flammenwurfer

And it actually fits me! It's the ever elusive (or so I hear) 23 inch Raleigh Sports. Not in great condition, but still pretty decent. The fenders are a little bent, but hopefully can be bent back in to shape. Not sure how well the SA hub works yet. It's snowy freezing so I haven't ridden it yet. The indicator chain is broken. the guy said it has just been collecting dust in the garage for years and years so hopefully a little oil is all it needs.

Some questions. The saddle is a Brooks B72 that looks to me to be in pretty sad shape. It has some kind of thick wax all over it. Any idea what that is?

What are some inexpensive modifications or additions I can make to it that would improve it? Depending on how much I end up riding it, I may upgrade to aluminum rims eventually. I have an old Pletscher rack to put on it. I would like to get a headlight to match as well. Anyways, I'm rambling because I'm so excited! I'll shut up and get on with the pics...

banjo_mole 

Sweet find, roadsters like that rock!

I think if you ever decide to upgrade to alloy rims, why not upgrade to a newer 5speed SA hub, or at least put a smaller cog on? I always found the gearing on 3-speeds to be way too high... But nice. I like it, a lot!

flammenwurfer

That's not a bad idea banjo_mole. I'm currently finishing a up a 3 speed build and I thought for a while about using a 5 speed. I eventually came to the conclusion that 3 speeds is plenty of speeds for me. I can ride most anywhere I go with just one speed. 3 speeds makes for an easier ride in certain spots but isn't completely necessary for me. Therefore, 5 speeds I think would be overkill and I already had a 3 speed hub to use so I didn't want to spend more money. Also, I really like the look of the old all metal shifters.

gna

I think you want a bigger cog to make the gearing easier. The stock is 18T; try a 20T or a 21T and see how you like it. Shimano cogs will fit.

Very nice bike. What is it, late '60s, early '70s? I'd clean it up, oil it, and ride it. (Probably shouldn't park it inside on the nice hardwood floor). I'd replace the brake pads with Kool-Stop Continentals. They'll improve the braking some--it still won't be great in the rain.

The saddle, I'm not sure what to advise you. Based on the advice I got, I washed mine with saddle soap, then used Snowseal, but mine didn't have wax on it.

Doohickie

Wow, that's in great shape, flammenwurfer! That seat is in pretty good shape too. Get some of that Brooks oil stuff and I bet it will clean up good. For the chrome parts, try cleaning them up with lemon juice and aluminum foil. It will take most, if not all, of that rust right off.

Doohickie

Also... my opinion on upgrading the wheels and gears: You may find that the character of the bike is altered if you put those upgrades on. Get to know the bike as it is before you try to "improve" anything.

flammenwurfer

I believe the SA hub is dated 70.

I'm interested in comparing the ride of my more modern Technium 3 speed conversion to this classic 3 speed. I have a feeling the modernized version will feel sportier and quicker, and maybe the classic will be more comfortable. I don't know. I'll just have to ride them and find out.

doohickie: thanks! You think proofide will help even with this wax all over it?

I do plan on getting to know it first before doing anything major. I will probably see how I like the Technium's ride compared to the Sports before I decide on upgrading the Sports' wheels. And thanks for the tip on getting rust off!

RobE30

It looks very similar to my black Sport. My Brooks saddle was dry when I got the bike and I sprayed it w/ Lexol leather conditioner a few times and now its doing ok. Nice find!

HSean

If I got that I'd but my palms on my head and go aww damn it lol. only because I always come across brown Raleigh Sports. I own three of them. In my opinion i'd say clean it and ride it around, don't deprive the poor bike with some new gearing thing that proberly has plastic stuck to it. I commute on these guys all the time and they ride very well. though if you wanted to upgrade the neat thing is the brakes reach a few sizes of rims, I had a pair of 27" on one of my sports, as for that seat, do what I do, hang them up and start a collection lol

Bam42685

I can't tell from the pictures, but it almost looks like it's the wax that's in bad shape with a good saddle underneath. Maybe it's a failed treatment or some kind. The rest of the bike looks great.

noglider 

Congratulations! I've wanted one for about 30 years, though I'll admit I haven't looked hard for all this time. I worked in bike shops, and we used to have a few of them lying around. When I had to run errands in the middle of the day, I would take one and have a ball on it in city traffic. You can shift down while waiting for a light.

mkeller234

Hey, thats a lot like the one I just picked up today. I think those decals only lasted a couple of years and I believe mine is a 70 also. The strange thing is, the AW hub has no date code on it and the trigger shifter has no branding on it. Weird I notice other small differences between ours too. Mine does not have a pump peg or a heron lamp bracket and mine has a vinyl brooks saddle.

Check out those brake levers, you can adjust the lever reach between two different settings. Where the lever attaches to the body there are two threaded holes, if you use the other the lever sits closer to the bar. I think that is pretty darn cool.

I wish mine were that size and color! I keep finding all the pee wee sizes!

sciencemonster

Wow, I've never seen one that big. That is cool. It's a cool color, too.

I owuld change out the brake pads and cables with real hiigh quality ones, change out the rims with alloy, find some tires that can take 90#, and ride it as is. Anyhting else is gravy.

I went to town and replaced the stem, handlebars, brakes, seatpost and fenders with aluminum/plastic and the bike was a dream to ride, but it lost it's character. I'd second a bigger cog - a 19T gives you a nice high end, but you can cruise and jump out from stops in second.

I'd for sure keep the SA. It's not a 3 speed if you change that out. I had a Shimano 8 speed on mine for a short while. Didn't like it at all. It's all about the trigger!

noglider 

My guess is that the Sports will have predictable, easy handling, owing to its shallow head tube angle and short top tube. The short top tube moves a lot of your weight off the handlebars (and front wheel) and onto the rear wheel. You feel confident, and you don't have to work as hard to turn the bike, to look around, etc. But it's not as nimble, and you won't want to take tight turns at high speeds.

The Technium will probably feel more nimble and eager to go fast but you'll have to pay more attention.

flammenwurfer

That sounds about right noglider. That would be nice. They would both then have a different purpose. The Technium could be my quicker commuter for getting to work on time and the Sports could be for leisurely rides to the bike shop and around the neighborhood and bike paths.

I think I will just start with tune-up/cleaning and ride it for a while before I make any changes. It definitely needs new cables and some lube. The shifter seems stuck as well. Anybody have any tricks for getting these shifters moving smoothly again?

mkeller: I know how you feel about the pee wee sizes. I've been looking for a 3 speed for quite some time. I've found a few but all have been too small for me. I guess I just got lucky with this one.

This also proves that to find something you have to stop looking for it. I was set on finding a classic 3 speed for a while, but I gave up and built one myself. Less than a week after it was finished I find a Raleigh Sports in my size. haha

mickey85

Relatively speaking, the Sports feels like a Cadillac. Kinda ponderous, but insanely comfortable and reliable. Both the Sports and the Phillips (same idea, but cheaper)are the most relaxed, easygoing bikes I own.

ETA - with the saddle, try saddle soap, then a nice coat of clear shoe polish. That should de-wax it.

yepyep

If that is indeed wax or parafin on the saddle I would suggest naptha (aka zippo fluid) in very light doses using a soft cloth ala french polishing to get it off. Naptha is fairly gentle and it makes short of waxy substances. Then follow that with proofhide. From what I can tell it is a solid saddle that isn't ripping at the rivets.

mkeller234

I noticed that mine was made in Maylasia, I wonder if yours was too since it's the same decal scheme?

norskagent

I just looked at mid - late 60s? raleigh sports, it was in excellent condition other than some dry rot on the sidewalls of the tires. I offered $100 but the seller declined. The brooks saddle on it was in much better condition than yours apparently is. I don't know why I made the offer as all I ride are lightweights, but it was a cool old bike!

flammenwurfer

I may have to try that on the saddle. Thanks for the tip yepyep.

Does yours say made in Malaysia on the bike mkeller? Mine says "Made in England" right on the top tube.

David Newton

Nice bike Wurf, ride it.
Men's Sports are currently on Ebay with a $299 starting bid, then around $80 shipping. Krazy! So everyone who owns one thinks they are on a treasure pile. I talked to a local guy who offered his brown 72 to me for $400.

They are nice if you can find one local at a decent price, but the frames are 1020, nothing special. For Ebay money, I'd rather find a Chromo frame and convert. I don't need 3 speeds either. A 531 frame Gran Sport, early 70's is the sweet spot, but the word is out about them now too.

flammenwurfer

Yeah, if I couldn't find a nice deal locally I wouldn't have one. No way am I going to pay $200 or more for one. I'm also not looking to resell it for profit either. I mean, I suppose if the offer was good enough I might part with it, but it would have to be really good as I really like the bike and want to ride it. I suspect they will only get more valuable too.

4Rings6Stars

When I found my Ideale(?) on an old Pug that had sat for 30+ years in my parents' barn the saddle looked a lot like that. I thought it was shot but decided to try to sand the wax stuff (whatever it is) off. I used fine sandpaper and the leather was actually in pretty nice shape under all that stuff, then treated it with mink oil. I would say try the zippo fluid method first as it sounds easier and safer...

This is how mine sits now. not perfect but comfortable and supple. (I'm an idiot and didn't take before pics)

flammenwurfer

That's fairly encouraging 4ring6stars. I will see what I can do with this one. I guess I have nothing to lose really.

mkeller234

Yes, it has a sticker at the bottom of the seat tube that says something like: made under contract for Raleigh, manufactured in Malaysia. Does yours have gold pin stripping?