jamesdak 

Took the Guv'nor out yesterday for a first real ride. Around 15 miles of mixed surfaces, paved road, roughly paved bike path and dirt road. It was really comfortable over the paved surfaces and even quite good in the dirt. Would want to lower tire pressures a bit if primarily on dirt but it it did just fine. About 1/4 mile of the dirt was really rough stuff and while the bike chattered good under me it stayed composed in handling and absorbed most of the shocks. Bell only went off once from the jarring surface so that tells you the big tires were doing their job of absorbing the rough stuff.




The bike doesn't accelerate like one of my road bikes but it does hold speed just fine. A couple of short really steep hills were no problem in first gear. In fact I dropped the water bottle going up one steep hill. Stopped to pick it up and then mounted and started back off facing uphill with no problem. I also has a two mile section of gradually increasing uphill that I normally have to work hard at on a road bike to ride at 12-14 mph. This went up it in 2nd gear at 11 mph quite easily. I was impressed. Top speed was a tic under 20 mph on this shakedown ride. Avg pace was 12.5 mph and I was really just cruising along enjoying myself vs going for speed. Brakes never left me wanting more. I did this ride in the afternoon after doing a fast 25 miles on the Fishlips bike. Legs were already tired from a 25 mile brutal wind slugfest the day before. So I was happy to see that even with dead tired legs the ol' Guv'nor moved with ease. Going to be a fun bike to cruise around the valley in and enjoy the sites.




I still need to tweak the fit a bit. Work to get the Brooks tilt in just the right spot and then play around with the handlebar angle and height until I find the best position. Did get some numbness in my left hand. But that's been going on everysince I wrecked and separated my right shoulder. I'm sure I am compensating now for the bone sticking out of the top and that shoulder and with the alignment of the two shoulders. I also need to figure out an elegant solution to carrying water for longer rides. Probably go with a handlebar mounted bottlecage unless I still have so V.O. seat tube clamps floating around in my parts bin. Not prepared for flats with this either. I plan to carry a patch kit and pump to just fix the tubes using the "dutch method" if I flat on a ride.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my impression of this after the first real ride. It's everything I expected it would be.

gster

I have the same issue. It's a spot where the heal of my work boot can catch the guard.

2fat2fly

What is this? I've seen a few of these around lately.
Western Auto, Made in England on top tube, Shimano 333 hub, Dunlop Endrick rims, WF on Shimano trigger shifter, WF on headbadge, Sir Raleigh stamped on cranks, Union pedals, single bolt stem and a flat plate rear brake bridge.
I've seen a half dozen of these lately for sale, the only thing that's definitely English is the frame and cranks, the rest of the bikes are a mix. I don't remember seeing these back in the day, but then again, we didn't have any Western Flyer stores here either.
The stem reminds me of a cheap Japanese Royce Union, the 333 hub on an English bike is also odd, I somehow can't see they building it that way, but everyone has had the very same set up.
This one, and a few others had the flimsy looking aluminum fenders as well, but a few also had Raleigh type peaked fenders.
The wheels are 36/36h with English tires.
While I didn't go look at this one, too far, I did look at two others, and the rims were stamped Dunlop, like those found on a 60's Robin Hood or similar lower rung model.
The first time I saw one I just figured someone had been mixing parts up and built a Frankenbike but this is the sixth one in four years that's popped up for sale.
The others had chainguards still attached, a common clamp on hockey stick style Raleigh C/G.

Bicycle made in England Western Flyer three speed

2fat2fly

I wish i could find Stainless 32/40 rims here in the states, I've looked but none seem to exist in in the 590mm size.
Its hard enough just finding good original rims, I've yet to find a perfect set of Endrick rims, all that i find here are rusted as bad as those on those two bikes or worse.

paulb_in_bkln

My impression it's so much easier to find all the parts and paraphernalia for these bikes in the UK than here. (Not exactly surprising.)

oldspokes

Raleigh Bike $75




Another one, but missing a wheel? Rod brakes too.
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Bicycle vintage $150


This one has been listed for a while now, I'm kind of surprised its still for sale considering all I've heard about bikes being in short supply up that way.

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Raleigh Colt 3-speed Bicycle with Basket $250



Later model Colt, but with wrong color front fork, some modern chain, and the rear wheel looks like its been sprayed silver.
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1969 Sunbeam English Bicycle. Sturmey Archer 3 speed. 26"



Don't see many Sunbeams these days, missing its c/g though.
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1977 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist $450



Across the bridge from Philly
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Vintage Raleigh Sports bike 3-speed (Sturmey Archer) cruiser / light roadster / English Racer 1971 $125


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Vintage 1975 Raleigh Tourist 3 Speed Hybrid Bike $400




In Philly
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oldspokes

I've seen a few like this over the years, but not a WF model. I had a JC Penney bike that had a "Made in England" frame, yet Shimano gears and alloy fenders.
I also had a few half and half Rollfast bikes, a few were flat out just Raleigh built bikes from England, a few were American frames with all English components, down to the Dunlop Endrick rims, and a couple that were marked Made in England but with huge chunky lugwork and a head tube that incorporated the tt and dt lugs but with a Birmingham type fork.

If this WF was my size, I'd be tempted to grab it out of curiousity but with a garage full of bikes, those days are over. If I can't ride it or make a buck on it I don't bother anymore, and with so many bikes being listed in that area that just don't seem to sell, there's no sense in buying anything to resell.

I stopped at a yardsale on Sunday that had about 40 bikes out for sale, all marked $40, in the bunch were a few Raleighs, one Robin Hood, and several Hercules bikes, and a dozen or more mid level or better road bikes. I was there around 3pm, the couple said they didn't sell a single bike all day, and it was advertised in the paper, on FB and one several bulletin boards at the super market, where I found out about it. They were on a main highway, the weather was good, but no one is buying. It was 40 minutes out of Philly, two hours from NYC. I stopped by right before it got dark to see if anything sold and not a single bike sold there. I brought home an all original Motobecane Grand Jubile' road bike, a 23" Robin Hood, and a 24" frame Nishiki cruiser, all in excellent condition, pretty much ready to ride. For $25 I got all three. How on earth no one grabbed any of them is beyond me but I suppose I should be glad the pickings were so good. The Robin Hood will be the only keeper, the cruiser will become a shore bike, the GJ is headed for fleabay in pieces I suppose. Can't sell smaller frame road bikes here, (23"). The GJ had two brand new Specialized Road Sport kevlar tires, the Robin Hood had two new looking black wall Carlisle tires.
None of the bikes there were high end, but none were junk. (I'd venture to guess every last one was rideable as is). They both said they got very few people stopping, a few people looking for gold and silver jewellery, a few tool buyers in the morning but not much after that besides those buying used clothes. They said they sold four used mattresses that they were planning to throw away to some guy who redoes them and sells them as new. I would have figured people headed to the shore would have been buying bikes but apparently not. 10 years ago that lot of bike would have been gone in an hour, if it made it to sun up.

gster

Those DL's may seem somewhat expensive but are actually a good value judging by their condition and completeness.
That $400-$450 will get you a bike that if maintained will literally last your lifetime and your heirs...
I had the great misfortune to work on a modern department store bike last week.
WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!
Despite being 5 only years old, everything was seized and rusty.
I spent a total of $10 for new cables.
I couldn't get the seat post out (fused),
nor the BB apart as the cranks were also stuck and I wasn't prepared to buy a puller.
I poured some heavy oil down the little holes that hold the water bottle cage...
I'll give it away to someone that need's a bike and is happy with the seat height...
I had a 1930 Hercules that came apart in a couple of hours, the cotters literally slipped out with one tap.
The Sunbeam is interesting.

rustymetal

I've lived in this area, about 40 minutes from Philadelphia most of my life,I'm not at all surprised there are so many bike for sale cheap.
Bikes here are looked at more as punishment then a sport or hobby, or anything they do willingly.
Three speeds, particularly European models peaked in the late 90's here and have fallen off ever since. At first they were looked at as 'old peoples bikes' or the 'kind of bike you buy when you have kids and need a baby seat'. The last I remember any being sold here was in the mid 70's, even though Raleigh kept on into the 80's, there were no dealers by then.
Huffy was king, or what ever Kmart sold cheap. Its been that way for 40 years. In the 70's we had 20+ bike shops, then the moped craze came around, and we lost all but a couple shops, then they started harassing bike riders as if they were criminals, and many of them likely were. These days if I list a bike, if its an adult bike, more often than not its to someone who lost their license and can't drive. Forget kids bikes, forget anything worth more than a 40 oz beer, or it won't sell, if it does, its to someone from out of state where they ride bikes for fun.
There are no bike lanes here, no shoulders, and your not allowed in many parks with them without registration. Put a motor on it, and you need insurance too.
I have a dozen or so bikes in my garage, I take a ride once in a while these days, but for the most part its too dangerous to ride unless I don't go more than a 1/4 mile either way. The neighborhood dumps out on a main road with no place to ride a bike. There's a few state parks with trails but that don't help a road bike or a three speed unless your into muddy or sandy trails and having to carry a weapon.
I personally just like to get out and ride but lately its a matter of dodging cars, dodging things thrown from cars, or getting pulled over by the police and asked what your doing or where your going. (I guess a 56 year old white guy on an old Raleigh with white hair and a beard, wearing denim coveralls looks suspicious here?). I think they automatically assume anyone on a bike is a DUI driver or a vagrant here. In the last year, I've done more riding than usual, anything to get out of the house...but I've yet to pass another person riding a bike around here, not even kids have bikes, they don't want them. I've got two kids Trek BMX bikes that someone gave me with a lot of bikes, I've been trying to give the things away here for months but either the kids don't want a bike, can't ride, or their parents won't let them ride or leave the house. It must suck to be a kid these days. When I was a teen, I was never home, we rode everywhere, all over the place, I remember riding to a relatives house and back one day, about 80 miles away on my Schwinn Varsity. We didn't think anything of it, if we got tired, we stopped to rest and then continued. Now you can't get there from here by bike i guess. There's a law saying that bicycles cannot use divided roads, so that means you can't get out of NJ to PA now by bike since all the bridges are on divided roads. We used to ride to the river, and take a ferry across for $3 back in the day, but now they've built bridges and big highways and excluded bikes. You used to be able to walk a bike across the main bridges but someone told me that they don't allow that anymore. So that's just another barrier to those in the city trying to buy a bike in NJ if they don't drive or own a car. Add 10 or 20 miles to it and its pretty much impossible for them these days. In the past 25 years, I had one person drive from PA to buy a bike here, and they came by bus and walked here from where ever the bus let them off.

What it comes down to is that there's a ton of bikes listed in Phila. and in nearby areas but no one here will go there, and city folk won't drive out of the city, or they don't drive period, and everyone is too cheap to pay for shipping.
The few really good bike shops there moved or closed up, the same here. All we have is the web and a few chain type bike stores that sell box store bikes and a few high end shops where nothing is under a grand. Back in the 70's there used to be a handful of used only bike shops around here but all of those are gone now too, mostly due to insurance issues, high rent, or lack of interest in bikes in general.
The used video game stores are booming though.

2fat2fly

Keep in mind that those are 'asking' prices. I'd certainly at least try to bargain a bit on the price, who knows what you might end up getting them for.
For someone who wants a bike ready to go right now, those look like a good option to me.

Both my brothers buy nothing but Huffy or what ever junk they can find cheap at the box stores, then they bring them to me to try and get all the gears to work of to make it go straight. Some are better than others but just don't get them wet, ever.

Back in the late 70's I had a guy living next to me who was in his 50's or so at the time. He bought nothing but Sears balloon tire cruisers for himself and five speed lightweights for his wife. Every thing he owned came from Sears, "If Sears doesn't sell it, I don't need it", he'd tell me all the time. He bought this triangle frame Free Spirit beach cruiser one summer, he had just had bypass surgery and was trying to lose a few pounds by riding. The bike was so bad he gave up half way to work and called for a ride. He gave me the bike to see if I could figure out why it pedaled so hard. Being a good neighbor, I took the bike completely apart and started with the frame and alignment of the dropouts and the forks, both were off more than a bit, and the rear took some doing to get the wheel to ride centered in the frame.
I tensioned and trued the wheels, threw away the cheap tires and got him some street treads for it, and I replaced the headset and BB parts with some better grade parts from a local bike shop who at the time had a ton of vintage parts. The older bearing cups were twice as thick, the cones were polished and hardened, and the bearing races had more bearings in them. I also packed them with good waterproof grease and properly adjusted the bearings. I even faced the head tube and BB shell.
When I got done, the bike wasn't bad at all, but remember this was something like 1977 or so. They weren't nearly as bad back then. He kept that bike indoors, he cleaned and polished it all the time. When he got too old to ride, he gave me the bike. (Along with the 5 speed his wife had too). both were like new, both were still in as good of condition as when I got done with them back then. I passed both of them onto another couple a few years after he passed about 15 years ago.
On the flip side of that, a lady friend of mine bought a new Huffy cruiser, its never been out of the garage in the four months she's had it, yet the rims are rusty, the bars are rusty, and the thing is all but un-ridable. It pulls so bad you can't even manage a ride around the block on it. She wants me to see if I can do anything with the Huffy before summer gets here. I bought her an 80's Nishiki cruiser that I'll fix up instead. I'm going to gut the Huffy for its tubes, tires, and saddle, and throw the rest in the dumpster at work and I'll give here the 30 year old Nishiki and tell her its all fixed. I'm betting she won't notice its not the same bike, different color and all.

All that is sold here are cheap bikes these days, there are no real shops left, just Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, and a couple of chain bike stores that sell the bikes Walmart used to sell. I never thought I'd see the day when bike tires had to be ordered online because no one around here sells them these days. Walmart seems to have dumped the bike department altogether now, (along with half the auto section, a good bit of the hardware section, and half of housewares), and put in a super sized video game and cell phone area. One of the bike shops is now also selling Chinese scooters, dirt bikes, and go carts, another is doing cell phones and Pacific bike brands. I guess since bikes aren't selling they're trying to expand their business any way they can just to stay open these days.

cudak888 

That Dawn would be a fun project. Dig up a Sturmey front drum and have all the ride qualities of a Sports with drum rod brakes.

-Kurt

dweenk 

I have one in fine shape with full chaincase, Dyno hub and Brooks leather saddle that I would love to part with. But it will not ship.

vintagebicycle

Judging by how many of these old bikes are listed all over the place, I don't think there's any shortage of bikes, just a shortage of $20 bikes.
The only ads I see going up and being taken down are those for newer Walmart type bikes for cheap.
I've been watching about 15 bikes that are shop quality, and in decent shape here, all are under $150, and not a one has sold.
I got to watch the back and forth of a buyer and seller next door here this afternoon,. the old guy next door had a rather clean 80's Nishiki Custom Sport listed, with a 21" frame.
He had it listed since last May. The bike is pretty much new, and he just put two new tires and tubes on it. He's asking $120 for it. Its not a high end bike but its clean and ready to ride.

Last summer all he got was emails saying its not worth anything, and that it needs new tires. He put two new tires and tubes on it, it cost him $80 at the local bike shop. The highest offer he's had has been $25. From one of the same people who looked at it before and said if it had new tires, he'd buy it.

Now that its got new tires and has been fully gone through with all new grease and tires, they complain that its old, or that the tires aren't original, or some other issue to try and get the thing for nothing.

I get the same thing listing things here, regardless of what it is. I think part of the problem is no one has cash, they buy on eBay because they can break out their credit card, but for CL or FB, in person, they need cash and that's a big problem.
They'll buy anything so long as they can drag out the payments for a couple years or just keep paying that minimum on their credit card.
I've actually had people offer me double what I was asking if I'd take Paypal or a Credit card.
With all the scammers these days, I'm not doing PP or CC from a stranger, its too easy to reverse the payment.

I had a guy who claimed to be from NYC come by today to look at two new rims I had listed, a pair of new old 700C Araya 20A 36h rims from the early 80's. I had them listed for $100 firm, The last pair I saw on fleabay went for $175. These were brand new and mint. The only email I got was from a guy not 15 miles away. He asked me how much to ship them. I said no shipping, cash and carry. He didn't respond. That was in Jan. Yesterday he emails again and wants to know if I'd sell them for less since he had to drive so far to come get them. I told him the price is fixed, take it or leave it. He shows up, he's all but drooling over the rims, which was still wrapped up in the original packing. He tells me he's been looking for a pair like that for 5 years but couldn't find any. they do pop up on fleabay a lot, but for more money).
After he tells me how rare they are and how long he's been looking, and how he can't believe I'm not asking more for them or putting them on eBay, he makes me an offer of $40 for them. Then gets mad when I asked him what part of 'The price is firm' didn't you understand. After a wasted hour, he hands me the rims and says he can't afford them.

Four hours later, I get a call from the same number, this time from a woman asking if I'd take less, I said no, and if they don't sell they're going on eBay. Twice in that call she asked if I'd ship them and take PayPal which I refused. 20 minutes later she showed up with the cash, while her husband sat in the car out front. She made no mention about her husband being here earlier, she acted as if she had just spotted the ad.

I pulled the ad right away, and withing minutes of pulling the ad down, I got a dozen emails asking if I sold the rims or was I going to put them on eBay. Two told me they'd have bought them if they were cheaper, one even sent me a link to a pair that sold for over $200, and then told me he's have paid that much or more. Yet all the time the ad was up, I got no other serious emails. Just complaints and the usually 'Still for sale?' emails.

markk900

vintagebicycle First off, people are weird anyway. Second, I think most of them believe that bargaining is like what they see in the movies in a market in the middle east or something: the asking price is 10x the real price so make a stupid lowball offer. Real life isn't like that, even in that hypothetical market. I am also interested to see how stupid people think others must be: yours is the second story recently where the same person sent his or her spouse to pay up when their attempt to bully a seller down failed.

Road Fan

How are you doing at finding a Cyclo 3 speed kit?

jackbombay

High performance 3 speeds are always in fashion!

I'm not saying that many people like them, but it is always "the year of the 3 speed racer!" IMO!

Heres mine, coaster brake only,



I take it on real bike rides too,



I'm not sure how people are going about building 40 hole hubs into 3 speed race bikes, but here is a thread I started detailing lacing a 32 hole rim to a 40 hole hub,

40 hole sturmey archer hub laced to a 32 hole rim.

markk900

First off, here's mine in its latest incarnation (I tried full upright bars and drop bars and neither felt good to my old back: this version is very rideable):




I found it fairly easy to find 36 hole AW hubs so that is what I used to lace to 700C rims. Though your link is helpful if I ever need to do a 40 hole hub, I still have some NOS CR18s with the rear a 40h.

jackbombay

EXCELLENT!!!! Full 531 frame + Sturmey!!!!

Great frame for the build, I have that same frame, but the next size up, its a fuzz big for me, but it has a very short stem so it should work decently, I will likely build it out for myself at some point

markk900

jackbombay If you do build one up you will be rewarded with a very sporty ride that works well as an IGH. The 531 was a bonus for this build (full disclosure - the forks and stays are not 531 hence the decal is 531 3 tubes only). I did try fenders on it in one incarnation but they don't fit well on this frame (especially clearance under the fork crown).

jackbombay

Mine does have the 531 sticker that includes forks and stays, this one isn't mine, but is the same model/year as mine, mine is a 1982 710, 1982 Trek 710 Earlier or later 710s were not all 531 then? Or was this same paint scheme used on different models?

markk900

Mine is a 1983 600 so never had full 531.

Road Fan

All of the 710s should be fully double butted 531. Not so for some of the 6xx’s.

jackbombay

Ahh, I didn't realize they put the same paint job on different models.

Steve Whitlatch 

Finished up the mother-in-law 1981


Raleigh....

oldlugs

I don't agree with that at all. At any given time I have a few hundred items listed on CL, (although most are not bicycles or bicycle parts).
If I list something for what its worth, they want it for half or less. if I add a bit, they want it for half or less again, if I double or triple the price I want, I get less emails, but those who are educated on what they're looking for will make a fair offer. It eliminates the tire kickers and cheap skates.
AND every so often someone just shows up and pays the ridiculous price and never bats an eye.

I tried listing for the exact price I wanted, and holding to it, and it didn't work, nearly everyone wanted it for half and I got no serious buyers.

For years I sold at a couple of flea markets, mostly tools and sporting goods, I tried putting things out with no prices, and found that most people either wouldn't ask how much, or just walked away if you gave them a price they thought was too high.
I tried pricing everything with a firm price, and again, everyone wanted it for half and most wouldn't pay a penny more.
I tried doubling the price, and more items sold when they were picked up, but a lot of people never bothered to make an offer.
Then you got the crazies, they'd ask a price or make a lowball offer, and if you came back with a counter offer they went nuts, telling you your crazy, that the item is no good, and a thousand reasons why you should sell it for cheap.
I got the same thing as a buyer, a seller would have something for sale, give a price, and I'd make an offer and if it didn't suit them, they just said NO and sat there, never making a counter offer.
What I found is that some people will only buy if they bicker over the price and get it for less than it was marked. No matter how much less. If they don't get something off the price they walk away. This held true mostly for the older crowd. The younger crowd just put the item down and walked away or made some insulting comment.
After 12 years, I couldn't believe how nasty some people were and how some would argue over a few pennies.

I bought nearly a pallet of weed eater line on spools, it fit a major brand trimmer. The kit was $14.99 in the stores. I wanted $10 a spool. If I put $10 on them, the best I could do is $5 and sometimes $8. I marked them $18.99 with a price gun from Sears. After that every one sold for $12 or more, with many coming back to buy more week after week.