Drop-bar Superbe?
12-08-11, 04:47 PM
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Drop-bar Superbe?
I'm bored so I'll throw this on the table for discussion. Over the summer I picked up a wrecked 1953 Raleigh Superbe. The bike has typical upright bars, a full chain case and a Dyno-Four rear hub. The brake routing and (smashed) rear lamp are set up "backwards" indicating a British market machine. It was pronounced to be "in pretty good nick" by an English acquaintance of mine. 
The negatives are: it needs the head tube area and fork straightened after an obvious front-end crash; the chain case has been brush-painted a not-quite-the-same-colour
; the chainring cover is missing; and the awful mattress saddle got booted so I wouldn't feel like I had to keep it around for sentimental reasons.
So we have a very vintage specimen but with a lot of wounds to its original whole. That makes it ripe for customization.
What do you all think about a drop-bar conversion a la Clubman? How appropriate would the following be? 70's SR Randnner bars, cloth tape, no chain case, 2 cogs with a derailleur. This is meant to evoke the style without slavishly obsessing over exact brands or dates.
The negatives are: it needs the head tube area and fork straightened after an obvious front-end crash; the chain case has been brush-painted a not-quite-the-same-colour
; the chainring cover is missing; and the awful mattress saddle got booted so I wouldn't feel like I had to keep it around for sentimental reasons.So we have a very vintage specimen but with a lot of wounds to its original whole. That makes it ripe for customization.
What do you all think about a drop-bar conversion a la Clubman? How appropriate would the following be? 70's SR Randnner bars, cloth tape, no chain case, 2 cogs with a derailleur. This is meant to evoke the style without slavishly obsessing over exact brands or dates.
12-08-11, 05:14 PM
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Raleigh made and sold such a bike about 4 years later although I've yet to find a catalogue with them. I've got two of them.
Go for it.
Go for it.
12-08-11, 05:20 PM
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The bars are a smaller diameter than most drop bars so you'll need to find period english bars or change the stem. Check Sheldon.
The 53s had a more layed back frame, right? Angles closer to a DL-1.
You won't be needing that chainguard, then?
The 53s had a more layed back frame, right? Angles closer to a DL-1.
You won't be needing that chainguard, then?
12-08-11, 05:27 PM
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Sounds like a fun project BluesDaddy.
Don't deep six that saddle though! Save it for another build. -Mattress saddles are very much underrated for what they are, and they don't get the respect they deserve today -even though they were what the most respectable bikes were wearing back in the 1930's.
PS Clubman - very cool Superbe!
Don't deep six that saddle though! Save it for another build. -Mattress saddles are very much underrated for what they are, and they don't get the respect they deserve today -even though they were what the most respectable bikes were wearing back in the 1930's.
PS Clubman - very cool Superbe!
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12-08-11, 07:02 PM
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Here is what I did with my Rudge sports. I added a brooks pro saddle, GB stem and bars from a Dawes Galaxy, stronglight cottered cranks with the big ring and chain guard removed, chrome chain, Carlton hoods on Weinmann levers and calipers. Pasala tires. I ran the original tires from 1965 for several months as shown in the bottom pic. Genuine dunlops. I also flipped and tucked the headlight bracket.
27 107 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
27 105 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
IMG_3718 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
27 107 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
27 105 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
IMG_3718 by barnstormerbikes, on Flickr
Last edited by ftwelder; 12-08-11 at 07:08 PM.
12-08-11, 08:33 PM
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Here's mine, a bit heavy but fun around town. '62 Sports
12-08-11, 08:55 PM
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I should mention that another reason to get a different stem is so that you can have a little more reach.
12-08-11, 09:04 PM
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You gonna eat that?
You want a fork? PM me.
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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
12-08-11, 09:05 PM
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Riding like its 1990
Flip the northroad bars upside down, remove the fenders and lights and chainguard, and ride it "path racer" style. I like the look of the old track bikes.
12-09-11, 10:27 PM
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Wow, cool ideas. Thanks for all the info. If I can locate some old English bars, I'll go that route, although it'll be really easy to get going with an SR stem and bars that I have lying on the shelf.
With the damage the geometry is pretty steep right now but yes, it is going to be a mellow ride when it's straight again. If you can come up with a good story, you might be able to pry the chainguard out of my fingers
It is now pimping out a cruiser I did up for a birthday present for a buddy, so it's being appreciated.
Once I plow through the other projects in the queue, I'll get going on this one. Still need a shifter (see below) since it came with a 3-speed trigger and I keep missing the 4-speeders on Ebay-UK.
but yes, it is going to be a mellow ride when it's straight again. If you can come up with a good story, you might be able to pry the chainguard out of my fingers Once I plow through the other projects in the queue, I'll get going on this one. Still need a shifter (see below) since it came with a 3-speed trigger and I keep missing the 4-speeders on Ebay-UK.
12-09-11, 10:42 PM
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Looks like the shifter is taken care of. After posting, I went back to ebay again and found a Buy-It-Now on a trigger which is said to have come from a '56 Superbe. 14 British pounds including shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/140658844531...84.m1438.l2649
So that part's done. WAF* likely to dip, but it'll be worth it.
*Wife Approval Factor
https://www.ebay.com/itm/140658844531...84.m1438.l2649
So that part's done. WAF* likely to dip, but it'll be worth it.
*Wife Approval Factor
12-09-11, 11:10 PM
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Let us not forgot, IMO, the coolest modded bike on the forum. I still want to build one of these.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ght=path+racer
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ght=path+racer
12-11-11, 01:38 PM
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I like the path racer idea... One of my favorite bikes is the Pashley Guv'nor. That bike exudes elegance like no tomorrow. I picked up a frame from ftwelder yesterday that appears to be an old Hercules of some sort that I'm probably going to build up as a path racer.
