Picked this gent up a couple weeks ago off CL. Overpaid at $260, but it's mostly all there and I couldn't resist! A decade ago I used to ride an Avon roadster from India and have really missed having one around. Rod brake roadsters are so fun to cruise around the neighborhood.

The hub says '62 but the rest seems to be late 70's, early 80's. No white on the rear fender and a plain reflector mount up front.

Welcome! I've been a 3 speed lover for a long time. Always kept one regular bike, but the heard of old English 3 speeds kept growing somehow. They can be additive. The best way to post pictures...and we love pictures here...is to use a hosting service like Flikr. This forum dose have a built in photo upload feature, but it it a bit awkward and impossible to find on your own so here it is.
click " go advanced" button
click the little paper clip icon (a dialog box opens)
click the browse button
click upload button
close the dialog box
click the paper clip icon again and choose "insert"
then submit reply

Speaking of Flickr. I put together a photo album of the best of my original condition Sturmey Archer shifters and a few restoration projects while they were apart.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/150931...57686501575124

Welcome, @tigervw78. Please post pictures of your new Sports. I'm glad to hear of your quick repair and that you're enjoying the bike on the road.

Thanks BigChief! Yea, I've got too many bikes already, and I'm now looking for a green 23" Sports or Superbe! I had setup a photobucket account already, but I didn't realize I have to have 10 posts. Is it ok to just post gibberish until I can post pics : )

Thanks noglider! I'm not very mechanically inclined, but luckily I joined a coop that has bike mechanics to help instruct us newbies. I'll post a pic as soon as I hit 10.

Once you get the hang of it and some of the subtle nuances of adjusting the hub, these bikes are quite simple to work on.Note that pretty much everything on these bikes is proprietary. Don't throw away a rusty axle nut assuming you'll get a new one at the hardware store.

Nicely done!

Thanks. Some of these old English bike details are so obscure that normal web searches don't turn up much information. A lot of the images and information in my reference collection was obtained from other 3 speeders here at BF and copied to my hard drive for easy reference. Then, they are shared here when the subject comes up. This seems to be the best way of sharing information among the small band of 3 speed enthusiasts.

I don't think you overpaid by much. Bargain DL-1s are pretty rare these days. Nice bike! You are correct. The transfers are post 1972, chainwheel post 73 and the rear mudguard lost it's white blaze in 1979. I love these bikes.

I too am looking for a DL-1 but they are all over $300 & few. Here is one

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/h...452296299.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00M0M_...C1_600x450.jpg

I agree, Mr Billy Bones did a good job of documentation via photos. :thumb:

Just for the record @BigChief my serial number verified 1979 DL1 came with the white blaze on the rear mudguard. And thank you for being a steward of the 3 speed information. It has helped me a lot.


A before and after shot of Sir Wayes A. Tonne.

You never know where a DL1 will show up. This past fall I picked up this 77 (minus chain case) at a church bazaar after a neighbor called me about it. The church was happy with my $35 donation. Original tires held air but the internals of the AW were very rusty and non functioning. I think it can be cleaned and rebuilt, but I used another 77 AW in the bin for parts. It did require a longer axle for the DL1. I am working on now. More to come.

What cotter pins are y'all using these days? I just redid a Sports and used the .99c Pyramid cotter pins. It seems fine.. but I haven't ridden it yet.

I have been using generic type cotters left in stock at my LBS. This shop was a Raleigh dealer in the late seventies till the late eighties but had no proper Raleigh taper cotters. I file them to the longer taper required.

this plastic cable stopper is broken! on the top tube of the Raleigh Sports


anyone knows where to get it or fix it in another DIY way? Thanks.

If you're looking for the fulcrum sleeve, they still make them.

https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...d-in-bag-of-10

Good to know you've had luck with them. From the looks of yours, mine need to be filed a bit more.

These ones shown are new, not yet used. They still require filing a longer taper, nearly to the end of the cotter.

Well, I finally succumbed to the lure of the 3-speed. My buddy who owns a Robin Hood got me started, and johnnyspaghetti on the forum here sealed the deal. He has been very helpful with my initiation into the cult. I was able to find a 1965 Raleigh Sports that is in pretty darned good condition. The pictures below are of the bike, but the exterior shot is from the seller. The bike as I got it was dirtier, grimier, and the saddle was more deteriorated (may have been stored outside) than the sellers photos. But other than maintenance for a long out of use bike, it's great - everything works! I have the bike mostly torn down, now, and will wait a bit before I tackle the various bearing sets. With a little de-greasing and cleaning and polishing, this should be a pretty good-looking bike.

I have a couple questions about the model, though. It appears to be the standard DL-22 model, but there are a couple decals that I haven't seen on pictures from that era. First id the "Raleigh Deluxe" decal at the top of the downtube, and the other is "Special" decal above "Raleigh" on the chainguard. They look original, but I can find no mention of those designations anywhere. Any ideas? This should be a fun project! Thanks to all who gave me advice when I was just starting to look for a 3-speed.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL41.../413737267.jpg

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL41.../413737268.jpg

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL41.../413737270.jpg

Cotters present yet another gamble for wrenchers of old Raleighs. Just like removal, installation can sometimes go perfectly but sometimes it takes a lot of tinkering and patience. The spindle and crank arms are not always machined perfectly, so getting the cotters set at a good depth after pressing in while simultaneously ending up with a close 180 spread of the crank arms can sometimes be a challenge. Or not! You never know.

For a couple of years in the mid 60s, Raleigh offered a budget version of the Sports, model S22 so the Deluxe DL22 version often had that gold Deluxe sticker. Although I've only seen it on the seat tube before. I have never seen graphics like this on any Raleigh chainguard before. The "special" for one and the Raleigh logo seems to be printed on a clear vellum. These were usually varnish transfers which like modern vinyl transfers are individual letters applied directly on the paint. But, you never know with Raleigh. I couldn't tell you for sure that it's not original.

The plastic fulcrum stops can be problematic. If it fails on a ride, you're stuck in 3rd. Raleigh made metal ones but stopped doing that in the 1950s. Fortunately, Jon the Gentleman Cyclist has made metal reproductions.

Here is a link to the Lake Pepin 3-speed tour site.

The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour

On the left side of the screen is navigation. Scroll down to 'Parts', click and then scroll down. You may see other bits you want :)

Nice looking bike @ddeand. Have you found the serial# yet? That might help explain the country of origin and differences in the decals. Raleighs were also made in Canada and many find their way to the US.