JohnDThompson 

That's why I wrote "Fill it up with generic 20 weight motor oil and you're good to go!"

brianinc-ville

I made an actually-free one with an empty travel-sized contact lens solution bottle, half of the red straw from a WD-40 can, and a little bit of glue. Works great!

PalmettoUpstate 

Man I love the way you're thinking here...

One of my lifetime adult pursuits has been how, in any and every endeavor, to find the best, least expensive way to "skin a cat" [Southernism?, Celtism?, both?]...

I have a few of the WD-40 straws left over from before they came out with the new "super straw" cans with that flip-up straw on it. Sad to say that I slipped a little bit and threw away the first couple of cans of the "new style" without clipping off the straws for future uses. Duh.

LOL, thanks, good tip, here's one back atcha: Dollar Tree sells the liquid or the gel Super Glue in 3-packs for.... You guessed it.... $1.00...

antiqueguy

Oh..

BRAZUCA

After a couple of years visiting this page and dreaming about having an English 3 speed bicycle, this day became reality today. Patience pays off indeed, I was looking for a Raleigh DL-1 24" frame and I found it on Friday late afternoon, contacted the seller and drove 150 miles ea. way to get a 1974 (74 12 hub) black, pretty much all original with the exception of the seat (even with the original pump). It rode like a dream, smooth, massive 28" wheels and a solid feeling and surprisingly fast. I'm sure I will have many questions, but now, I just want to ride it, these pictures are from the time I arrived back home. It will need a detailed cleaning, a Brooks saddle and some polishing.

BRAZUCA

By the way, my initial questions are:
1- What Brooks saddle model the 1974 Tourist DL-1 had?
2- The bike is riding very smooth, but what kind of immediate maintenance or checks I should be doing since I am planning only to detail the bike next Spring?
3- What do you guys use to clean, degrease and polish your 3 speeds?
Thank you for any support you can give to someone new with 3 speeds and Raleighs. Now, thinking about my Sunday morning ride.

wahoonc

1. Depends on the year and the market. 1974 US model came with the B72 according to the pictures in the catalog. Mine is a 1979 and came with the B66 on it. I plan to use a B33 on mine, the B66 has already been snagged for use on my bride's Colt.
2. Oil in the hubs, and make sure you have brakes.
3. General clean up I use a mild detergent and warm water, degreaser is a dilute Simple Green or a citrus base. For polishing the paintwork I use Meguiars Scratch X, Chrome, depends on the condition. If it is decent shape something like Turtle Wax Chrome Polish or Simichrome.

Love the way those old DL-1's roll and keep on rolling once they get moving.

Aaron

BRAZUCA

Thank you Aaron for the feedback and suggestions on maintenance. By the way, I was indeed out with the Raleigh when you replied . It is a great bike and the size is just perfect for me!

PalmettoUpstate 

Wahhhh!

You got my bike.

[LOL, good lick; I'm sure you'll enjoy that for many years!]

PalmettoUpstate 

Hey Aaron what's your opinion on this; I've seen some people say they do this on every bike they get:

I picked up a women's Robin Hood over the weekend, probably for parts [fenders, crank arms etc.] but it may become a "loaner, rider" and does it then, IYO, make sense to pack the bottom bracket with grease?

robertob

I don't usually do anything with the bottom bracket on these because new QUALITY cotters are so expensive... Unless of course it is all 'crunchy'. Otherwise I do the oil down the seat tube trick and put it off as long as possible...

DL-1s are my favorite, I think at last count I have owned something like 15 of them. Most find their way to someone else, but every one gets the treatment wahoonc recommends.

Velognome 

FWIW, a little motor oil down the seat tube can soften up old grease. Some of my English bikes have ports in the BB for this ( pre-war generaly have oilers & post war have grease zerks) anyway with the elimination of oilers and zerks, the seat tube makes a wonderful "oil port" . I've often thought of extending the business end of a grease gun 40" or so, just to slip down the seat tube and fill the BB.

BRAZUCA

Yes, I will definitely enjoy it for many many years. It's just a great bike, yesterday at 9:30 PM I just took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood, could not go to bed without another ride, haha.

BRAZUCA

This is a nice tip, I have not heard about it. How much oil down the tube?

wahoonc

I am hard headed, I do repack all my bottom brackets. But the oil down the tube trick is probably good enough for a loaner. I keep a few spare good quality cotters on hand for my bikes. Probably 90% of my bikes have cotter cranks on them Makes owning the BikeSmith cotter press and buying cotters from him a no brainer.

Aaron

noglider 

I'm tempted to put enough oil down the seat tube until it starts oozing out both ends of the spindle. At that point, I will know there's more than enough.

Velognome 

Oozzing...that it does. How much to pour down...not much. Figure enough to run down the tube and make it to the spindle with enough to travel to the bearings.

Now, I've found 3/4 of a cap full from a 30w motor oil is more than enough, since you don't want a pool of oil in the BB unless you have an oil bath BB and then you would have a port and would have to worry about this. The 3/4 cap is enough to oozzz out the ends of the BB for a day or two for riding without dripping of the floor. I make it a point to wipe the area down after a ride. The oozzing never really completely stops but it is hardly anything after a week.

The BB's stay smooth, it's fast, easy and as long as you remember to add a little bit every once in a while you should be good.... this is the stuff that keeps the bearings in you car's motor from welding themselves together aftera all.....and I doubt any of our legs can generate anything near that type of heat and stress. Happy motoring...I mean Biking

PalmettoUpstate 

This sounds like the ticket to me. When you say 3/4 of a cap full what kinda cap are we talking about?

BTW, turns out that the bike I picked up for "parts" last weekend isn't a Robin Hood; it's a BSA. Built by Raleigh, there are a lot of cheaper but not-at-all-bad parts on it.

I might still make it into a loaner [for short people as it has a 19.5 inch tube]. This bike spent at least part of its life in Boulder, CO. It's a 1970 model with a 1978 City of Boulder license decal on it.

Continues to amaze me how well these bikes are built and how uber-durable they are. I don't think this little lady has ever had a wrench on her other than having a tire changed! [back gumwall tire appears to be original!]

PalmettoUpstate 

Yeah, I definitely see one in my future...

wahoonc

19.5" Seat tube isn't short! My bride uses a 17"...or smaller. That bike will fit people up to around 5'-8" or even a bit more. I am 6'-2" with long legs and arms and can ride a Raleigh with a 21" frame, admittedly I have an extended seat post and ta 25" would bit better...

Aaron

Velognome 

The cap on the bottle of 30w motor oil I used I'd quess it was about a teaspoon.

Ditto! I've got a 21" Hercules with about 6" of seat post showing. I'm 6'2" and usually ride a 25" but short seat tube is not a problem. More the issue is the Top Tube.

_dylan

Every time I view this thread I get sufficiently jealous.



Man, I want an English 3-speed.

conradpdx

I pretty much oil mine every time I oil my hubs, hubs gets a couple drops, seat tube gets one full trigger pull from the oil can (I've never measured it). I also kinda run the hose of oil can all the way around the inside of the seat tube as I pull the trigger to help coat it for rust prevention. Haven't had any BB problems, and I think the most that's wept from the BB is a drop or two.

Of course I can't say for sure it works, I haven't removed the cranks, but I haven't felt the need to grease the BB in two and half years of owning this bike.

Sixty Fiver

Any oil lubricated bearing assembly will run exceptionally well if it stays lubed, the oil that escapes acts to flush contaminants from the bearing assembly.

Grease is oil mixed with what is usually a soapy carrier and although it stays put, it also traps contaminants which can increase wear.

_dylan

By the way, I know this should be posted in the for sale section, but if anyone is looking to sell their 3-speed (especially a matching mens/womens set) PM me! I want so bad, but I just haven't had any luck in my searches--patience is a virtue, but I'm not the kind of guy to sit around and wait without at least trying. So if you're trying to sell, let me know!! Thanks!