Shellac. If you are using orange shellac (what is now called "amber") you might consider thinning it with alcohol about 3 parts alcohol to 1 part shellac. It will flow better and more smoothly and it will give a more consistent, but much lighter, color. You can then recoat as many times as you like to get progressively darker color. Let it dry well between coats and use 0000 or 00000 steel wool to smooth it out between coats. After the final coat, lightly scuff with the steel wool to smooth it out and remove any brush strokes and then apply boiled linseed oil and rub it in until it's dry. This will give a nice sheen to the shellac and also make the shellac less affected by water which can cloud and whiten a shellac finish. Nice thing about shellac, if you apply it and then decide it's too dark or not smooth enough you can wipe it with wood alcohol and remove it. Shellac dries, it does not cure, and remains soluble by alcohol forever, so don't spill your Scotch on it.

Gah! For the love of Sir Walter himself, why the heck get a "sit up and beg" hybrid when you've got that beauty? BTW, tighten your chain.

And there I always thought we were chasing pucks around the ice with bicycle jerseys on :-)

You really know how to make me laugh and grin. Please tell me you write for a living. Not to do so would be a disservice to society.

=D

We have a paved trail here in Spokane that is 37 miles long,...I don't think I can do that on this old three speed.

You aren't the first person to tell me to tighten my chain *finds Sheldon Browns site*.

EDIT: Chain tightened,...I took a moment to lube the chain and oil the hub.

Haha,...after I posted that I googled CCM Elan and discovered that CCM stands for Canadian Cycle and Motor,...(I love hockey but never knew that).

Sure you can: http://www.3speedtour.com

Didn't notice about the chain, but the bottom cup on the headset looks like it hasn't been serviced in a while. I did a Raleigh the other day and with the headtube upside down in the stand, the top cup unthreaded and there were 23 loose balls neatly lined up. Gently lifted the fork out of the tube and there were 24 balls in the bottom cup on the headtube (facing up, because the bike was inverted). The crown race could be removed by hand and the machined surface had paint the color of the bike on it. All praise Nottingham workmanship.

Well, I've been known to take MY phillips on the Monon trail (about 20 miles each way), going out and back. It's really quite a lot of fun, as you can just stick it in 2nd, and cruise. I get more looks on the Phillips than I do when I take the Fuji out there. But, if you are going to get another bike to do the trail, get a road bike. I fricking hate seeing a million of those sit-up-and-beg bikes out there. I guess it is better than seeing a million overweight 60 year olds on carbon wonderbikes though...

+1 on the 3-speed for 30 mile+ rides, I've done it with my Phillips and hope to do the same with the little Moulton.

Sure you can. Relax and enjoy the ride.

For the lurkers, there's a lady's Phillips that matches on MPls Craigslist: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/an...803857621.html
http://images.craigslist.org/3na3m23...57cf781919.jpg

I mentioned on James's page that back in the old days we used to besmirch the vintage 3-speeds. The body position wasn't exactly the raciest image for a young fellow and the examples we got our muddy paws on were mostly either wrung out ladies models or faddish bannana seat and sissybar choppers with the stick on the Toptube... But some of my most absorbed recollections are of tooling around on a lady's Raleigh. I was fortunate enough to explore some of Gloucestershire on my Aunt's machine in 1970 and 1974. Wish i were posessed of a photochemical image of that. And I had a copper-brown ladies' 3spd for a short time in ca1990 - can still feel the elegant if not aerodynamic riding position. When I got my Sports recently I simply assumed that it would never compete with my aluminim Scott Lightflight with XTR componentry on my 6 km commute. Qu'el surprise, when I timed it out of interest and my watch was unable to declare which bike is faster, missing a second hand. Besides, if you really want excercise, an aerodynamic posture is totally counterproductive... And then some of the time saved on a derailleur bike is lost on gear adjustments, chain replacements, and if you're at all like myself, frequently staring between one's legs to learn whence all those grinding and clunking noises arise.

Here is the Men's Rudge. I'm really excited about this one. I hope there aren't unpleasant surprises waiting for me when I start fixing it up. The saddle is a bit splayed but in otherwise good condition. The saddle alone is worth a lot. I will probably try to get it back into the proper shape.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1243/...d6d25f45_b.jpg

Here are the rest of the pictures.

Here is the ladies Robin Hood. Front caliper brake and rear coaster brake. Baskets bolted to the fenders.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1252/...0c303dd4_b.jpg

Here are the rest of the pictures.

$50 or best offer. That strikes me as crazy.

Rudge: "Britain's Best Bicycle." They couldn't say it if it eren't true, could they? Wonder what that says about my Raleigh Sports?

Nice bikes Tom :-) What vintages? Tachometer on the Rudge? Interesting saddle frame. Baskets too, never saw ones like that. Or mounted like that :-)

I'd buy it, but my wife would kill me.

Absolutely lovely, but I'm sad that it doesn't have the traditional/awesome Rudge chainwheel -

http://www.bikecult.com/works/chainring/chrgrudge!.jpg

Tom, don't you have another Rudge with said chainwheel?

Was out and about today and got to talking to a fellow and his friend who was riding a Raleigh Sprite 5 speed and he said he had a Raleigh lady's bike with "stick brakes" that he would like to sell and discovered that he lives all of 5 minutes from my house.

She looks a little used but after putting some air in her original Raleigh branded tyres took her for a spin around the block and aside from a wheel that will need some vertical truing she's a grand riding old gal that would fit a lady of about five foot seven or eight quite well.

The fellow said he wanted the bike to go to someone who would appreciate her and know of a person who has some loop frame lust that needs to be sated.

D:

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/dl1lady1.jpg

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/dl1lady2.jpg

Her saddle is in fine and rather supple shape and just needs a little rub down... but don't we all ?

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/dl1ladyb66.jpg

Most of the work she needs is aesthetic and that speaks well of a bike that is 32 years old and has been sleeping in a garage.

:::Swoons:::

Saved this from the scrap pile. I'm not up much on English bikes. Raliegh Sport.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...r/DSC00843.jpg

And those are just crappy cellphone pics... wait until I get her alone in my room for a few hours and give her some love.

:)

Dont talk dirty to her though or she'll expect it all the time lol

Late '70s model. I'm guessing it has an S3C coaster brake hub in back. Saddle looks excellent. Color is called "Pearl Silver." Serial number will be on the rear of the seatpost. You can look it up on Kurt's excellent Headbadge site. I'm currently fixing up a matching lady's model for a friend of my wife.

Good save! Late 70's model, hub date should confirm it. Tall frame too, those are a bit less common than the usual 21".

Aaron :)