I wonder what they were made of. Very few seem to have survived. Most of the time I see 50s 3 speeds with the American black Hunt Wilde grips. Back in the 60s, those were by far the most common aftermarket grips you would find at bike shops so I guess the originals broke down rather quickly and got replaced. Now that I have a better image and know what they look like, I'll keep my eyes open for anything that looks as close as possible for my Rudge project. Long term search it looks like.

I resemble that remark!

Step through Raleigh in Dover, DE
 

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ab6aba6f2a.jpg
https://delaware.craigslist.org/bik/...569021063.html

Good looking bike, but the original saddle is missing. It appears to have self-adjusting brakes; were they available in 1967?

No self adjusting in 67, started in 73 i believe

​

Cool! Nice job on the saddle, that frame looks great - is it a B33 frame? This would be a bike I'd happily ride...same slack angles as the DL-1, and that spacing between the 2 top bars is just right in the aesthetics department. Definitely a keeper!
Gster this is a 22" frame right? What is the top top tube length? I have a lead on a very similar Indian made bike.

Thanks.
It's an Indian saddle, a copy of the B33 .
There's a junk shop on Queen Street here in Toronto and the
owner keeps an eye out for old bike stuff for me. Saddles, pumps etc.
The bike looks great but the ride is a little awkward.
The front end tends to "wander" a bit.
More show than go.

How about this?
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...de5f963a53.jpg

Shurly East LA. They are art work but can be to difficult to ride & low comfort. I can appreciate all that workmanship though.

I think brake ajusters came out in 1975-76. That crank is pre 1974

As it's five years and time to repack the Nexus hub on one of my bikes I watched some videos and the recommended thin white grease by Shimano seemed familiar. I just thought of it. Long ago when I rebuilt a Chevy engine I used a thin white grease on all the moving surfaces so there'd be lubrication while oil pressure built up for the first time when the engine started. The grease would wash away and dissolve in the warm engine oil. The Shimano lube sure looks like it. Lubriplate has something called 105. I wonder if it's basically the same stuff?

@gster - however that bike rides, the aesthetics are very pleasing and you did a good job of it! I imagine the wandering front end is a symptom of the lacking stem reach and the slack fork angle. I experience similar issues on my 1951 New Hudson with old-fashioned geometry.

Looks like not enough rake for a head angle like that

I was thinking that too. The frame looks the same as a DL-1 but the fork has much less rake.

Here's an early 50s Rudge scorcher project posted over at CC. Very nice job.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...feb15f3e0b.jpg

I found an old web page from a Wisconsin company that once imported these bikes. It's full of somewhat funny caveats about them ("Finish is mediocre.... The factory is not climate-controlled, so there will be rust under both plating and paint."). Eastman now seem to belong to an industrial conglomerate and they advertise modern bikes--or maybe it's a different company. What were the difficult parts making this happen?

The inexpensive bikes on Bikesdirect offer good value but it seems to me not like one of these older Sports, in good condition, at a price like being asked here.

Just the way to do it.

My ANT frame with its 69º angles was originally built with a generic fork, and while it didn't handle badly, I felt that it could be improved, so I had a fork custom-built for it with more rake. The goal was to make it feel more like the '37 Tourist that the build is based on, and it definitely became better in that respect. I think that in either configuration, though, it takes some getting used to, since it does handle differently from most modern bikes. My girlfriend took it for a short ride yesterday, and struggled a bit with the handling at first. She's used to a Trek hybrid.

Before (original fork):
https://www.bikeforums.net/attachmen...2&d=1513276545

After (custom fork by Royal H Cycles):
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4a234f4dd5.jpg


1937 Raleigh Tourist that the build is based on:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...357a92af7c.jpg

I do think the difference in the is to dulicate the Front axle center to crank center which seems at least 6"longer.As well as an extra inch in the rear. Long wheel base + 28" tires will give that nice ride.

Yeah, there's definitely a noticeable difference in the ride with those differences you've mentioned. My ANT is, in many ways, sort of halfway between a Sports and a Tourist

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...64141f58f6.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25c8594211.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...09738db095.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0a38373ba2.jpg
I took my Tourist out for a ride today. It had not been on the road since last fall, so I had to add air to the tires, check the brakes, and so forth. It is easy to forget that this type of bicycle is very different from others until you get into the saddle and ride.
I am in the process of getting rid of several bikes, but this one will be around for a while.

The quality on this one seems good.
It was a somewhat easy project as the bike was mostly complete and in good condition when I bought it.
Fenders and chain guard were removed, new tires installed and one of the brake brackets was missing.
This was replaced with a Raleigh piece.
Paint is original and the chrome is good.
The front wheel may not be seating in the fork as it should and this may be the cause of the front end wander.
so I guess it's still not finished...

This one looks cool but way out of my price range at $400

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/h...567623650.html

https://images.craigslist.org/00W0W_...uv_600x450.jpg

Almost a twin of mine...
The Hero saddle is an Asian brand.

Hard to keep up with you guys here. Loads of new posts :speedy:

Yesterday, another “old Raleigh" was dumped at my doorstep. If this goes on, I will have to expand my garage...
Anyway, this one is pretty rusty and had been sitting in an overgrown garden shed for some time.

Lighting is non original, nor the ( Dutch Lepper- ) saddle and the Sturmey rear wheel says 1961, but I think the frame is early fifties, probably 1951 - 1953 ?

Peter

​​​​​​​https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bd13a2657f.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...62cfcb5602.jpg