Originally Posted by
Ged117
These are the same original grips that I have on my '50 Superbe. I can confirm that with use they will deteriorate quickly. Also, the original sought-after Sir Walter kickstands that these era Raleighs came with (and which cost a fortune now on eBay) are not to be trusted. The bike will fall over at the mere suggestion of wind. Such occurrences will add further battle scars to the grips...
I've added real cork grips from Rivendell to my wife's '56 step-through Sports, and they look great with a little shellac. Once the grips on my '50 Superbe are kaput, I'll be adding a pair of these, which are spendy though of nice quality.
https://www.rivbike.com/products/mie...ps-pair-normal
Thanks—that’s useful confirmation of my fears about using 70-year old rubber grips. I have the “bullet” grips to install for now, but will take a close look at the Rivendell cork grips. And also very useful info about the Sir Walt prop stands. I obtained this bike with an old propstand/kickstand that is not the original, attractive (and today very expensive) Sir Walt stand, but sounds as if it might be far more functional. It leads one to the old debate in refurbishment and restoration of whether form trumps function, or vice versa......
Grateful for the feedback and info!