@agmetal, it looks beautiful in its ugly glory, but don't feel bad if it doesn't work for you as a rider. As much as I love these bikes, I could never get used to them as regular riders. You can build a beater out of an old 10-speed bike, and it will be lighter and more, well, spritely.

Yeah, @RobbieTunes, you've come to the right place. Racks were usually color matched, but a lot of people bought aftermarket racks such as the Pletscher. I have a Pletscher I'm not using if you're interested.

I tried a few tires, and strangely, I much prefer the Kenda to the Schwalbe in this size. The Schwalbe tires, for me, rode like rocks, and others have reported that they feel plush. I don't get it, but there you go.

Kool Stop brake pads, no question.

And there's nothing you can do about the spokes. Let them be dark and dull. If you're feeling adventurous, you can unlace them, one at a time or all at once, and interlace them in the way wheels usually are. In theory it's an improvement, but with those heavy rims, I'm not sure it really is.

For tires, I personally like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus but they're not carried by a lot of retailers and they've gotten outrageously expensive. Also, they're black sidewall with a reflective stripe. Some claim they roll like they have a lead liner. The michelin world tour is inexpensive, but they're sort of orange. There are various Kenda, Sunlite, and Cheng shin offerings in black and gumwall. Supposed to be serviceable and they are inexpensive.

The two most popular are probably the Schwalbe Delta cruiser in cream color and the favorite of those that know, the Panaracer Col De La Vie which now seems to be called the Randonnee. With that name, how bad can it be? They're a little fatter than the typical 1 3/8 650A tire, the ones I have actually say 1 1/2 on the sidewall, and I had trouble getting them to seat uniformly on Sun CR18 rims, but lots of people really love these tires. Some claim they are the best 650A tires ever to roll on the face of the earth -- or any other planet. They are very good looking, too.

For brake pads, either the Kool Stop salmon or the Dia Compe grey. The Dia Compe work well, in my opinion, and are about $6 per bike. I've tried the black Jaguar ones and the only thing I can say about them is that they seem to be pre-aged. About as hard as the 60 yo pads I replaced them with. But, they're cheap.

added:

I'm wrong about the CR18s. We put the Panaracer tires on Raleigh rims on a 51 step-through

Welcome to the thread Robbie Tunes!

70-ish degrees in the afternoon, but rapid drop to mid-40s about sunset. I guess the colder weather is finally going to arrive. That is what I hear at least. 1958 Raleigh Sports 4 Speed today:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9d3CGa0Ea...119_140658.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IgBhipjDd...119_140710.jpg

Gorgeous pictures and a fine looking bicycle.

Wow, one excellent Sports there! I'd like to know about the saddle bag. I never see those early ones in useable condition. Is that a period bag that somehow survived or is someone making reproductions?

I like this bike. It's just the type I always look for. That 3 or 4 speed trigger looks like it could be restored nicely. The chrome on the faceplate is intact. Worn off chrome is the one thing I can't do anything about. If you disassemble it, soak it a couple of days in evapo-rust and straighten out the brass faceplate, it should look quite good.

Y'know, I never feel like my Sports-type bikes feel unspritely. Maybe besides personal preference, it's also about rider's weight? I'm on the not-light side. I also had a similar take with the LHT, where some complained about the "deadness" of the ride, I felt it just fine.

There is a lot to what makes people prefer one thing over another. One is whatever you're used to, and another is your own physique. I'm lightweight, and heavy people might not like the stuff I like, because it's flexy. I can't flex bikes so easily, because I just don't have the mass to do it. There might be a science behind that, and I don't know if it's been explored, how we can predict what kind of bike someone would like from their physique.

I've used both tires. Both look good. The Delta Cruisers are good and durable, but maybe not the nicest ride. The Col de la Vies are better "riding" tires, and are possibly the best 650A tire out there. But that isn't saying much, as the bar is pretty low. They are not as flat resistant as the Delta Cruisers, and I've gotten my share of flats with them, usually of the small "I don't know what the *&$#! caused this flat!" type of flat. Right now I have sealant in the tubes, and still I got a flat.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1561/2...cc8bd732_z.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7507/2...06ed2c33_z.jpg

It is difficult to understand bicycle preferences. Another factor is that they can also change with time. I would have never predicted my current enthusiasm for riding roadsters. I always thought, for upright riding, my dream bike would be a converted lightweight like maybe a Super Course or Competition, but now, I'm not so sure. A lot of the assumptions I've had about my preferences have been tossed out the window lately.

When I say it felt like a slog to ride, I'm comparing it to the larger, heavier, and older 1937 Tourist that I ride more frequently. I think I fixed most of this with the bearing overhauls I did...I think my biggest complaint seems to be the shorter crank length on the Sports. It's still at the shop though, I haven't had a chance to take it for a longer ride since doing that work.

Also, @BigChief - I have no plans to "fix" the shifter on that bike...that's part of what I like about it, and it works perfectly!

It's a Carradice Zipped Roll. They make them in a couple colors, but black and white worked for this bike. They're expensive, but they're really, really nice. The size is just about right for a Sports.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wly3Q9Utb...925_174222.jpg

Yes, the size is perfect and the overall shape, except for the snaps instead of buckles and straps is very similar to the older style original equipment bags. An excellent choice. Now I know exactly what I want for my roadster. Thanks

Another Raleigh Sport from the Boke Exchange
 

Last Saturday we had a work day at the Bike Exchange. I get there early to open up and pull bikes out of the
pile (s) for the volunteers to work on. Saturday we were doing kids bikes. While rooting around I saw in the back corner a blue Raleigh Sport and put it in the truck to work on at home.

I already have it apart (Mens 21" frame) and am now cleaning, de rusting, and polishing. I checked the serial no. stamped on the seat lug ( 164189) but couldn't find it in the Serial no. data base. I checked the Sturmey Archer hub and it has 69 as a date.

Hard to believe this bike is that old. The candy blue paint is in remarkable condition. I guess it spent a lot of time safely stored somewhere. There was a lot of rust on the handle bars and stem so I went rummaging around in our warehouse space and found another bar and stem in much better shape. Had very nice grips too.

The wheels are a little rusty but nowhere near as bad as the last one I worked on. They should polish up pretty well. The tires are almost new looking Dunlop Champions ( original tires?) and the rear still holds air.

It didn't have a seat so I went back to the warehouse and found a Chinese made "Deluxe Sport" mattress saddle that looks like an exact copy of the Brooks.

One unusual detail was the pedals. They are solid platforms with an oval front and back with inset reflectors and the Raleigh logo embossed in the rubber platform.

I am going back out to the garage today to clean up the chrome side pull brakes and start on the rims .

When I get it back together I will take a few pictures to share.

I am lucky in that there is another long time volunteer that is a Raleigh 3 speed aficionado. He is source of inspiration, guidance and knowledge on these old bikes. I just have to get there early or he might grab a new
(to us ) donation bike before I can pounce on it.

Expensive but worth it. The Carradice zipped roll was much more bag than I was expecting. I splurged on the special tweed version. Not sure if it's exactly the same size, but it's big enough to use in lieu of a rando type handlebar bag for long day trips. Plenty of room for lunch, wallet, phone, windbreaker, etc, as well as the usual spare tube and mini pump.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/l-...M=w633-h844-no

My preference on tires are the Michelins, which have a nice gumwall and can take 80-85 pounds. They are faster at those pressures and ride very nicely with about 70 pounds.
If the rims are not badly rusted just clean up the wheels as best you can. Steel wool, aluminum foil with lemon juice both work pretty well on the chrome and galvanized. Make sure you are careful with the Dynohub (improper disassembly will demagnetize it) but the axle is a special design (see Sheldon Brown's site) that makes it easy to service once you understand the design; at any rate the bearings will benefit from some attention. OTOH, the rear hub likely needs a treatment of WD-40 in the oil port and a brisk 3 mile ride, after which the contents of the hub should be drained and replaced with a good lubricant (I use Dextron-style automatic transmission fluid; works a treat). The cones on the rear hub should be ever so slightly loose (this is best sensed at the rim rather than the hub itself).

If the rims are badly rusted polishing and rechroming these days is impractical unless cost is no object. Replace the rims with Sun CR-18s and might as well use stainless spokes (Raleigh used stainless in the old days).

Get a cotter pin press so you can service the bottom bracket. Good quality cotter pins are very hard to find so you want to reuse the old ones. If you just a hammer to extract them they will be destroyed (do not attempt to use a hammer without using the cotter press first!!). The angles ground on the side of the cotter pin is pretty specific so this is one you don't want to mess up. If you have a cotter pin press you will be amazed at how easy cottered cranks are to service!! The Bikesmith press is pretty decent BikeSmith Design and Fabrication

Make sure you have a metal pulley wheel and metal cable stop for the shift. I'm pretty sure you do- I think I saw a metal pulley on that bike when I saw it at the Dairyland Dare (**really** nice price BTW...). If you don't you might want to contact Jon the Gentleman Cyclist though the Lake Pepin 3-speed tour website (and of course, you should be riding that bike on that tour this upcoming May...).
The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour

If installing a rack you go with either a Pletcher or a Presstube (the latter being the correct stock part if a rack was included initially). The Pletchers are solid and excellent quality- and also correct for almost any vintage machine from 1956 or so up to about 1979.

Your pedals can be serviced. The bearing quality is excellent! Don't lose the dustcaps!

The salmon Koolstops are the goto brake pad especially if you are keeping the chrome rims. I concede that the original carriers for the original John Bull pads are rather charming, but trust me on this, the John Bull pads are terrible even if you find them NOS. Don't set up the brakes super close to the rims. Give them a bit of room and that will help your hands be able to really squeeze the brakes properly!! The brakes should be set up so you have at least 1/4" of play on the brake levers. Do your best to clean and lubricate the original brake cables- replacing them will require in most older cases someone to construct the cable for you. The housing and the fixtures on the ends are the issues. So treat them with care and respect and they will do you well!

Have fun! and remember that the bike was not meant to be light but instead was meant to be reliable transportation that if treated right will easily last 100 years.

Your bike looks a lot like my '73 Superbe, but you need rack extenders like I made for mine
The pic by itself was with aluminum rims and stainless spokes. The pic with both my Superbes is with original rims, and scothbrited spokes.

I use a piece of scotchbrite pad for scrubbing the age off old original spokes, just DO NOT use a scotchbrite on chrome. Extra fine steel wool and chrome polish for the rims.

Forgive the slight off topic, but on this day Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II wed Prince Phillip. Would you raise a glass...

"God save the Queen" !

PS. my 23" Sport change over is coming along fine with just a few nits to pick.

It looks to be the same size, which I think is just right for the Sports bike. I like the day trip way of thinking about that size: large enough to hold supplies for a day ride. I wish I could have them on all my bikes, but I'd go broke doing it.

Says who?

Sure grip dl-9307
 

The grips, are they still available?

SURE GRIP DL-9307

Pretty much any shop with a J&B account should be able to get them

http://www.jbi.bike/web/checking_product_description.php?part_number=31605

Tx, those look like they'd do the job. Kinda like the old Columbia grips from back in the day...

I like them, I'm considering getting a second pair for the ANT frame I'm building up as a semi-modernized take on my 1937 Tourist

Looks like a ladies' Sports to me, but I've never seen a Glider for sale. Forumer noglider needs one of these, but then he'd have to change his name.

Raleigh Glider Bike

Raleigh Glider Bike - $40 (Church Hill)

https://images.craigslist.org/00808_...N3_600x450.jpg

Needs hand grip, Work done to the back brake and new tubes and tires. Cool bike, just needs some minor repairs. Asking $40 OBO.

We see a lot of these in border states with Canada. Only sold there, not in the US. Nice Bikes.

Pack of five, including a Raleigh Superbe:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/5887693054.html

Worth it just for the parts.