Sixty Fiver

Pretty hard to pass up a bike like this... it does not look much different from what my '54 did when I received it although it is in far better condition.

Should have it later today...

Sixty Fiver

Was up early and out the door to meet a man about a bike... have spent a good part of the afternoon going over the new 3 speed which is all original save for the John Bull grips (a find in themselves) and one brake cable.

The bike has an interesting history so will come with a story... and it is a 1950.

As received...



A Little Snapshot...

noglider 

Why were they called The All Steel Bicycle? No one else was using other materials.

auchencrow

^ Be sure you follow Sixty's link (A little snapshot) for a feature thread in his new Sports!

(I almost missed it)

Sixty Fiver

The British were very proud of their steel and aluminium had begun to make inroads into many industries but was not highly trusted... Dunlop offered aluminium rims in the EA1 sizing but many preferred the tried and true steel rims that had been produced for decades.

These aluminium Dunlop rims are very hard to find as not only were they sold in smaller numbers... they were very expensive.

cb400bill

Once again, Sheldon has the answer.

https://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh.html

From the mid 19th century, well into the 20th, the word "steel" was magic in Britain. Britain's rise to an industrial superpower on the crest of the Industrial Revolution was based, as much as anything else, on the steel industry and the new technologies it made possible: steel ships, steel bridges, steel buildings...and steel bicycles. Raleigh originally introduced the slogan "The All Steel Bicycle" to differentiate Raleighs from competitors who used cast iron for some critical parts, a heavier and cruder technology.

noglider 

Ah, that makes a ton of sense, pun intended. Thank you!

BRAZUCA

Hello everyone, I'm reading through this thread and slowly educating myself on English 3-speed bicycles. I found a nice 50's Sports but it is a 21" frame. I'm exactly 6.0' tall and have relatively long legs. I believe that the 23" will be a perfect fit, however, based on the frame of the 50's Sports, do you think I would fit on a 21"? The bike is two hours away from me. Thanks.

Sixty Fiver

I think that the 23 inch frame would offer a better fit for your height and reach...

I am five foot nine and a bit with a 33 inch riding inseam and have pretty decent reach... my ideal size for a road bike is 22 / 55cm so I can swing both ways, so to speak and fall in that in between size.

I made a few adjustments to the new Sports as the previous owner was in that 6 foot range (and was a tall kid) and had the saddle set really high... essentially a Merckx fit (higher saddle to bar drop).

kingsting

Here is another one for my "Why can't I ever find a *normal* Raleigh" file:


Made in Canada.


Looks like a 1973 hub but the saddle has a 1974 date code on it.


Nottingham headbadge:


I like this sticker. I think I'll leave it on there.

BRAZUCA

Raleigh LTD-3 26" ? Do you know what type of Raleigh is this one ? The add says it's a 26" frame but it doesn't look like it. Also, this color is new to me. Can you folks help me, as you know, I'm in search of a Raleigh 3-speed.

Velognome 

70's vintage me-thinks, have a black one in the basement, that one looks blue to me and a 21" frame, wheels are 26". The LTD's are minus brazed on pump pegs and less the lamp bracket.

BRAZUCA

Thanks and yes, I was right, this is a 21". But the bike was sold already.

gna

Nice looking bike. The gun metal gray is very attractive; from the decals I'd say it's a '74. They switched to braze ons for brake cable stops that year, too.

noglider 

kingsting, I hope you're not complaining. I'd enjoy that bike very much.

Sixty Fiver

65r'd the Raleigh...

noglider 

Love the color.

auchencrow

Now that you're doing the Pletscher rack, you need to carry something...
How about making yourself a tool roll to carry along with the 12 pack?
(We know you have a sewing machine!)

Sixty Fiver

auchen... I have a lot of irons in the fire right now but plan to make a few tool rolls as this was why I got the sewing machine in the first place and have made similar items for other purposes in the past. My daughter's have cutlery rolls for their lunch boxes that I made for them.

They say I am like a mom and dad rolled into one...

kingsting

Not at all. I'm a big fan of my new found friend although it desperately needs a B-72... It appears to be an all-original, unmolested bike.

I was merely pointing out that when I find a Raleigh it's usually an oddball.

I wanted a rod brake roadster to ride and ended up finding a chrome Boss Bike with balloon tyres.
I tried again and found a Dawn. It ended up being a wartime bike with blackout parts and war grade tyres,
I wanted a plain ladies Raleigh and found a nice Dutch loop-frame Cameo with a lot of extras.
I wanted a Twenty and found a blue one with drum brakes.
I found a ladies Sports in the trash and it was a Malaysian made bike.
I wanted a Chopper and found a 1969 tall frame 3+2 that has all kinds of rare, one year-only parts.
I wanted a Sports in a color other than green, brown, or black and found the grey Canadian one.

I do have a couple of "normal" Superbes and DL-1's but I seem to attract the unusual bikes. I don't really go out of my way to look for them but they find me and I've grown quite fond of the ones I have. I'm actually a Schwinn collector and never found anything other than the more common stuff. (I have a couple unusual color Schwinns but that's it.) Heck, I don't even think we had any Raleigh dealers anywhere near here.

noglider 

That is funny. You attract the unusual of the unusual!

brianinc-ville

I'm working on a Canadian Sports at the moment, too (yours is in much better condition, though, and that sticker rules). So far, I'm not finding any differences to the English-made Raleighs of the same period. Have you noticed any?

gna

You're a lucky man.

kingsting

Just a classic case of always finding stuff when you're not looking for it. When I'm looking for Apple Krates and Paramounts, these things show up.

I'll never admit to being a British bike collector because if I do then the well will dry up...

kingsting

What I noticed with this one (so far) compared to Nottingham Sports (That I've seen in the past) was the cable braze ons, Brooks mattress saddle, 1969 style bushing pedals, tiny grips, no lamp bracket, and blackwall Dunlop tires. It also has a full length shifter cable (no pulley) and a cad plated Sturmey Archer front hub with a long axle.