NYC_zx10

I've always liked the look of these old style cruisers from back in the day.

I stumbled across one about 2 hours from me and might look at it on Wednesday. Looks to be in excellent condition for its age.

Are these worth picking up ?





I'm on a roll this week !

cbr2702

Very nice. Would depend on price, of course.

Sixty Fiver

Nice looking bike... but it is a 70's model in what appears to be awesome condition.

randyjawa 

These old Raleigh roadsters are becoming increasingly valuable, provided they are made in England. I have sold them for as much as $350.00 and as little as $80.00 or so. Your bike looks to be in good condition and should prove to offer a nice enough ride while increasing in value. Good bike and good investment.

NYC_zx10

Awesome to hear.

I did a little research, and you guys are correct. The seller is under the impression it is a 50's era bike. Its coming from an estate sale (original owner) and I guess the person selling it is the landskeeper or something of that sort.

Price....Very reasonable. I'll post it up once the bike is in my possession.

Hard to tune up?

Sixty Fiver

English three speeds are not that difficult to keep although they do have some little quirks you need to be aware of.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html

love2pedal.com

I think Sturmey Archer stamps the year of manufacturer right into the shell of the rear hub. Maybe someone will come along and confirm that.

My guess is 1970s.

1978 if I was forced to pin it down.

Dan

Retem

looks to be a good bike I am a terribly cheap guy and wouldn't go higher than say $200 for this one

yes it is worth picking up they make great towne bikes and they look snazzy with a picnic basket and lady in tow

gna

No, not hard. Depends on how far you wish to go. You might put air in the tires and oil in the hub and away you go. Hardest part is getting the cottered cranks off, assuming you want to overhaul the bottom bracket.

Sixty Fiver is correct; it's a 70's-vintage bike. The self-adjusting brakes are a giveway:

https://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh.html

I'd say '73-'74, judging from the Raleigh Logo on the chainguard. The stamp on the SA is the best gauge, though I can't read mine and can barely read the 72-8 on my wife's (ours are sideways from how they normally look).

The Brooks saddle looks to be in excellent shape--those can cost over $100, so worth at least that.

sailorbenjamin

Look carefully at the 3 rivet holes in the nose of the saddle. That's where these tend to blow out.
The self adjusting brakes aren't very tolerant of out of true wheels.
Otherwise it looks to be a nice bike. Are those Dunlop double stripe tires? Very cool but sometimes rot from the inside out (cotton cording, I think).
Solid bike. I've had several. Love them.

cudak888 

Get it if its priced $100 or under. The frame condition is remarkable, though the brightwork looks a bit pitted on the bars.

It is a 1966-1972, incidentally; and as it has the self-adjusting brake levers that were supposed to debut in 1973, I'd wager that it is a '72, or an early '73 that was fitted with leftover decals of the previous year.

-Kurt

Sixty Fiver

The hub shell will be dated with a production year and this will either match the year of the bike or in some cases may be from a previous year's hub production.

The self adjusting brakes place the bike as being a 1973- 75 model as these brake levers were not used for very long.

NYC_zx10

Okay, Okay. I'll fold.

He's asking $200.

Going to pick it up Wednesday. Here are some more pics.

NormanF

It looks good for a Raleigh Sports. Everything looks original, including the B-72. The B-66 came standard on the Superbe.

cudak888 

Not with those decals. Incidentally, the self-adjusters lasted until 1976.

I'm wagering 1972 or extremely early 1973.

-Kurt

P.S.: $200 is too much. $150 max with that amount of pitting on the chrome.

NYC_zx10

Is pitting on chrome removable somehow?

wahoonc

You can polish using something like Simichrome really deep pits aren't going to come out.

I would go $200 on that bike in my area, especially seeing how it is the taller frame (23") which are harder to find.

Aaron

cudak888 

Oxalic acid, bronze wool, Never Dull - all will take surface rust off, but to what extent the rust is surface is my concern - anything below the chrome will leave pitted spots.

-Kurt

Sixty Fiver

I'd agree that $200.00 would be a good price for that bike... the Brooks saddle appears to be in great shape and adds to the value of the bike.

gna

There are many methods on removing rust and corrosion from chrome--search on oxalic acid or rust and see what you get. The chrome on my wife's wheels looks worse than that, so I may have to Scothbrite them smooth.

I'm thinking $200 seems a bit high, but I have no idea what Raleighs sell for in your area, or how likely you are to find another relatively clean one.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but it looks like the wheels are 32/40 spoke, which would make me guess it's from '73, as I think they switched to 36/36 sometime around there.

cudak888 

The switch to 36/36 on the Sports happened in 1973 (the DL-1's also became 36/40 that year).

-Kurt

sciencemonster

I agree. $200 is top dollar. I'd pay that if it was 50's, in good shape, and I was going to actually ride it. 70's bikes are a dime a dozen. I'd go $100 - IF I knew someone who needed one.

$50, I'd run down and pick it up.

cudak888 

Though a genuine '50s machine in good shape often brings more then $200.

-Kurt

NYC_zx10

Find out today the seller also has the matchin "hers" bike in the same condition. Even has the child seat.

Do you folks think buying the set would add to the resale value ?

Sixty Fiver

So you are picking these up so you can flip them ?

Questions like this belong in the appraisals section.