Heatherbikes

+1 for the "continental" kool stop salmon pads. I plan on getting them for my other raleigh which is in gorgeous condition with gleaming chrome rims. They DO NOT stop in the rain. If your rims are rusty, then just upgrade to CR-18's. I live in the pacific northwest, so that bike only goes out in nice weather spring, summer and fall. The brake levers are pretty and flexy, but what a ride.
My raleigh sports had a fair bit of scratching and rust, and someone suggested just waxing it and hoping for the best. The raleigh sports is going to have drum brakes if I ever get the wheels rebuilt...

Nerdy Norm

Nice bike Xardas, and rare to get a bargain in Knokke
(for US members, Knokke is Belgium's version of the Hamptons)

If you find a source for the legendary CR-18 wheels, I'd love to know it. I've done a lot of Googling, but it seems that they are not available in Europe.

Xardas

Hey Norm, I enjoyed the thread on your bike.

Here I found a dutch link for the CR 18: https://r.twenga.nl/g3.php?pg=VDszNzk...RmNzllMDNiNg==

Nerdy Norm

Thanks, but it's the wrong size

That's for VTT. You can find those relatively easily, but not the 650A / 590 size we need...

Xardas

Thanks for the rim suggestion. Apparently this is quite a popular change. I will see if I can find those rims here in Belgium. Your saddle treatment is also very interesting. I read mixed opinions on the snoseal treatment, I'll first sea if proofide alone does the job.

The hub has been used for 50 years without having been opened as far as I know. I saw some very good tutorials on the internet (it's the common AW hub), and I'd like to get a better understanding of how it works. I've nowhere read it's difficult or damaging to the hub, so I think I'll manage it.

Thanks for the rim tip; We keep bees at home. When we harvest the honey, can can take some of the wax too. The bees are also the reason we keep a steady supply of oxalic acid at home, for parasite treatment. So the bees unexpectedly come in handy here

My rims are rusty, but it I got it off fairly easily. Now they shine! I'll have to take out the bike in the rain once to test this notorious brake issue. Yes I'll be waxing it too, will post pictures when that's done.

JohnDThompson 

SnoSeal is essentially just beeswax in a volatile solvent. The solvent makes it easy to apply and helps it penetrate the leather. When it evaporates away it leaves behind plain beeswax.

JohnDThompson 

No, they're not overly complicated. Sometimes the ball ring can be a chore to remove, but that's usually the worst part. Do take care not to lose any of the pawl springs, though -- they're quite tiny and hard to find, particularly if you have a cluttered work area.

silvercreek

I've got a Raleigh Sports torn down and ready for re-finiishing. A set of CR-18 will replace the stock wheels. I haven't found a saddle for it yet but am leaning towards a Brooks. I just don't know for sure which model. I've ordered a new set of decals that should be here in a few days.

Nerdy Norm

I'd love CR-18s, but they don't seem to be available in Europe. The closest I can find are these:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rigida-rm...ole-prod18604/

Where did you order the decals from?

Xardas

Silvercreek, I think the two main brooks models between which to choose for a sports model are the B66 or the B72. The B66 has larger springs on the back, and is good for a upright riding position, or for when you're heavy.

The B72 would allow for a better forward lean, is thus a sportier model. Has less springs to it too.

My Sports model came with a B66 (I guess it's original). According to Sheldon Brown, until 1960 the sports were delivered with a B66 brooks. After 1960 they came with a B72. (The superbes still came with the B66).

But you can also try other brooks, the B17 for example for touring use;

All I know about this is from browsing the internet though.

I'm also interested where you got the decals from?

silvercreek

I ordered my decals from VeloCal. Thanks for the information about the saddles.

Nerdy Norm

Thanks, the quality looks great, but unless they're not shown on the site, they don't list correct ones for earlier Raleigh Sports, like mine and Xardas'.

ka0use

i waaaaaaaant it!

rhm

Well, golly. There is so much advice on this thread already, some of it good and some of it contradictory, and so many non sequiturs, that I hesitate to add anything. But what the heck.

If you're a beekeeper, and want to use your own beeswax, I say go for it. You can make a pretty good Proofide substitute by mixing equal parts beeswax and neatsfoot oil (not "neatsfoot oil compound"). Forum member Blaise put me onto this. What you do is melt the beeswax in a double boiler, add the neatsfoot oil while it's cooling, and stir while it sets, so you end up with a paste rather than a block. Then use this more or less the same as proofide.

How are your bees doing? Mine were done in by hive beetles and wax moths the summer before last, and I have not replaced them yet. Dang parasites! I am hoping to catch a swarm this weekend ().

As for the rims, it is true that aluminum rims are better; but they are not much better. It is also true that you can get better brakes than the original steel ones; but again, better brakes will not be much better. I think you will be happier cleaning up what you have and leaving it original. I may, of course, be wrong about this: but I believe if you clean and polish the original stuff up, put good brake pads in the existing shoes (orange koolstop pads are indeed much and I mean much better than the alternatives, and I strongly recommend those), you will be happy and proud of the bike in its 50+ year old glory. Change the 18T sprocket to a 22T and it will feel 10 lbs lighter. Ride it for a few months before you make radical upgrades, and I am confident you'll decide not to upgrade much, if anything.

As for the light, Huret speedometer, etc., my suggestion would be to remove it all, carefully, and deal with the bike without them. It will look better and ride better wnen rid of all that stuff. Once you have it all clean and lubed and adjusted to your liking, start working on the accessories.

3alarmer 

I think you already have some advice on this. Personally, I just treat
with some product that stops the process (Rustoleum sells one here,
they are labeled as rust converters or just rust treatment) . Then I wax
the frame and fenders once or twice. I like to think of it as theft deterrent.

Aaron may not ride three speeds, but I do. IMO, He's correct in all he said .
The single most practical change I made to mine was the alloy rim relace.
Make certain you use a rim size for which there exists a wide selection of
readily available high quality tires. And add the kool stop pads to the package,
you'll be happy you did. You might even consider better alloy rim brakes,
which can be had in a range of reaches these days very cheaply (Tektro).

It's not hugely difficult to do, but if it works, lubricate it
with some 20 weight machine oil, ad a little triflo, and ride
it as is until it stops working well.

I've used beeswax based products on similar saddles with
what I consider to be good results, so I'm with the "try it" guys
on this one.

Large capacity wire carrying baskets on the rear, possibly some straighter
bars like a North Road bar for a better balanced position on the bike, possibly
a more modern seat, definitely replace the pedals.....modern sealed bearing
pedals are the bee's knees.

Nerdy Norm

Thanks for the PM Silvercreek, I've dropped them a message about the correct decals.

(only 5 more posts and I can answer PMs directly - crazy system!)

Xardas

rhm, good tip on the beeswax, thanks! The bees are doing well here. Of the 3 colonies, 2 survived winter in pretty good shape. One was left (probably) without a queen, it died out. The 2 remaining are infested by varroa, but we'll to wait a bit before we can treat them. In the meantime, they appear to be holding out quite well. I hand't heard yet about hive beetles. Apparently they're quite recent in the US, and in 2004 they appeared in Portugal. I live in Belgium, it can be long before they reach us here now Last year we lost all our 3 hives. 2 on varroa, one just vanished..

Thanks for you other comments on the bike, I agree 100%. I'll just restore it, change brakes and sprocket and then wait and see before changing anything else.

3alarmer, thanks for your comments, but I don't think I'll make such radical changes now; I've already ridden the bike and did not feel the brakes / pedals etc. need replacement. Maybe after some more riding I'll see again.

Xardas

I still can't believe I have it! One look on the internet, and I find it, and ridiculously cheap. I've a friend who wants a same one now, but now I can't find one anywhere..

Xardas

Due to approaching exams, things move only very slowly with my bike.

I now treat piece by piece of my bike with an oxalic acid bath. I put 3g of it in 1 liter water.

Apparently I can only put steel or other chrome steel parth in this OA bath. But how can I know if a part is good or not to go in the bath? How can I distinguish between zinc plating and chrome plating?

For example, can I treat the Sturmey-Archer gear shifter? (the steel version, on the handlebar)?

Nerdy Norm

The only non-painted metal parts I put in the acid bath which I maybe shouldn't have done was the brake caliper springs. They went a slightly blue colour. All the other shiny parts came out fine. I heard that some spokes might not come out well, but mine were fine. Might be worth testing a small section of one first.

Xardas

Weren't the spokes zinc plated? So the OA removes the zinc, and the spokes will rust easier afterwards? My spokes aren't rusty anyway, so I don't think I'll treat them.

How are your spokes? Do they shine? Mine are a dull grey.

(btw did you participate in the tweed run in Ghent recently? I couldn't make it sadly.)

Nerdy Norm

I wouldn't say they are shiny, but they look fine.

I wanted to go to the Gent tweed run, but the weather was so bad I didn't make it. Hopefully they'll do it again next year, maybe a bit later in the season as well...

Xardas

The bell leaves some very small bubbles floating up. Is this a bad sign?

Here a picture of my bell: