Here's a Sunlite touring stem compared to a stock Sports stem.

Attachment 606714

Not so far. Bike be good. Well he is not quite as tall as I am so it got pulled in a little.

knornold , wshashacicacaca,

That's easy for you to say.

The horror. The horror.

A blue ladies '72 LTD-3 came home with me. Paint is chipped, and the chrome is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Wasn't sure what to do with it, but am leaning toward making it a foul weather commuter. Hard duty, but better than going straight to the recycler. The stupid thing is that I'll probably end up putting alloy rims, handlebars, and maybe a crank on it.
Our household has a 74 LTD-3 (also ladies) that I borrow sometimes. It's weird, but I think it's a 23" frame and for short trips, I think I actually prefer it a little to my 21" gent's frame.

With the stem maxed, I can ride a 21" light roadster, but I am missing some leg extension that becomes more and more noticeable as I ride. A 23" frame suites me much better. Although, I am very pleased with my 21" semi-scorcher with the longer Sunlite stem. Worked perfectly. The longer neck made up the loss of reach that happens as you raise the handlebars. So, turning a 21" into a 23" isn't much of a problem. You do have to make up custom length cables though.

I prefer a 23" frame as well, but like you, have a few 21's with raised seats and bars.
All are enjoyable.
A Hercules
A Superbe
And a Glider

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Same here, but finding a good deal seems often to mean accepting a bike with a frame on the smaller side. The Rudge I'm considering seems like a 21" which means a higher stem and seatpost, and being sure I'm happy with the arrangement before making any significant investment. Your red bike is where I want to be with a bike like this--yours is actually the first photo I've seen that represents what I've been thinking of.

The downed turned bars certainly look cool but depending on your height and age may not be as comfortable as you'd like...
Here's ( in my opinion) the perfect Scorcher..
Bike is not mine.
Attachment 606770

This made in England Supercycle branded Raleigh is a 21" frame with extended seat post and Sunlite stem, built for myself. The 70s Bridgestone bars have a unique shape and are flipped, scorcher style. It rides okay but it does not please my eye with the extended seat post and stem. It was originally a drop bar bike (same model was available with north road style) and I have to decide whether it will sell better as a drop bar or upright. Which would you choose for resale?

Thanks for these photos. getting the right drop and reach with the inverted North Road bars would require choosing a new stem, I'm fairly sure; also, the aesthetics of a taller stem and seatpost do concern me. As for re-sale, I have a feeling the Bstone bars, positioned the more typical way, would produce the most buyer interest, but I don't know.

Posted this pick before. This is a 56 Sports with 700 wheels and 28mm tires. SA dynohub powers the B&M light. Currently has a GB stem and unbranded bars from an early 70s Raleigh GP, but it's going to get a Raleigh branded stem and bar set and some Diacompe 610 Raleigh branded centerpulls. Chainwheel is 48t, AW hub sprocket is 22.

23 is the deal for 6 footers

Now that's what I'm talking about.

Five years outside parking hasn't been too hard on the Space Rider. I wonder did Raleigh have some prescription for stopping the rims rusting, or was that just a fact of life?

[MENTION=298130]browngw[/MENTION]

I would take it as is. If the bars didn't suit me, I would flip them.

They chrome the rims pretty good. They need to be maintained. They will polish up nice even if pitted or chrome plate is missing. They clean up well in the spring the rust is mostly bleed on to the chrome.

The bike looks like a hard worker. I see the extra long seat post is all ready bent

$65. I couldn't stand to think of this thing staying outside so went back today to get a price. You'd think if someone asked about an item you'd had in the yard for a few years you'd price it low to move it out, but no. I hate to think of it rusting away but it won't be me saving it. If it had been ten bucks I'd have it, twenty and I'd have had to think about it, but not sixty-five freakin' rusted dollars.

'Bye, little bike. Good luck.

The drop bar will look better to me. Upright will have a broader market though.

I can understand about the aesthetics. I would choose a 23" as a personal rider especially if I wanted to keep an original appearance. But, I have to say that I'm very pleased with the way my Rudge semi scorcher turned out. The project started out as me trying to replace the 50s Rudge scorcher I had as a teenager and always regretted selling. I wanted it to have new paint so I needed one with either an over paint or a finish that wasn't worth preserving. I found this over painted mid 50s Rudge with a replaced fork and a Schwinn front wheel. But it was a 21". The tall sterm doesn't look so bad to me on a scorcher build and it turned out to be a really nice ride. Of all the bikes I have around, this and the DL-1 get the most ride time.

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That's a really nice looking bike. What brakes are those? They look more effective than the original?

The Raleigh made 21" Supercycle as found with drop bar.

Those are Tektro R559 brake calipers. I can't say they stop the bike any faster than the stock steel calipers with KoolStops, but they have more mechanical advantage and stiffness so they require less pressure on the lever and fit the scorcher image. Very luxurious feel to them. Like power brakes. I did have a lever travel issue with the rear brake. I ended up using 2 Sturmey Archer fulcrum clips (cable stops) on the top tube with some fine sand glued to the inside diameter (so they don't slip) to eliminate the compression from 18" of cable housing. That small amount of efficiency made the rear brake lever travel acceptable for me. Someone here mentioned compressionless cable housing as an alternative, but I went the cable stop route.

Attachment 606875

Oh, an afterthought...These brakes have the cable mount on the right side instead of the left like the originals. So when you route the cables for left front/right rear, they cross out in front like the bikes in England where they use the left lever for the rear brake and right for the front. I always liked the look of that cable routing.

Out and about on the Raleigh export model roadster this evening.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKS-0uQx3...411_185909.jpg

Full Reynolds 531 3-speed anyone?
Gazelle Superlicht - Marktplaats

EDIT:
https://i.imgur.com/aTMUSRj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Uawbtto.jpg

Winter continues. Very possible foot or two of snow, ice this weekend. Its good today to take out the Poodle riding.

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The angles on that frame look so laid back.

That looks great. Aren't these old roadsters fun? I never expected to like them as much as I do, but now I'm totally addicted.