not have a truing stand - at least most all (yes, I hate to say it...MOST.) shops do this. I buy my own spokes and do the acutal lacing of my own wheels though, for it is cheaper then having a shop do it.
...and if you're really fed up with your LBS, you can make a makeshift truing stand from a fork or a rear triangle from a scrap frame. Rig up a decent sidepull brake caliper with a pair of old downtube friction levers bolted to the brake pad mounts, then run a shifter cable through the adjuster barrel and the pinch bolt. Once the soldered end of the cable fits snugly in the adjuster barrel, tighten the pinch bolt. You can then use the adjuster barrel to make fine adjustments as to the width of the rim, and the shifter levers can be adjusted up or down depending on the rim size.
I'll get you a photo of this system rigged up on my old Raleigh Technium frame.
Originally Posted by SirMike1983
My brother lived in Florida for a period in the Venice (I think that's the right name) area. Apparently it's a real haven for older bikes of all sorts down there. Here in DC and in CT it's been hard to find the stuff though. Everyone seems interested in the ultra modern road bikes and not a whole lot else, outside of the odd collector.
I don't know what the Venice area is like, but the area from Miami south to Key Largo (I hear Key West is full of 'em), is a
dump of mainly department store MTBs and junk from the Bike Boom.
Rarely do you find anything nice down here, although I must say that at least the bikes down here are not as prone to develop rust around the lugs as those up north do. There's also a lot less of a chance to find salt in the bike's inner-workings down here in FL...but we do have sand, which is just as bad.
Thankfully, I have yet to find a Raleigh full of sand here - everyone rides ballooners on the beach.
Take care,
-Kurt