thumpism

Thanks, that's good to know. I won't be needing one but anyone interested in this bike would almost certainly want one.

cudak888 

It looks as if the chaincase and one fork blade spent way too much time in mud and rotted out (unless the fork was cut - didn't look at the pic that close, to be honest - taking care of a million things here at the moment).

If it's an '81, does it have the larger 10mm axle slots instead of 8mm? If so, one of clubman's forks plus a pair of 700C rims and a coaster brake ought to make that a usable Raleigh Tourist again.

Question - that spoke that pulled through, was that from the rim breaking through or the spoke nipple splitting?

Question #2, but a stupid one: Any chance you'd have the time to get a rough shipping quote to Florida and possibly throw the carcass in a box (even skipping most of the usual box protection?) I really can't justify another project myself, but seeing as I'm the one who goaded you into it, and also seeing as @clubman has the fork, I'm open to volunteering to be the one who gets this back together into a usable form (unless, of course, there's someone local to you willing to pick it up).

I have one spare high-polish front 700C rim from an Electra Loft 7i that would be a perfect fit; it would just need another for the rear. I have a spare coaster hub and enough spokes kicking about that I should have the right size on hand to build the rear wheel from that.

Would make for a fun Box of Crap build. Honestly, it'll probably wind up being the best riding Tourist I've ever been on, seeing as it won't be dependent on rod brakes and questionably round rims

-Kurt

thumpism

I'll take a closer look tomorrow and get back to you. I'm being expelled from the house for a few days next week while they sand and refinish the floors, so I guess I'll just have to be in the garage. Might actually get something done out there.

canalligators

Here’s a story you might enjoy. I had an afternoon to kill in Eugene OR in August, so i rented a share bike and took a ride up the river trail. On the way back, i came across a woman on a trike who appeared to significantly exceed my meager seventy years. I rode along a while and we had a nice chat.

It turns out that she recently got the trike, because her balance had degraded. I asked her what she had been riding, and it was only one previous bike: a Hercules three speed, which she’d been riding since it was new.

I was delighted to tell her that my first geared bike was a Hercules three speed.

1989Pre

tcs

Ah, a 1948 Hercules three-speed, an AW copy that violated Sturmey-Archer patents.

thumpism

More DL-1 drama here, showing the spoke nipple that pulled through the rear rim. And the rust. If I needed a Tourist rear rim I could make this one work. Have not seen it with the tire off yet but if the rust is no worse I'd washer that nipple and slap the wheel back on the bike. It's not even out of true.

Without having spent more time with the bike here's what I'd do; toss the fork and use the frame, headset, stem/bar combo and all the rod brake hardware, fenders, seatpost, and crankset. I'm tossing the chaincase but saving the little cover from the back end and its screws. Chain is toast. I'd use the rear wheel unless I had a better one. Crappy mattress saddle can stay or go. I'd cut off the other fork blade to make shipping easier. Without the rear wheel it could be a fairly compact package. Just putting this out there. Might have more details tomorrow.

cudak888 

I had a suspicion it pulled through. Someone screwed up the cross lacing on three of the spokes on my '79 Rudge and the holes are visibly bent from it; these rims aren't very strong at all.

I'm thinking along the same lines, but also retiring the rod brake hardware. In my experience, no matter how nice one of these are, the rod brakes are a pulsating mess that never gives good brake feel no matter how much effort or perfection one throws at them. I'm no coaster brake fan, but I think a pair of 700C's with suitable tires and a coaster could turn this into something pretty enjoyable.

Keeping my ears open on this one. clubman, any chance I can bug you for a shipping quote on one of those forks?

-Kurt

thumpism

Glad to know I'm not the only one who does not love rod brakes or coaster brakes. As I've said before, I like the idea of the Raleigh Tourist more than I like the actual bike.

cudak888 

We're in the same exact camp then. I really want to try one with rod-operated drums and hope that the experience is much more pleasant, floppy front wheel and all.

I've got a really beat-up '50s Tourist Superbe here that I need to put back together; finding it difficult to get motivated knowing it's going to brake like crap.

-Kurt

1989Pre

That sounds like a great idea. Has it been tried before?

thumpism

I think the ones I've seen like that are Dutch and not English, but I could be wrong.

cudak888 

Pretty sure there were at least some models in the 1930's which came in this configuration; I know I've seen a Raleigh with factory linkage a long time ago; since lost to the Wayback Machine (good luck finding it). I can't seem to find the '36 Humber catalog, but I seem to recall a rod drum brake version of my Cob Tourist available as an option.

Indeed, Dutch examples too, and I wouldn't be surprised if some 1970's-era Forevers or Flying Pigeons may have been produced with drum operated rod brakes.

-Kurt

clubman 

Will do...

gna

I briefly had a late '70s DL1 Tourist. I bought it in pieces, and spent a few dollars replacing the missing items. I put it all back together and rode it around, and they are a lovely bike to ride--the slack angles are very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the bike was too big for me--I couldn't straddle the top bar--and the rod brakes were not very effective. If I could find a 22" DL1 and set it up with drum brakes, that would be a very enjoyable ride.

thumpism

Okay, this is my last post about this thing. I really should have posted in the Wrenching thread instead of clogging up this one but I got some time on it this morning, as far as I'm going to go with it until it gets boxed up.

This is the washering I mentioned. Seems to work. Wheel spins straight and true and the inside of the rim is surprisingly rust free.


I'd probably find a different washer and shape it to be a little concave to reduce the lump under the rim strip, but this is proof of concept.


The old indicator chain was broken off so I dug out a replacement but all of mine are shorter than the OG. Oiled the hub but will let someone else worry about the overhauling. I messed with it a bit and it seems to shift. The chain they had on it was the shortest possible; axle ends slammed up against the front of the dropouts and I could barely turn the cranks. Once the rusty chain came off the crank spins smoothly so that was not the issue.


I decided to keep the useless chaincase to enhance the decor of the garage. Certain to impress those in the know.


I'm bagging all the little bits and fasteners for whoever throws himself on this thing. Whoever you are, I wish you luck.

P.S. Front fender NOT okay, as it turns out, but might be straightenable.

Salubrious

Yes! Raleigh made a kit for this purpose (IIRC, mostly for the front). Of course if you already have the frame you really don't need to run rod activation. Its easy enough to use cable activation too, so you could run more conventional handlebars. If you're not a stickler for period-correct, the modern SA from drum brake works pretty well. Its a bit harder to find the vintage SA drum brake hubs, which are the type 'AB'. There's one on ebay right now but the hub body looks a bit dreadful. Of course SA makes drum brake 3-speed hubs right now.
Drum brakes were optionally offered on Sports models and the like going back to the 1930s.

Running drums on a DL1 would be nice- you get the stately ride and can stop, even in the rain.

sunburst

A guy on Nextdoor listed a DL1 Tourist for "best offer". I asked him what he wanted (I just needed a rear wheel) and he came back with $1800. I was gobsmacked and told him so. As someone who has restored dozens of Peugeots and can only get $300 for the best ones - and this is in SF area where they are hip! - I could not even conceive of a price like that. He came back with an ebay(?) listing for one at $3000. What!?

haha, should I switch to restoring Raleighs?

SirMike1983 

I owned a rod and drum Raleigh that was brought to the US from Denmark. Rod/drum is a configuration you sometimes see on Dutch and Danish market bikes. I sold the bike quite a few years ago. It was a variation of Dawn for the Danish market (Sports-style frame, 26 x 1-3/8 Westrick wheels, but rod/drum brakes).
It was an early 60s bike with green paint. It had fewer frame graphics than most, and a larger white patch on the rear fender than most (Danish market requirement, maybe?). What few frame graphics were there looked to be "export model" type, and pretty worn as it was. It also had a really tall stem - longer than the normal Raleigh 3 speed. The drum brakes get rid of the lurching-stop of stirrup/rod brakes with wheels that aren't perfectly round, but the drums also add quite a bit of rotating wheel weight. A good set of cable brakes stop better, unless it's really, really wet.

1989Pre

Thumpism: Thanks for the update and expansion on the condition of the Tourist, and that was kind of impressive, getting a washer into that tiny spoke hole.

bwilli88 

I would love this as a frame only. I have a pair of 28" wheels with a SARM Automatix coaster rear that I am wondering what I want to do with them. Currently they are on a Bridgestone bike here in Cambodia but I want the concept but not the cost to haul the whole bike as I am already bringing back 5 from here this summer.

Salubrious

When the rotating weight is in the hub its insignificant. FWIW they weigh less than a dyno hub...

bluesteak 

Amen, the shoes and the brake mechanism don’t rotate. However I love Mike’s finished bikes.

bwilli88 

I love my Gazelle with Its 5 speed/drum rear and dyno/drum front.

arty dave

I've been looking for the back chaincase cover ever since I bought my DL-1 5 years ago! If you're wanting to part with it I would dearly love to obtain it - it would be the finishing part to have a whole DL-1. I'm in Australia - but of course would happily pay for postage.

I've got the rod operated drum version. The braking is very average and does add a lot to the overall weight, but it rides so well I still love taking it out for a ride at least once a week. I have the mudguards (and chaincase) ready to go back on. Before & after photos, you can see the front linkage hanging sadly - I had to source a hub & front wheel, plus have some extra threaded rod welded to the linkage to make it the right length. It also came with a heavy duty 3/16" chain and chainring (non-heron), which I swapped out with 1/8".