Ballenxj

It is calibrated for road work, I just fine tune while at home.

BigChief

Rain today, no ride, but I did get started on the 51 Rudge. This bike is in very good condition except for some strange reason, the front mudguard took a beating. I figured I'd get started there. There was no way to save the back inch. Too much was gone. The next 3 inches was rusted very thin with some pinholes. I cleaned out the loose rust on the underside with a wire wheel, trimmed off the broken away area and reinforced the thin steel with JB Weld. I'll let that harden for a couple of days and get to work smoothing down the rust on the primary surface. Then, I'll give the underside a fresh coat of black. Then, the tricky part. I'll start filling the pitted area of the bare steel primary surface with black enamel and sanding until I level out the surface somewhat. I won't level it out completely because I want it to have a bit of a distressed look. Then I'll paint on a finish coat and try to blend it in with the rest of the mudguard. Try being the operative word here. We'll see.

Dannihilator

Working on restoring a Dunelt that I got for free at the moment. Best thing of all, it is actually in good condition.

johnnyspaghetti

johnnyspaghetti

Stole my 62 Sports .I cut up the schwinns with the Sawzall. because why would i want that if it was destin put in the garbage. Traded for a 62 Hercules Hathorne . It was a better deal

johnnyspaghetti

Sorry about the schwinn attitude but i have Raleigh's I trade for what ever I can get. It works out for nice parts.I don't Schwinn.

SirMike1983 

An FYI - selling the tall frame 5-speed Sprite. Check C&V Sales forum for the thread if you're interested.

johnnyspaghetti

Looks out of the buget i blew.

Nokton

I have one English three-speed that I bought about a year ago--a virtually untouched AMF Hercules built by Raleigh. Since that bike is so nice, I just replaced the wear parts (tires, brake pads, saddle, handlebar grips, cables and housings) and use it as an occaisional "wow this bike is amazing for almost 50 years old" ride".



Since I got the Hercules I've been looking for another English three-speed that I could use as the basis for a more ambitious project. Until last week, I hadn't seen anything that really piqued my interest. Today, I made a two hour drive to pick up three what I believe are 1974 Raleighs, two of which are three speeds.

My current plan is to restore the smaller of the two Sports using the best parts of the two bikes, add a Pletscher rack, and turn it into a "touring" bike in case I'm ever able to go on the Lake Pepin three speed tour. I think it looks sound enough to do this. I will use the best fenders from both bikes. I also have an old chrome plated pump that I'd like to mount on the frame if I can find the right mounting hardware. I'd appreciate suggestions about where to find the right "gizmos" for this.



My plan for the bigger bike is to build either a "scorcher" or a Clubman-type bike with updated parts--aluminum rims, handlebars, stem and seatpost. I will remove the fenders and chain guard and have a nice riding, fun build. I haven't decided which of these two bike type to build and I'd love to have input on what the best use of this bike is.



Thanks for any input anyone has on putting these bikes, which have been stored for many years, back on the road.

Nokton

Sorry. I thought I was posting a new thread in "Classic & Vintage", but it's a reply here instead. I guess it's okay if I decide to use an internally geared hub

As part of a package deal, I picked up what I think is a 1974 Raleigh Grand Prix. I have a couple of projects underway that will make use of some of the parts from this bike (hubs, handlebars, stem and possibly derailleurs and shifters). I'll be left with a decidedly utilitarian, but still very pretty frame as well as some other parts. I'm trying to decide what to do with the frame. The thoughts of building either another single speed (I have a 1970 Raleigh Record that I converted to a single speed) or of getting an internally geared hub and building a drop bar three or five speed have occurred to me, but I'm really undecided. I got the bike for very little as a throw-in on two Raleigh Sports that I really wanted, but I don't want to pass up the opportunity for a fun build.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do with this frame?

Thanks

clubman 

I see it as an easy flip. Nice shape, it's only real value is intact and original. Otherwise you'll just be putting your time and resources into another low-ish quality bike build. 2 cents, of course.

BigChief

Here's something for those of us interested in old Raleigh details. This kickstand type is new to me. I'll take more photos later. Also seen is the 1950s style lower rear mudguard tab. Not sure when this was changed to the U clip. My 55 Rudge had the tab, my 64 Sports has the clip.

browngw 

I happen to like the old Records and Grand Prix. I have used a few of them as pleasant work for winter weather. Some have been cleaned up and sold (tires, cables bar tape, etc .) and sold in the $150-180 range. Others were given up right bars and stem shifters and sold for the same dollars. One was up-graded from the parts bin and sold for $200. In some respects it is unfair to consider them "cheap" when our beloved 3speeds used the same materials and are even heavier. Have fun with it! Looks like a 23" frame, wouldn't mind having it myself.

SirMike1983 

Raleigh made a kickstand specifically for that style of fender - the kickstand had a notch cut into the top plate and the plate surrounded the fender bolt. The kickstand shown here is a 1960s-style stand that had a turnable top plate (the plate can go the long way on a narrower frame. These stands are notorious for making deep dents on the tops of the chainstays. This was the type of stand that dented the stays on my Raleigh Sprite. The earlier specially-made stands and the later Raleigh 1970s stands with wedge-shaped top plates are better. These stands are losers, in my book and I dump them whenever they start giving trouble.

Johno59

A deadly combination. The crushing of the chainstays by the stand clamp and the fender bolt thru the chainstay stiffner means this section of the frame can suffer serious/irreparable damage from rust. No stand and a clip on attachment for the fender eliminates both of these potential hazards. When I buy an old English bike the underside of the view in your photo is the first place I look. Not to see if there is any damage but to assess how bad it is. The prevalence of the damage in this area across all of Raleigh's bikes from the 60s onwards suggests it was a design feature reflecting the inbuilt obsolescence/redundancy mindset that ending up destroying a industrial colossus that had a global reputation grounded in the complete opposite of such folly.

BigChief

I tend to use the Pletscher ESGE stands from the 70s Raleighs on my bikes, even if they were not original. Especially if they had the tippy cast Sir Walter style stand. I hate it when bikes fall over. It wouldn't bother me to learn this stand was added sometime in the 60s si I could replace it with a Pletscher, but I don't think it was. The hub date here is 1951, the bike is in exceptionally original condition and I don't see any sign of a different clamp used. There is some deformation of the left chainstay, but nothing out of the ordinary. No rust issues. But...I'd love to know more about what steel kickstands Raleigh was using during this period. I'm sticking as close as I can to originality on this project.

Johno59

My Holdsworth was knocked over last night which is always a depressing sight to behold. But I can't stand these things despite the sensibility of the concept. The nylon bush securing it in the up position wears out and they rattle. They deform the frame tubing and misguided folks used to tighten them even more - and therein lies the rub. A tapered sleeve on both stays would probably stop the carnage but I have never seen this done.

As a kid many an ankle bone was exposed by these things dangling down and leaving you with bloodied socks and very tender bits sticking out.

I mean to say look at the quality of the forging - a plumbers delight.

The upright bi-pod ones wherein you rock the bike back and the whole bike is lifted to the standing position were much better made but 3 times the weight.

Johno59

Really nice condition and the original decals are some of the most interesting I've seen.

Cute Boy Horse

The death of Raleigh comes from them being a subsidiary of a larger company, and the belief that the bicycle as a method of adult transportation was now only for the very poor. Produce such products without investment until they met an expense sales figures couldn't justify then drop them. As such Raleigh died at the TI takeover. Their planned destiny was always to be shuttered and the name put on racing and children's bikes.

The bike enthusiast mass neuroses about kickstands never ceases to amuse me. Enthusiastishly finding lamp posts and walls to lean it against every time you get off, and then looking back to make sure it's not going to roll slightly and tip over, all because you think you're definitely going to ruin the frame by screwing them on too tight. Meanwhile millions of bikes a year leave the factory with them and their owners never notice this terrible catastrophe has happened to them. Similarly Harley Davidson owners often believe the front brake should never be used, and a particular type of wealthy music fan will spend hundreds of dollars on mystery devices that claim to improve sound but are actually totally inert. It's all hokum. Some sort of collective delusion spread by internet.

BigChief

I can see not wanting to bolt a stand on your high performance chromoly touring bike, but to me they belong on a roadster.
The rims are turning out very nicely. Just did a quick clean up here on the front. Didn't even pull the old Dunlops off yet. Say what you want about Raleigh, but their chrome was excellent. These Westrick rims are Raleigh stamped with a matte finish on the raised section. The stainless spokes are still perfect. What a shame they stopped using them.

BigChief

I especially like the Ride awheel on Sheffield steel transfer.

Johno59

Well in the lands where bikes are king - Holland, Denmark and Sweden, kickstands are the rule rather than the exception. So you are in good company there.
In the UK and Sweden it is my experience that not locking your bike to something immovable virtually guarantees it wil be stolen by the next day.

Having ridden motorcycles for nearly 50 years I must confess I have never heard anyone ever mention your front brake rant. I dare suggest the fact that under hard braking 90% of your stopping power is on your front wheel - just like a bicycle - might have something to do with it.

Johno59

In the UK the solution to the danger posed by icy roads is to put down heavily salted grit. The effect on metal is horrendous. It is a selling point to declare a bike to be never ridden in winter. (owing to the comparitive lack of salt on summer roads).


This Raleigh wheel was kept out of the weather for nearly 70 years.

You have a rust problem with steel and galvanising problem with all metals. Even stainless steel is attacked by the corrosive environment created by salt and moisture.

Cute Boy Horse

Of course, and motorcyclists and Harley Davidson owners very rarely overlap, Harleys aren't motorcycles but more of a fantasy object for fat old men who have lead financially successful but very unsatisfying lives. Bank managers, dentists, etc. So they buy lots of branded jackets, trousers etc for their once a week ride around their neighborhood and back home again. So naturally when they congregate together they tell each other very strange things.

But still. In my mind a bicycle without a kickstand is unfinished.

Johno59

You never can tell what people actually believe or are.

Good example was today. It is a beautiful summer's day here in SE England. They don't happen often but when they do it's glorious.

For many, many years an unassuming Frenchman (retired) stops every afternoon at the local pub and has a half-pint of ale and leaves. Never says a word and is considered by the regulars as a bit of an oddball. He rides an old (they went broke in the 1970s) Lambretta scooter with a very rare, skirted canvas fairing that covers your legs. Old ladies back in the day used this wraparound fairing to keep their dresses/shoes/stockings/handbags etc out of the wind and rain. Sure - no worries - a bit of an odd configuration (especially in the summer) but there you go. Quiet unassuming guy - nice but dull.

Today the same French guy rides in for his half-pint. But today he's riding a water-cooled Indian Scout Bobber with tear-drop leather saddles latched with brass buckles to scoop the bikes skeleton cut-down leather upholstery.

It was like damn.....America has just entered the building!

People just WTF! Who knew? - old half-pint Frenchie is bad-ass Captain America in disguise.

Sonofa*****!

Goes to show you never can tell.