Looks small, heavy and expensive to me.

Agreed. You'd need a special reason to want it, and a specialer reason to pay that much!

Thanks for the sentiments about the vanishing English 3-speeds. In 1972 I bought a new Raleigh 3-speed for commuting in L.A. It was a good comfortable solid dependable road bike and after seven years of blissful riding I foolishly sold it to get a (cough) ten-speed.

Recently I decided that, before I die, to buy a new steel-frame 3-speed. Very hard to find one. Finally got a Chinese made Windsor Oxford. It's a good bike but somehow does not have the same 'spirit' as the Raleigh. Somehow.

I'm thinking that maybe it's called a Raleigh "Compact"...

Hoping that the OP, who is definitely an aficionado of the Raleigh folding bikes, would weigh in on this...

And yeah, Velognome and noglider, no way I'd pay the asking price. It does appear to be beautifully made...

Raleigh Canada made makes a steel-framed bike that is a modern reincarnation of your old '72 - the Sprite model:
http://www.raleigh-canada.ca/#!lifes...raccordion16=0

But here's some disheartening news about that; better get one while you can if you're in the market and close to the border:
http://www.thestar.com/business/2013...in_canada.html

There is always http://www.pashley.co.uk/

77univega, they're not hard to find in the northeast. There are thousands of them sitting in garages.

most of which are in noglider's garage :roflmao2:

The Raleigh Compact is the folding version of the Saffron... both are Italian made and Raleigh badged.

The bike listed appears to be a 16 inch wheeled Shopper which was built to compete with the Moulton... 200.00 would be considered a very steep price and this kind of money would buy you a really nice Raleigh Twenty which is a nicer riding bicycle.

This is my oldest daughter's Raleigh Saffron (1980) which is much nicer than the Compact because it lacks the poor quality hinge mechanism.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/saffy1.JPG

Hey! I dumped them all on sailorbenjamin.

Believe that is from the 1980's, way over priced IHMO, probably worth $150-$200 tops to the right person.

Aaron :)

Here's my Raleigh Sports. It's a '71 frame, though most of the parts, including the wheels, are off a '64 with a damaged frame. Kind of a beater, but that just means it's more fun to ride!:) The chain guard's missing because I couldn't get it on there without the chain scraping:cry:
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2e7757d9.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...ps71fea2b4.jpg

Here's my 1962 Western Flyer that I purchased new .. I was born and grew up in San Luis Obispo, Ca .. back in the day, there were Western Auto stores .. a catalog outfit that specialized in car parts, but there were also appliances, garden equipment, general household items, and bicycles.. they also had a retail store in downtown SLO ..

The only bikes I ever had until I was twelve were the ones that got picked up at the junk yard, brought home and 'restored' .. basically sanding, painting, patching tubes and tires, and trying to make ridable ... on one of those 1 speed tanks, I delivered papers on a route .. I also sold Boy's Life door to door in an effort to make enough money to buy a brand new bike...so, for $59.23, I walked into the local Western Auto store, plunked down the cash and rode away with the display model in the window.. normally, you would order a bike from their catalog, it would come in a box, and then you'd get to assemble it at home... 3 speed S/A coaster.. lights, fenders, generator, black with gold pin striping, the works.. my pride and joy.. polished it quite a bit through the years .. there is still gold pinstriping intact on the frame where I hadn't rubbed it off .... other than the Brooks (saddle & bag), tire pump, grips and tires, it is basically original and unrestored .. made in England and considered at the time a lightweight roadster... I still ride it around town for errands and the occasional 10 mile jaunt ..

Thanks for the skinny from "the bike encyclopedia" twixt yer ears; I figured you'd have it... ;^)

Yeah, $500 and its not even made in England; no way!

I have been on the look out for a "20" that I'd consider a fair deal but no luck thus far.

There is this one right now about 50 miles up the road from me: http://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/3792560392.html

$225 plus $20 for gas = $245

Fair price?

A thing of beauty indeed.

I have a '64 ladies Western Flyer out back that had been pretty neglected and I was going to part it out. But upon further reflection, I'm going to bring it up to snuff mechanically and use it as an extra "camping" bike. Unlike your bike, it has solid colored fenders and a Raleigh type chain guard. I'll post a pic or two and refer back to your post when I do so. Gotta get her reasonably presentable first!

Strikes me as a bit much. I picked my Twenty up at the Westminster, MD swap meet in February for $160.00 In good condition, a few cosmetic shortcomings, but nothing that I would consider it to be un-showable in public. Been too busy riding it to bother with a complete teardown and refurbishing.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps8926f534.jpg

High side but not outrageous, make them an offer in the $175 range. I have seen very nice ones hitting the $300 range on eBay. I got all of mine for ~$150 or less but that was 3-4 years ago and only one was in excellent condition.

Aaron :)

I have not paid more than $100.00 for a Raleigh 20 and for 100.00 I got a pristine British model but that was a really good deal... I would have paid $200.00 for it because the 451 equipped model is a little more desirable.

Anything around $150.00 for a nice clean Twenty would be a good deal and really nice examples (mint) might sell in the $200.00 - $250.00 range. This is close to what the price range on a later model Raleigh Sports should be too.

Was nice that yesterday there was a couple here from London that wanted to join us on our Sunday morning classic and I loaned them a couple of our Twenties, they picked them up here and afterwards rode them back to their hotel and I went and picked them up afterwards.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...ride%20(3).JPG

Was easier to fit two 20's in the back seat of my Sentra than it is to fit my Surly Pugsley (which I have also carried in the back seat).

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...ride%20(5).JPG

Hey, guys: What's the word on the 1972 Raleigh Tourist DL-1?

Edit: I've looked at the 1972 catalog on the Headbadge, but all it really tells me is that it's for tall people.. haha

They came in two sizes 22" and 24" (plus a step through), I ride the 24" :D yes I am tall.
They have rod brakes which are a bit finicky to set up and don't always work as well as cable operated brakes. Some parts can be a bit difficult to chase down.
They ride like a stretch limo once you get them up to speed.
Love mine.

Aaron :)

The ongoing saga in search of the genuine article has a happy ending ( unlike Game of Thrones ). Thanks for the link but as it turned out J E James didn't have the rod brake pull up pads either. A bit more hard labor in the Google mines however turned up these folks http://www.hykehamwholesale.co.uk/st...?idproduct=246 who were happy to take my Yankee dollars and send a set right out in the Royal mail. These appear to be the same pads that Harris Cyclery had with the curved face and of course the all important " made in the UK" legend.

I live in a desert when it comes to any type of quality bicycle. All of my Raleighs, with one notable exception have been brought east from the midwest or the north east. The town I live in only had a Raleigh dealer every now and again over the years. Schwinn and whatever the big box store had was about all you find vintage wise. The occasional odd German bike may show up due to the military presence.

Aaron :)

The 3 speed Raleighs were apparently very popular in the Northeast back in the 1950s and 60s. Many people had one in a barn or garage. They were usually the basic Raleigh Sports or sub-brand bicycles. I've seen fewer "in the wild" here in MD/DC/VA, but have seen more about with the growing popularity of old bikes among hipsters and college students. Schwinn 3 speeds were apparently fairly popular as well, both here in the mid-Atlantic and in New England. The Schwinns are a great alternative if you like slack frame angles, but still want the basic AW and hand brake set up.

Awesome!

Today is a sad day for me. I was this close to finally getting my hands on a Raleigh 3 speed. The 22" DL-1. When the seller decided to keep. :cry::cry::cry:

"Mama sed there'd be daze like this"

But seriously, I have been looking for a men's DL-1 too; size not an issue, I'm 5'11" and either will do.

You in east or west TN? I might be able to help you execute on something if we work out the parameters in advance. I found my wife a pretty nice DL=1 in Atlanta last year...

Yea, I'm 6'2, so I figure size won't necessarily matter for me either. But that's what it was (hell, I never got to really see it, it may have been a 24. But I am disappoint.

I'm in middle and east TN, though. I'm originally from the Nashville area, which is where my family lives, but I go to school in Knoxville. Where are you located?

Hard to say about whether you'd be comfortable on the 22. Not sure that I would if I were 6'2" but each to his own. I prefer to "stretch" rather than be cramped in pretty much all instances. I'm in Greenville, SC so we're about the same distance from the Atlanta metro area but in different directions. That being said, the "Hot'Lanta" area definitely has the most opportunities for finding good vintage bikes in the SE.

Huh. I guess the 24 just looked REALLY large to me. I'm all about being stretched out--and I hate riding in small cars. But that sounds great! I'll definitely keep my eye out in that area!

I am 6'-2" with long legs and arms and I ride Raleigh Sports/Superbes/Tourists from 21" all the way up to the 24" DL-1. Mine fits great btw. ;)

I have 21", 23" and 24" They all have short cockpits, but I am so used to it now that I feel strange stretched out on my drop bar bikes.

Aaron :)