I am showing Bikesmith is not selling the good cotters any longer as it has become to hard to source them. I have 2 projects im trying to finish and will need cotters. Both are raleigh sports models but not direct Raleigh models. I have one huffy sportsman (1962) built by raleigh for huffy. Its a sports replica. Ive also got a Robin Hood Sports (1957) which is also a Raleigh sports re-branded. Both are to the point where they need cotters installed. I knew i shouldnt have waited so long. After all work ive done id rather not put the grade b cotters in them. Where you you all get your cotters? When ordering how do i know they are not the cheap ones?(Bikesmith calls these "grade b").

Any 3/8" (9.5mm) cotter pin will work as long as the taper is steep enough to be filed down to match the fit of the particular bike. Most of the generic pins I've bought lately are. I just need to fit them to each bike.

Looks like it is Larger then the one needing replacement.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467330http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467331 Also a one screw, what to do...

If you use a cotter press you are likely to be able to reuse the old cotter.

If you simply lacking the parts the first stop is a bike coop. They tend to have cotters on hand somewhere...

If you search "Raleigh reflector" on eBay, you'll find these repros. They don't specify size, but if they are period correct, they may fit your lens.
Vintage Bicycle Raleigh Rear Reflector Mudguard Fender Humber Rudge 1950s | eBay

First thing yesterday morning, an ad popped up in the local CL for a Raleigh Tourist - asking price $100. The photos looked like everything was in order, so I wasted no time in contacting the seller. We made arrangements to meet as soon as he returned from work that afternoon. I tried the bike and everything was in good order, so I didn't waste time by haggling over the price. Here are some "as found" photos.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467771http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467772http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467773http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467774http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467775http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467776http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467777http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467778

Does anyone have suggestions on the best place to find replacement consumables (tires, tubes, brake pads)? Also, is there an easy method to remove the wheels (without completely removing the brake pads) for tire repair/changes?

^ Nice DL-1! I'm afraid there's no way to remove the wheels without removing brake pads or at least one side. But that's easy enough to do. Getting the rear wheel off without having the chain slide into the chain case is another challenge!

Wow. Great find! Congrats. Very rare to see one with an enclosed chain on this side of the Atlantic. I got 28x 1 1/2" tires from Harris Cyclery. I did have to remove the brake pads to get the wheels off.

This one just showed up locally. Nice original rack.

Raleigh Colt 3-speed

Raleigh Colt 3-speed - $60 (Colonial Heights) http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_9...rs_600x450.jpg





http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_9...yrs_50x50c.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/00K0K_8...EkU_50x50c.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/00O0O_4...h04_50x50c.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/00K0K_8...EkU_50x50c.jpg

Vintage Raleigh Colt ladies 26 inch bike...3 speed...needs tires and tubes... $60
call show contact info between 8am and 8pm
NO TEXT...MY PHONE DOES NOT TEXT 804-255-3167

Great looking DL1, and a good deal as well. Schwalbe Marathon was the only tire my LBS could get but tubes were in stock a the local hardware store! I found some NOS "Duro" tires at a swap. I also found shift parts and a cable at two older bike shops that once sold Raleighs in their heyday. Older shops don't seem to throw stuff out.

Colts are hard to find. They are a "compact" frame and are just the ticket for anybody who wants to ride a traditional 3 speed, but has trouble with a 21" Sports frame.

That's a nice Colt and a nice price. I'm still looking for a smaller 3 speed & will transfer my wheels over that I built for the Phillips.

Great score! I got the tires for my DL1 from Wallingford Bike parts wallbike.com | Wallingford Bike PartsReplacing tires and tubes on a DL1 is a major PITA so get as close to bombproof as you can find. I put Koolstop salmon pads on mine (EBay) and they are impressive. The trick I found to adjusting the brakes is to get the pads aligned to the rims and then raising the handlebars to bring them closer to the rims.

I just finished installing a side stand on mine (never had one and now I know why). I'll get pictures up in a few days.

I'm getting closer to getting my 1948 CWS off the work stand. It has been a challenge to remove surface rust and gunk while leaving patina in place. That process took much longer than I would have supposed.

I rebuilt the FW hub this morning. It was freewheeling so apart it came. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary and there was some light grease in it which probably started out as oil. After reassembly, it spins pretty nice, ticks happily, and engages all the gears. The FW is a bit trickier to rebuild than an AW, at least from my experience. I was a little surprised to find it has a screw on sprocket.

Sounds like you have dealt with rod brakes before - which brings up another question. My drive side brake pad barely catches the edge of the rim, while the pad on the other side is very close to the spoke nipples. It would seem that I need to loosen the clamps that hold the yoke(?) to the fork and rotate them a bit to the left. I'm not going to do this until someone confirms that it is OK. Here's pix.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467831http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=467832

Drive side, then the other side

^^^^^

I totally disassembled mine and realigned everything. I did bend the short arms that the pads bolt to for optimal rim contact with the pad. I can lock up the front wheel and the back almost locks. I've read many complaints about rod brakes being ineffective, but honestly with a little time spent setting them up they can perform quite well. Also, be sure to oil all of the pivot points to ensure proper release.

Enroute to salvation...
 

I never before have seen anything quite like this. Since I've liked these bikes since I was a kid, I had to step up to save a '73. Under a 1/2" of sludge/grime I found paint! I have enough shiny "like new" chrome pieces to turn this bike around nicely. It was a barn find that the animals literally made a home of. It's future rider is doggin' me now to get it ready to ride.

Man, when you take on a project like that, you really have a PROJECT. Good luck.

Since it has a Norfolk, VA license sticker, I'm thinking that maybe a sailor brought it from a country where the configuration was more common.

You could try drilling a hole into a small wooden batten. The hole should be about 1/2" or so - it should be a close fit over the stay. Clamp that wood into a vice, or secure it some other way.
Slip the stay through the hole, then slide another similar piece of wood over the stay and use the leverage to gently bend the stay where you want to go.
I think that hammering it without heat, might cause it to become slightly work hardened, so it'll never be right. It's also a bit difficult to control the amount of movement you apply to a piece when using a hammer. Long levers give much better control. It might never be absolutely straight, but you should be able to get rid of the worst of that curliness...

Just scored yet another project. '71 ladies' Raleigh Sports, $60 offa Craigslist. Pretty complete, some surface rust, nothing bad...even has the original Sir Walter pedals in good shape, and integral pump pegs. Odd color that I don't think is original.

http://i.imgur.com/KKf6gaY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jZ4QXoV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bX2t8n7.jpg

[MENTION=308017]arex[/MENTION], I'm pretty sure the stem is not original and that the brake levers are from later models. Also, the front fender looks short, so maybe it was replaced. The color is quite nice. It seems possible it's original paint but I don't know.

1. You're right about the stem, now that I look closer at it. Not sure what it is, but it's pretty old itself. Seems serviceable, though, I imagine I'll re-use it.
2. You're right about the fender. There's a weird fin-thing pressed into it that doesn't look too Raleigh-y...it's the sort of crap you'd see on an older American bike.
3. Since I've had a chance to really examine the paint, I can say it's not original. They tried to mask off some of the Raleigh decals with varying success before painting, and some of the gold highlights were poorly masked. Looked over some of the paint scratches and chips, but I can't tell what might've been underneath.
4. This seems like a pretty large frame. My wife, who is 5'10", almost had trouble reaching the pedals with the seat all the way down. Hopefully, this can be mitigated with a lower-profile saddle like an unsprung Brooks.

[MENTION=308017]arex[/MENTION], I take your word for it on the paint.

It's nice that they made a large women's frame. I think it had a 22" or 23" seat tube. If the bike is for your wife, I hope you can make it work for her with a change of saddle.

Thanks. Shouldn't be too bad after it's disassembled. Should turn out nicely. Needs a good cleaning, disinfecting, and fresh grease. Most of the nasty stuff is getting tossed, or recycled as scrap metal. Original tires on it! Definitely one of the funkier project bikes I've taken on. "Ms. C.H." is also pretty finicky, but is looking at this one like it's a lost little puppy. I bought her an early '80s Mixte road bike (N.O.S. "Upper mid-range" with original manuals, paperwork, etc. -- not a speck of dust or scratch on it -- what a story on this one!), but she likes the comfort and stability of the English 3-speeds!

[MENTION=308017]arex[/MENTION]

In the early seventies, Raleigh began off shoring some production. I am aware of Raleighs that were built in Malaysia and also by Gazelle in the Netherlands. There were a few odd runs that crossed the features of the LTD-3 and the Sports. The endrick rims on yours makes me suspect yours may be an offshore bike. Also, the Gazelle built Raleighs offered more vibrant colors than the staid British built ones. Gazelle also traditionally built tall frames as the dutch are some of the taller people on this planet. If you don't see a "Made in England" decal, you may well have a non-British British bike.

That's interesting. I have 2 Raleighs that I bought from a guy in the estate auction business - he owned resort rental property and would leave vintage bikes for his renter's use. I bought a ladies Sports that had a locking fork (ala Superbe) and a factory rack that I had never seen on a Raleigh before. The other bike was a men's Royale 10 speed with Huret derailleurs, axle wingnuts, foil decals (including headbadge), BSA forks, and internal light wiring. The Royale is painted a medium dark green/blue. Both bikes have Belgian bike license plates that were attached to the left front fork or axle (Brabant). The Royale serial number is MG17365 which I believe denotes a Malaysian build, but has a Made in England decal. The Sports serial number is 1624904.

...which might also explain the non-standard stem. The seat's made in Taiwan (no idea if it's original), and the brakes are made by Polygon, a brand I don't know. I've seen the same brake levers on eBay as "Raleigh self-adjusting brakes", so I think that maybe those are original...they're pretty grinchy, so I might replace them with something more traditional.

The only decals still existent or visible are "Raleigh" on the downtube that some previous owner had carefully masked before painting it. Maybe I need to do some careful scraping with an Xacto knife to see what I can reveal.

If I'm measuring correctly, it's a 23" frame, maybe only 22". I'm a bit surprised they'd make a woman's frame this big.

Lots of Canadian built Raleighs made it to the US as well. The R serials denote Canada. In bike shops in Canada we often had "made in England" bikes sitting beside Canadian models in the same colour. I sold a pair of emerald Sprites a while ago where one was Canada and the other was England (N serial) They were both sold in a shop in Ottawa Canada in 76.http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=468087

excellent purchase!