Dean51 

Here is my recently acquired 1974 Raleigh Superbe. 'Got it out for its first spin today on the Port Angeles, WA waterfront.



I took this bike in trade for some fabrication work about six weeks ago. My initial plan was to make this a project for next winter. As such, I started taking it apart so I could store the bits in the attic above my workshop. Then I became intrigued to learn the inner workings of the Sturmey Archer Dyno-Hub. Before you know it, I'm into a full on rebuild/restoration.....'just could not resist! The paint is pretty rough until you get 5' away. Oxalic acid and LOTS of elbow grease dealt with the rust. All of the bearing surfaces were in great condition. I have the original fenders, but chose to leave them off for now in favor of the Scorcher look. The Brooks Swift was robbed from another bike in my fleet.

This is a Canadian built Raleigh. Sticker on the seat post suggests it was first sold by St. Denis Hardware, The Lakeshore Cycle Shop, Pte.Claire, Quebec.

Dean

browngw 

Great looking bike! Nice to see one from Canada. In the mid seventies here in Canada it was not unusual to see bikes built in Nottingham and Canada side by side in shops. It makes one wonder about the supply chain.

gster

I've got a Canadian built Superbe and two from England.
The only difference I see is the colour.
Canadian bike is more of a "Forest Green"
and the British bikes lean towards an "Olive Green".
I prefer the British version.
24bikecolors.jpg
Canadian would be Emerald
and British closer to Bronze Green.

gster

5v8xzTul.jpg
Looking at the 1971 dealer's price list I wonder what the differences were between
the lesser Triumphs and the more expensive Raleighs.
The wholesale price of the Triumphs is about half of the Raleighs.
Where were they able to cut costs?
All the components seem to be of similar quality, frames, hubs, bars etc.
Were the Raleighs' values just artificially inflated to keep their place
at the top?
Any thoughts....?

Chaser95

Saddle, fender mounts, wheels, rear reflector, grips and no pump are things I have noticed about my 74 Phillips compared to my Raleighs. I expect there are other things too.

browngw 

On this pair of Sprites I once owned, the color of both were the emerald green. Both were originally purchased in Ottawa ON together. The step through was Canadian built, the diamond frame was Nottingham. Save the pedals, the bikes were identical.

BigChief 

Love it! Great saddle choice too.

arty dave

I took the mid-50's Speedwell roadster for a ride yesterday. I built it up with bits and pieces to try it out for size and handling feel. Originally this came set up with a single speed coaster rear and no brake up front, this being common for bicycle sales to Australian working class folk back in the day. But not good for my knees... I have the original 28" westwood rims waiting to be laced with a sturmey 3 speed, but for now I've put on a 700c steel 3 speed sachs torpedo coaster-brake wheelset from a Puch I was given, and a cotterless crankset so I only have to do the cotter pins once for the final set up with steel cottered cranks.

IMG20180422120655 by arty dave armour, on Flickr

It was weird for a while as my hands kept reaching for brake levers that aren't there, but the coaster worked really well. The 3 speed hub is over-geared as usual, chainring is 42 teeth not sure about the hub cog.
So - a '50's Popular roadster made in Australia with English tubing and brackets, German gears, French rims, and Japanese cranks. Hope you guys will still talk to me It does ride nicely but I've become addicted to the ride quality and geometry of the DL-1.

That '71 Schwinn 3 speed I mentioned a couple of weeks ago (not mine!) has had its price reduced from $2900 to $2500! https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/17325620...m=173256209698

paulb_in_bkln

I get a little sentimental about LBS stickers on seat tubes and wish I had one for Eddie's shop in the Bronx where my folks bought my bikes.

paulb_in_bkln

Nice one! Which parts went into the oxalic acid? I've never used that technique.

Dean51 

I used OA for the handlebars, stem, brake calipers, brake levers, and small fasteners. The handlebars and stem were in the worst condition for rust. The other bits would have polished up nicely with a buffer and compound, but it was easier to throw them in to the bucket of oxalic acid as long as I had it going.

The bars and stem required a full 24 hour soak to remove the rust. After flushing the acid, they received a heavy coat of wax to protect the areas of bare steel from rusting again. The results look pretty good to me. In spite of the heavy coat of wax, I'm sure rust would return quickly if left exposed to wet conditions.

The crankset and rims cleaned up nicely with wet aluminum foil and also received a good coat of wax.

FWIW, the stem you see in the picture is not the bike's original stem that I cleaned up with OA. That stem proved to be too sort (reach and rise) for me, so I replaced it with an inexpensive Sunlite stem. Likewise the seat post is a new, longer, replacement.

Dean

johnnyspaghetti

I found a toilet brush at Target with a straight handle cut off ground the plastic to be accepted in the half inch drill and using brasso or polishing compound, rims polish up quickly and as good a result as one would ever want or need.

Ballenxj

Now that's an idea. Pictures of device and results if you can please?

johnnyspaghetti

It was about $3 and seems to hold up well I'v done 3 sets of rims and it's stronger than it looks no pressure is needed the brush does the work. It may work well on oxidized paint.

I'm in the garage today and will dig out my 1962 Western Flyer that has rusty rims and I'll do a before and after.

I first have to finish picking up 6 months of dog crap out of the yard. 20+ inches of snow melted in the last 6 days.

johnnyspaghetti

Well this is my every day beater bike that sits 24/7 and is regularly ridden in road salt. I took about 3 minutes to do about 1/4th of this rim. I do believe I need to give this bike some more in depth attention as I do every spring season.

I'm turning the drill at a fairly slow speed. I'm liking the Brasso polish.

IMG_4441.JPG

IMG_4442.JPG

IMG_4445.JPG

Ballenxj

Thanks, but for whatever reason I cannot open or see them.

johnnyspaghetti

I'll work on the getting the pics posted.

johnnyspaghetti

It wouldn't take them off my email & needed to download.

Chaser95

Looks great! I predict there will be a run on brushes tomorrow!

gster

Good trick.

paulb_in_bkln

Wow. Even the shiny CR18s do not shine like that.

noglider 

I'm thinking we could use that trick for aluminum rims, too. Very nice. I think I can afford a cheapo toilet brush, too.

BigChief 

@johnnyspaghetti What a good idea! It's a keeper for my box of tricks.

Ballenxj

I see them now. WOW! What a difference!

johnnyspaghetti

Correction, the drill has a 3/8 chuck.

The brush handle did curve up at the hand grip but comes off the round head brush for 5 or 6 inches straight/centered.
I saw this method done on a Youtube video for a Solex moped. They didn't use Brasso, its just a polish I had handy.
I had to try it, cleaning rims can get old when you have over a dozen of them, they are very time consuming and this method gets around spokes well.
'