Velognome 

Now all the OP needs to do is add her pictures of her recent buy.......I'm assuming this is the ride that won your hearts desire?

brianinc-ville

Excellent -- old Raleighs are nice to ride, and even nicer to learn about mechanics on; they're very solidly built and difficult to screw up too badly. At that price, you can probably ride it for a while, see how it fits you over longer rides, and if you don't like it, or see a better opportunity, unload it quickly without losing any money.

It looks like you've got cottered cranks there (a pain in the behind to work on, but you can do it) and probably steel wheel rims, yes? Steel rims aren't necessarily a problem; just watch out on the rare day when it rains in LA. They don't brake well when wet. Happy riding -- I think you'll like it!

WNG

Congrats on your 1st city bike. Most important is fit, and the fenders, bar, and rack was a plus. I'd chosen the Centurion based on its technical superiority, but this is a commuter, and if anything rings true, this won't be your last bike. Riding gets into your blood, and you will desire more bikes.

I just got back and preparing to get rid of several nice ladies road bikes. Too bad you weren't closer, like the first offer, you could have took them off my hands for a good cause.

Stick around and keep us posted on your adventures and progress in LA.

RobbieTunes

Sincy you can sew, check out some light canvas skirt guards. You can even sew canvas on both sides of sheet plastic and make a great skirt guide, and still stay true to the Raleigh's vibe. You can get very comfortable grips, eventually, and decide just what saddle works the best. Steel wheels can clean up very well with 0000 steel wool and WD40, then polish them. Like others have said, they may squeak a bit, but that's more about the pads.... For tires, I like the quality of Panaracers, and sometimes you can find Michelin gumwalls reasonably.

Glad you've got a bike now, and it's just time to fit it, tune it, and ride it. Other ideas will come your way. A milk crate is norm for a rear rack here, and works better than almost anything around. The front basket is great-looking, but there are hard-mount front bags that work as well and are more weather-proof. (The Oxford by Louis Garneau is a great ride it/unclip it option).

oddjob2

Skirt guard cheap
Dress Guard | Overstock.com Shopping - Great Deals on Ventura Bike Parts & Accessories

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oddjob2: The insane drivers here is the only reason I've procrastinated the last 9 months I've been here. I've driven in Chicago, Boston, various boroughs of NYC, and I'd take any driving outside of Manhattan over the traffic and drivers here in LA. But, I saw a seven year old following his dad down Venice the other day, and if a seven year old can do it then gdi, I certainly can. Eesh.

michaelk: Oh, proud to be adding new phrases to the forum vocabulary so soon. I'm not sure what's going on with that white cable though. Is it supposed to be a sort of barrier between skirts and rotating wheels? Like I said in opening post, total novice here.

Clyde 1820: Oh no! I'm so sorry you went through all that trouble! Ack. I really appreciate your willingness to help though!

Edit: Oh wow, missed the second page. LOL!

Velognome: Yes, yes it is. I'll post once I have it cleaned up a little bit. I already have the front wheel, and handlebars, and saddle off. >.>

Brianincville: they're very solidly built and difficult to screw up too badly
This is deeply reassuring, lol. I rebuilt a motorcycle with a friend when I was seventeen by reading the shop manual very closely, but I haven't done anything significant with moving parts except the occasional tire change and one carburetor kit since then. I am very very rusty with this particular skill set.

WNG: Yep, I knew I wanted all of that anyway, so I consider it a major plus to have them included in very sturdy feeling makes. ALmost certainly better than what I can afford at the moment.

Robbietunes: Oh, I like the idea of canvas! Throw it in the washer when it gets grimy, and an affordable way to keep it feeling a little more thought out than a hodgepodge of cheapest available parts. I'm thinking painters drop cloth is both sturdy and already treated for stains and mess... Worst case scenario I spend ten bucks on canvas I can use for other tasks anyway.

I've got the WD40 on hand (whiniest door hinges when I first moved into my apartment!) but I'll definitely be going for some steel wool to clean the bike up. Milk crate is my thought right now as well, but the Oxford is a beautiful little thing for when I have a bit more in the way of liquid assets. XD

Oddjob: Bookmarked, incase the canvas option ends up a wash. Thank you!

squirtdad

Some how I think the OP will appreciate this blog site Lovely Bicycle!

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PS. Feeling the distinct urge to call my bike a him, and name it Clyde. Sensible, old school, and way too cool to care what you think of him. Perhaps a bit of an outlaw, what with the whole riding a bike in Los Angeles ​thing. edit: lest this appear creepy, it popped into my head the second I saw the bike, not because of clyde1820's commentary!

squirtdad: Laughing, because that's where I found the recommendation to come on these forums and ask for help looking for a vintage bike.

michael k

The white cable is a brake cable,it really stands out in the picture.The straps on the skirt guard are elastic and stretched tight.

Using canvas is a good Idea.

brianinc-ville

I don't wanna presume -- and I know you're experienced with motorcycles, so you've probably got most of the relevant skills already -- but if you've never taken a traffic-skills class, it would definitely be worthwhile. The League of American Bicyclists and CyclingSavvy both run good programs. Not to get all culty about it, but the LAB course changed my whole life in a big way -- I actually feel way safer on a bike than in a car, now that I understand what's actually happening out there. Or you could just read John Franklin's Cyclecraft, which covers most of the important concepts.

Clyde is a rad name. Go forth and conquer.