Two restorations: 1947 Schwinn Continental 3 speed and 1953 Raleigh Lenton 3 speed. I've been riding these two bikes heavily this season because they're just so well-sorted out at this point. They have that "sporty utility bike" type feel that I enjoy.

I'll start with the Schwinn. This bike was robbed of parts by a previous owner/parts dealer who sold them off to balloon tire collectors. Some later parts were added by him to make up for the missing stuff. But with good paint and a good core, the bike was a good candidate to be brought back to life. The bike was totally taken apart, all bearings and hubs rebuilt. Paint and decals were matched and patched up where needed. Rubber bushings in the fenders replaced, fender dents removed and fenders polished. All perishables replaced with appropriate parts: grips, brake pads, cables/housings, tires and tubes. Saddle is a Gyes triple spring roadster type. Quadrant shifter disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt. Lights are retro but have LED bulbs for riding in traffic. Has a new brass bell on the stem.

Before:





After:









Old 1947 era bike shop sticker from NYC is still there: