PhilFo : nice to finally see the bike - beautiful. I do have to check though - stem and seatpost insertion depth are ok, right?

Mark, the seatpost is an American Classic MTB post, about 350mm, the stem is a cursive script Titan chrome unit (no date code) with an expander plug and the headset collar securing it. I should put it down about half an inch, but there is at least 2” below the top of the steerer tube. This week it will be getting a 19 tooth track cog and I’ll have to really start working. As it is a cottered crankset, I’ll be going easy on the back pressure, besides, I have brakes! I can’t wait to get out on the Schuylkill path and take a ride to Valley Forge on this.
Thanks for the praise!

Hey, John, thanks a bunch! So as the front wheel spins, any torque transferred to the cone tends to tighten the cone against whatever locks it. In the RJ flick it is the fork blade bearing against the wheel nut. In the modern Raleigh hub he shows, the cone is locked against a lockwasher, a locknut, the dropout and finally a wheel nut, a big wingnut in the case of this bike.

Next, my axle, which I think is OEM (so it's from 1952), has a slot cut across the screw treads and one of the lockwashers has a little tab which fits the slot. The other side has a lockwasher which does not have a tab. Which side of the hub do the slotted axle and washer go on? My first guess is we want the slotted one to go where we do not want looseing torque to the cone to loosen the bearing locknut and then perhaps the wheel nut.

I have a couple of bikes that have slotted front axles. I have them on the none drive side of the bike. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Looks pretty clean.

RESTORED VINTAGE 1970 RANGER $225 St. Charles, IL

Facebook IL Ranger

Unusual hard to find RANGER 3 speed touring bike, made in England by Phillips Cycles LTD, sold in Chicago. Fresh 2023 restoration with new Duro whitewall tires/tubes, brake pads. Completely disassembled, cleaned and lubricated. Paint is original with some wear per photos. Buffed out and waxed. Rims in great condition and true. All spokes adjusted. Underside of seat repainted. Tested for 15 miles. Nice vintage smooth touring bike. Works through all 3 gears with no issues. Interesting head badge in great condition. Includes the original all chrome rack in great condition. Feel free to ask questions. More photos available.

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...kg&oe=65172D23
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...eQ&oe=65187A9B
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...hw&oe=65173629

I always liked the rebranded models for some reason. I just picked up a 'Crown' (Roilfast sold) bike that looks almost identical to that Ranger.
I got it from the original owner who gave me a lifetime history on the bike and how he got it when he was 15 in 1964. Its in similar condition. I had to pretty much take it apart to fit it in the rental car I was driving the day I found it. It rode around with me, disassembled, in the trunk wrapped in a couple beach towels for four days while on the road for work. I spotted the bike on CL there and the guy got right back to me, so I made arrangements to see it asap. I was shocked to see how clean it was, even the paint was decent. Hardly any scratches and two perfect rims, just lots of grease and oil. When I got there he had the bike already to test ride. He was only asking $50, but right away said he'd take $40 if it was for my own use.
I took the bike for a quick ride, and handed him the $40. He brought out a small tool box and took the bike apart, wrapping each piece in a towel. He put all the bearings in pill bottles, he bagged the chain in a zip lock bag, and when all done, he set the tool box in the trunk as well, saying that he got it with the bike and it goes with the bike. The tool box is a 1950's Union metal box, with three trays, completely lined with rubber, complete with an assortment of Eldi, SA,, SK, and Park tools. I'll post some pics once I get it back together and all cleaned up. It won't let me post here till I get 10 posts though.

The non-adjustable cone without flats, is snugged against the 'stop' on the axle first. It goes on the drive side of the front wheel. There are no locknuts. The adjustable cone (with flats) goes on the left or non-drive side of the bike. The spinning wheel will never tighten the cone and ruin the hub. I think these so-called locknuts are tabbed washers but they aren't really necessary imo. Always go to the source, even though even Sheldon, was occasionally (rarely) wrong.

Here's a few better photos of the 1951 Rudge Aero Clubman, at our local boneyard.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Phi...ycles/Clubman/
As per nlerner's suggestion, click on the link, get to the error page, go to the URL then remove the 's' after https.

It rides really nicely. It may get a real inaugural ride this weekend, riding along with a friend who is going to visit family up near Binghamton, NY. I'll ride along for 20 or so miles then ride back home.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ec5c057a11.jpg
1972 Malaysian Raleigh Sports with Swytch ebike kit.
I haven't posted here in a few years, but just electrified one of my Raleigh Sports a few days ago. Yesterday I changed out the B17 in the photo for a B66 from one of my other Sports. I am really happy with the conversion so far. I had to file the front fork dropouts to get the hub motor axle to fit. I just realized the battery is not shown in the photo, but it is the newer slim version. I will post a photo with the battery tomorrow. I'm glad this thread is still alive and well.

Tall, nice, well equipped Sports for $85 in RI.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...44014471046821

https://scontent.fric1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...6w&oe=651C62A6

"https" did not show in the address bar when I clicked on the link.

A recent local finding:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c4241bfcb1.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1c2d620e26.jpg

Square taper conversion if my 1960s Triumph - success
 

Hi folks, I know a few around here have thought about JIS conversion of their old three-speed, and since I've just finished following Sheldon's way, I thought it was worth a report.

Italian BB spindle, 71mm, 6mm ball bearings, and 113mm spindle length for my particular crank worked a treat - though its close. Chain line is reasonable but not perfect, considering its hard to get the hub sprocket out very far. For an around-town lock it at the pub in the rain kind of three-speed, I'll call it job done. I had a Surly chainring laying in my parts bin and it looks great. 20t sprocket on the 1953 AW (I rebuilt it a few months ago, its nice to hear it tick along). 1975 GH6 hub still makes the electron juice. This bike is a bitsa-this, bitsa-that. Flat handlebars are 1940s French unit off of eBay. Chainguard won't fit as intended, so it'll have to do. Bar tape off of my Schwinn Voyageur and clear shellac for longevity.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...53f8d16f_h.jpgPXL_20230930_221445008
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6cade580_h.jpgPXL_20230930_221503203
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...df5aefd8_h.jpgPXL_20230930_221516273

A few remaining pieces - replace the old pedals I grabbed off the corpse of a '59 Raleigh Canadian, and replace the previous owner's bad wiring job for the lamps. They work decently well with LED bulbs from Nicelite. I also have a decent pair of Raleigh fenders (again sourced from the '59), that I've painted with rustoleum white after using evaporust on them - I may try and match the burgundy colour of the Triumph and create a white 'blaze' on the rear fender, and scratch up a period reflector for the fender.

The 1980 S5.1 hub this bike came to me with is going to be rebuilt this winter to correct a first-gear slip.

Lovely bike & post! That’s the kind of bike I daydream about riding on a Sunday.

I have a beautiful 1960s Dawes Realmrider frameset that I would love to build up authentically. The only concession to modernity I’m thinking about is a rim with a more common BSD than the 26 x 1 1/4 wheel sets the frame was designed for … like 700 x 32 with short reach sidepulls. I’d also like to source some 120mm 3-5 speed internal hub with a matching front end dynamo hub.

1961 Superbe Steering Issue
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dfa1465c49.jpg
I've had this one for a number of years and it tends to "wander" when riding.
I think one of the problems with the locking fork is that people did try to steal these bikes, reefing on the handle bars and twisting
the fork which seemed to be the case with this one.
Looking straight down from the top you could see the alignment was off.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1b02ba09f6.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e2ce9b1f36.jpg
I locked the forks in the deck and reefed on them with a piece of rebar with some success.
However, after re assembly it still wanders...
Question- does a fork from a Ladies' bike fit the 23" men's bike?
I can probably find one easier than a men's.

Follow up
I gave another reef with the rebar and seems to be much better, not perfect but better.

I’ve always wondered if a fork steerer could be chopped, a 7/8 section of handlebar slipped inside acting as both alignment and weld back up bar, and another section of steerer slipped on top, lengthening the fork?

Or converting a fork to thread less.

This sounds like just the thing to get me out of my slump, and get some miles on the Sports as well. My only problem is, I live near the top of Chopmist Hill so it's away and down in any direction, and a long uphill slog back. Not suitable for a 3 speed. But I just mapped it out and if I trucked my bike down near the village I could offload and do a relatively level ride thru town and back. I could even stop for a beverage at the pub on the way by :beer:

Anyone else accepting this challenge?

I did.
You might consider getting a 4-speed hub; you should be able to climb most any hill with that!

I was inspired enough to take the Sports up the street nearer the top of the hill and back, probably 2 miles round trip. A sort of shakedown cruise since I haven't touched it since I test-riding after my oily rag resto. The annual Art Festival is in the village this weekend, which will prevent me from doing the downtown loop I had mapped. Bu I might be able to get away to a different location on Sunday or Monday to kick start my participation in the challenge.

It's a replacement job. A millwright friend of mine did this with a hardtail. It involved removing the old steerer and replacing with a longer one using a hydraulic press. Highly skilled, he was.

I used a fork from a 1972 ladies model, that measured 21" c-t, on a 22" 1970 man's Sports
and believe that an earlier 21" ladies fork is nearly the same steer tube length as a 23" men's frame, but it may differ by year.
There are also universal replacement forks but most I've seen have 24tpi and were meant for the newer models after 1975 or so. Those were cut to fit but you need to find a new headset.

The 72 Ladies Sports had an obvious shorter head tube than does the 1967 ladies sprite I took the fork for to fix the 1970 mens 23" model.
The ladies fork was a tad bit longer, I just added an extra tabbed washer but could have just as well cut off a few threads.

A 1966 ladies Sprite, and a 1959 ladies sports I have here both have 7" head tubes and 8 1/16" fork steer tubes measured from the bottom of the crown race to the top of the tube.
I have a men's 21" 1960 with a 4 5/8" head tube and a 5 3/4" fork steer tube.
and a 1964 men's 23" Sports with a 6 3/4" head tube and a 7 7/8" steer tube.
I have a Malaysia made ladies Sports here in a 21" frame that has a 6 5/8" head tube and a 7 3/4" steer tube fork.
Year and frame size seems to matter. The ladies frames with the shorter headtube sit lower and shorter then those with the longer headtube buy quite a bit, there's an obvious difference in ride height. As a big man, I can ride the 21" ladies bikes with the 7" head tube, but not those with the shorter head tubes. I think the changes were made in the early 70's when the two ladies models were given very different geometries than before.
I always wondered what drove them to have so many variations but only two advertised ladies frame sizes.
I've also run into 19" ladies frames but don't recall seeing them in any brochure I've had.

There was an eBay seller who had some chrome replacement Royal Enfield branded tubular crown forks with 8 1/8" steer tubes listed but he wanted $75 each for them, I believe they were 24tpi threaded. I haven't seen them in a while though but he had them listed last spring and had had them in the past. They looked identical to a Raleigh fork in the pics. The replacement forks I saw at one shop a couple year ago were tubular crown but had "TANGE" engraved on the steer tube.

If that fork has a good steer tube and no kinks, anyone with a good fork jig should be able to re-align it properly. (Such as a Park FCG-1)
I got lucky a few years ago and stumbled on one at a local flea market for cheap, it was still in the box and likely never used.

Somebody rescue this poor guy (not the dog).

Bike $50 Lake Geneva, WI

Facebook WI Raleigh

Vintage bike for sale needs tuning taking offers

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...Fg&oe=652825DF
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...wg&oe=65294AF2
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...Nw&oe=65283990

Thanks for the info. Here in Toronto we've lost most of our bike recycle shops. There's still one up the street, Bike Pirates that I'll visit with a measuring tape. I have a spare fork here but it's too short. As always, I'll keep my eyes open for an abandoned bike on the street or in the trash.

another lube question. I just noticed a lube port on the bottom bracket of my Royal Scot this weekend...what!? That kind of blows my mind. Does the same oil go in all three ports: front hub, BB and Sturmey Archer IGH?

and pls remind me what's the best oil. I've been googling that for 20 minutes and have really been taken down some rabbit holes on various forums. So much conflicting information!!!
Is ATF as good or better than Phil's? Or motor oil?