Looks to me like it sat in a chicken coop under the roost for the last 50 years, or its the catch of the day after a bad day fishing down at the river. The front fender is rusted completely through, not quite 'surface rust'. I don't think I'd even bother to have brought that one home in that shape.
I had found a Schwinn 'Spitfire' that said made in England on it years ago, it was stored in a barn loft. It had been up there since the late 50's or so. (Hub was dated 1952). It was completely covered in chicken droppings, rust, and dirt. The guy said take it if you can get it down in one piece.
I tied a rope on it and lowered it to the ground and threw it in the truck. After a good wash, the only think I managed to save for parts was the rear hub innards. The chainguard and fenders had rusted through in spots, the frame had deep rusty spots that had swollen up from freezing, the saddle springs were both rusty and broke into bits, something had chewed on the saddle, and both fenders were rusted through on top. Both rims were missing about 10" at the bottom where they sat for years in the build up of of chicken manure.
Even the headbadge was corroded away, it all but fell apart when I tried to remove it. It looked to be a run of the mill Norman or Armstrong type model rebadged as a Schwinn.
Its too bad because I've never seen another one since.

These are neat bikes and an interesting concept of a little bit heavier-duty 3-speed. They're kind of the forerunner to today's hybrid bikes, but they're somewhat hampered by the undersized cantilever frames. They're quite heavy by today's standards, but the old single-speed ballooners of earlier times were even heavier, so they were considered "middleweights". If the frame will fit you, they're nice if you're going down stony dirt paths and the like (a little heavy, but they're steady over dirt and loose stones). The flat blade forks are generally OK, but be aware that they do flex a bit more side-to-side, at least if you're used to a Raleigh type thimble fork.

The Schwinn radiant red is a potent color and was also available on the diamond frame Schwinn 3-speeds. I finished off a radiant red Schwinn Racer project last summer.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-If_HF1Pqe...908_180459.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUWotfTpi...25_180251.jpgp

I'm not sure how a saddle constructed like mine would snap the seat pan between the nose and the rear absent severe rust. I suppose it's possible that the seam in two-tone saddle allows water to accumulate at that point and the open cell foam padding held it there. I'd agree that fabricating a new cover is unlikely to be economical in any sense, but you may be able to repair the gouge with an adhesive or a backer and adhesive if it's through the woven support. I'm imagining that your gouge still has the vinyl hanging on, if it's missing entirely, then you'd be better off continuing the search for a donor cover.

Let me know if you want the rivets.

I wager that the only components that are borderline functional on the 3 speed are the S/A trigger and the S/A hub.

I've seen three versions of those two tone vinyl saddles, one has a metal pan, one has a plastic pan, and the third, older version has just springs and horsehair.
I've seen all three fail at the seam. The metal pan tends to crack between the left and right middle rivet holes right across the top slightly behind the seam in the vinyl. I've only found them long after they failed so I can't say whether the vinyl cracked first or because of the metal cracking. After 50+ years its hard to tell.

I bought an identical model to this (including the self-adjusting brakes) for my sister for $60 CAD - It was all original and it only needed a cleaning, lube and air in the tires. I can confirm that it did NOT have that lovely Brooks saddle.....

I bought a ladies model Sports with Endrick wheels at a fleamarket over the summer for $40US, the wheels were good but the bearings all had to be gone through. The grease had all but petrified over the years. The guy swore up and down it had the original tires on it but I don't remember them coming with 'CST' branded tires back then. They were rotted enough to be that old but not original.
The chrome on that bike looked like brand new. I stripped it down, hung the frame in the garage and built up a clean old Robin Hood men's frame I had gotten a few years earlier. I listed the rather clean ladies frame on CL all summer for $20 but didn't get so much as an offer on it. I pulled the headbadge and hung up the fork for future use and tossed the frame. The bike had been bought new in Montana and somehow made its way to PA. The guy who had it said he had sold the matching men's model that morning for $300 but no one even looked at the ladies bike. I fully agree, they're basically just donor bikes, usually with decent wheels so long as they didn't come from the shore areas or the bottom of the local pond.
I've been messing with old three speed bikes for 40 years, in all that time, I think I've had one ladies bike with a leather saddle, and that bike was from the 30's. I had two road bikes with Brooks saddles, but never found a Sports with one. I've probably had 30 Sports models over the years, and three times that many 'other' brands from England.
I only buy them when their my size and cheap, with the thought that any 50+ year old bike is going to need a lot of work, whether its cleaning or a full overhaul, it all takes time, and money in most cases.

The saddle may be a surprise, all that dirt may have protected it to some degree. I had a B17 that came from a barn found Carlton a few years ago, the bike was covered top to bottom in bird droppings, the tires had fallen off the rims leaving nothing but the fuzzy casings behind, and the rims were both rusted through all around the outermost edges. The BB, both hubs, and headset were all frozen solid.
I pulled the thing apart more out of curiosity than anything else, the frame was shot, it had major rust inside, mostly from mice living in it, the wheels were junk, the steel bearing races in the hubs were pitted badly, the skewers both broke off during removal. The handle bars were rusty, the stem cleaned up, but it wasn't anything I'd reuse, the seat post was badly rusted into the frame. The saddle came off, got soaked in Evapo-Rust, the chrome rails cleaned right up, and a good cleaning and coat of Proofride made it look almost new. The layer of field dust protected the seat from the bird droppings. The only other part I saved was the headbadge. Its still on my older Super Course today. I gave it to a guy who collects old bikes, he made a mailbox post out of the rest of the bike.

I like how the black looks on that rack, it looks like the same rack I took off the Dunelt I've been working on.
What did you do to smooth out the bad chrome?
The chrome on mine is pitted and peeling. It has the texture of 30 grit sandpaper.
I soaked it in Evapo Rust but the chrome is gone.
On mine, someone had made crude extensions to make the drop arms reach the dropouts, if I can make this thing look presentable,
maybe I'll see about finding or making some round clamps like on yours and put it back on. If not on this one, on something else down the road.

I looked at four ladies models in hopes of finding a good used set of rims, two were ladies Hercules models, one a men's Robin Hood, and one 21" Raleigh LTD, all were cheap but not a one had a decent set of wheels. The best was the first Hercules, but the rims had big time chrome loss and pitting in one area, as if it sat in the dirt for a long time with flats. The guy had scrubbed up all the chrome to make it shiny for the pic but kept the bad spots hidden or shaded in the pics. The bike was rusted bad enough in a few spots I wouldn't consider it fixable. All that I looked at were between $40 and $100, but not a one was worth bringing home even for parts. Out of the four, one may have had a decent crankset.
I'm starting to think there aren't any good rims left around these parts.
I was thinking about that clean Hercules for $250 on CL, when I went looking for it, it was gone, so i suspect someone got it by now.
Two of the four I looked at last night are no longer listed. Someone felt it was worth while to deal with rusty rims and pitted chrome.

I really find it hard to believe that with as many of these bikes that were built, no one has started to reproduce 32/40h Dunlop (Endrick) rims by now. There surely is a demand for them so long as they weren't too expensive.
I do remember complaining back in the late 70's when I had to buy a new Raleigh Sports front wheel, tire and tube, someone swiped the front wheel on me one day and I needed to match one up. My choices were some cheap American replacement rim for $9.99, or a Raleigh original for $12.99. With the tire, tube, and new wheel I didn't break a $20 bill, but that was a good chunk of my pay check back then. Bike shops now don't sell wheels, your lucky around here if they even stock tires or tubes for the bikes they sell.
I noticed yesterday that Walmart here eliminated the bike parts section. They just sell bikes, no parts now. The woman putting action figures on the shelf there said they dropped bike parts due to lack of sales. The bike racks were full of all sorts of junky looking pink, cream color, and baby blue beach cruisers and tiny kids bikes. Nothing with gears.

Sadly for Canadians, this appears to be true at Canadian Tire (which in spite of its name was likely the #1 choice for people getting their first, second and even third bikes for decades - I had never seen a dedicated bike shop until my later teens)..... When I was a kid the catalog had several pages of accessories and the parts supplies were plentiful, the bikes were made in England, France or Canada; in the last few years the bikes are not much different than Wally World, and the parts section has gotten to be a smaller and smaller section of the store. Which is a pain because many LBS's are closed here Sunday's so when you need a tire or a tube or a spoke or a cable on one of the prime riding days you haven't much choice (and frankly those consumables were cheaper at Crappy Tire than anywhere else including online). So I stock up whenever they have supply.....(then forget I have a supply stashed away!).

I think it's very likely uneconomical to produce chromed steel rims in ISO 590 or 597 for anything less then what they charge for them now, when they're available. I have the same problem with the original wheelset on the Hercules I just finished; too much chrome loss and pitting on the rims, plus a bad front bearing. Had the bearing been good, I might have finished clearing the rust and flaking chrome with the dremel wire brush, and still ridden on them (with junk brake pads). If the rust kept coming, I'd likely eventually paint them. Luckily, there was the set of wheels I'm using at the co-op. If you have a bike kitchen or a co-op near you, I recommend you check there for parts.
I still want to unlace the wheel to salvage the SA AW hub from 1960, but you're right that finding a 40* rim in ISO 590 size is difficult. I know that there was a pair of tandem rims at the co op drilled for 40* and 36*, but I'd have to find a 5 speed frame and an AW hub with the longer axle for parts. It'd be easier to just sell the hub. rather than invest that kind of money into an oddball bike, probably on a Hi-Ten frame without much intrinsic value on its own. Although...the guys at the Co-Op might get a kick out of that kind of project...

A few pages back some alloy 650A rims made in the UK were recommended to me. I bought a pair (shipped to the US) and I think I spent about $100.00 total. Nice rims too- I like them better than the Sun CR18 rims as they are a few millimeters wider and seem to have a better finish. The wider size will work better with the stock brakes.

Buyers Remorse
My own fault as I should have been more thorough.
Front forks are askew, pushed to one side but I reefed on them by hand
and they're better.
Handlebars are also a bit off but will need a vice and a pipe to correct.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...788123f647.jpg
Cranks have been aligned and the seat clamp reversed.
There's another one in town, a non rider on display at a book shop.
I may ask the owner to give it me to make one good bike and then
give it to him when I leave..
At least it's a project......

More Rusty Chains
 

Not starting an argument, we all do what we think best.

In my case, the rust had already started a stress fracture, so cleaning up the rust didn't help.
My chain worked fine, until I stood up on the pedals and pushed down hard.

Just before the chain broke, my foot was standing on the pedal.
A moment later, that foot was planted on the ground while the bike and the rest of my body continued onward.

It was not a controlled landing.

I was in pain and at risk of never having children :eek:

Anyhow, that is my $.02 about why I hate rusty chains.

I soaked it in strong cleaning vinegar for a week to remove most of the rust. Seeing the shape it was in, I aggressively sanded with a flapper wheel and by hand. I did not try for a super smooth like new finish. Then it got two coats of spray Krylon black. It has a somewhat" pebbly" finish in places but acceptable for an old bike.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0a6eb12694.jpg
Dragging the bike home.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ce2533d81e.jpg
Sir Wayes A. Tonne as purchased
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dd565f4a33.jpg
Needs some work.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...21804942a0.jpg
After vinegar cleanse. Might as well just stated with sanding.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...296bc9921b.jpg
After paint, awaiting assembly
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...85b0ee1ae3.jpg
Not smooth but has saddle bags on it most of the time anyway.

browngw Your restorative work always leaves me amazed - I have seen some of your bikes in person and they always look fantastic.

Thanks for the kind words markk900 . I can spend weeks, months even years on some bikes and not tire of the process. The last really time consuming resto was this 1972 CCM that belonged to a late friend. Hopefully when the Canadian Vintage Bicycle Show gets back under way, I can show it and others. On this one I even learned how to repair Bluemels mudguards.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...77b95d5d51.jpg

Good name for a band....

Looks like the same rack

After cleaning, the chrome is pitted and peeling all over, I soaked it in Evapo-rust first, over night, but it still had lots of rust. I got impatient and soaked it in 20% hydroflouric acid, (old school wire wheel cleaner).
Some filler primer and some black paint is likely the only option
Does anyone know if these were English made? I was sort of thinking they were just a cheap all purpose rack?
I've seen a few though and all were on English bikes.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3d415b20ee.jpg
As found



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b5d7e8701c.jpg
After soaking in Hydroflouric acid for 20 minutes

The problem is I don't see any available now, at least not in 32/40h. The local shops don't sell parts, none seem to these days, and the one's I see listed online are cheap Chinese steel rims in 36h. I've spoke to a few old bike shops via email and I can muster up a few pairs of vintage 36h rims but their made in Italy and a bit wider.
The only 32 and 40h rims I've seen have been overseas and extremely expensive. Most have been Sturmey Archer branded so they're not correct for an older model bike.

The few new steel replacement rims I've seen have been not much better than department store grade at best.

I was sort of thinking that thing look a bit rough, the painted chrome and Chinese saddle gave me a bad impression of it. . It had he looks of something that was thrown together just to flip. The bent forks and bars sound like it was something that was laying in some yard somewhere getting walked on before being put back together.

I picked up a ladies Raleigh Sports for $40 a while back, the bike rode great, but I bought it for parts.
I actually rode the bike for a mile or two before coming back and stripping it. I needed the fork, cg, and wheels for a men's frame I had here. Before mounting up the fork, I put it in the gauge and both blades were an inch off to the left and the left fork was back 1/4". Yet the bike rode fine like that. I straightened the fork, put the bike together and all was fine. The parts bike looked decent, the bent fork wasn't at all obvious. I used the wheels, forks, and cg from the ladies bike, plus swapped over the Prestube rear rack. The guy who sold me the parts bike said it had been used in the city when his wife was in college years ago, so it likely got some abuse while being parked in the bike rack. A good solid kick is all it takes. I had a Schwinn that came to me with a fork bent off to one side years ago, when I straightened the fork, the bike pulled hard to the left. A former shop owner told me someone likely bent the fork to fix the pull. It turned out that the rear of the frame was bent upward on the left side about 3/8", something that didn't really show until we put a frame gauge to it.

You may be able to better straighten the forks with a long board tied or taped to one blade at a time. The longer the lever the more control you'll have. A string can be used to measure with. I've seen homemade fork gauges made from string, cardboard, or even wood. The easiest to use I've seen was a piece of 1/4" all thread rod with length of wood or metal that reaches nearly up to the fork crown. So long as the gauge stick and rod are square at 90 degrees, it'll work.

Here's a simple to make gauge. Make sure the rod or gauge bar is centered between the fork ends, then bend the blades to center the gauge bar between the fork blades at the crown. .


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5921148e6e.jpg
Homemade fork gauge


.

Yeah....
I agree.
I'm not out too much and I like trying to fix stuff.
I am riding it.

Yeah....
I agree.
I'm not out too much and I like trying to fix stuff.
I am riding it.

How bad are the wheels?
How old did it turn out to be?

I figured I'd ask here, seeing as the For Trade thread isn't as 3-speed oriented as here:

Would anyone happen to have a 1974-1976 silver Raleigh Sports chainguard like the one in the catalog photo?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b0c2f83e9a.jpg


I really don't care for the later 1977+ version on my silver Sports, and wouldn't mind doing a direct swap, or a trade for other bits.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d5aecaed59.jpg


-Kurt

Spent some time today putting the Dunelt back together with what I have. For now, its got the wheels and tires I found it with.
I spent an hour getting the chainguard to fit right, and another two hours getting the fenders to fit and sit right on the bike. They were so mangled when I found it it took a hour each just banging out dents to get them somewhat usable.
This is the result of polishing, lots of rust removal, all new bearings, some time with an air brush touching up the really bad spots, and some used car 'glaze' to make it shine.
Don't mind the big greasy finger prints on it, it was 3am by the time I took it off the stand for a quick ride.
I still need to put a front brake cable on it and I still need to adjust a few things but until I find a good donor set of wheels, its as good as it gets for now. The wheels on it are the result of lots of hydroflouric acid and scrubbing, the rear wheel is badly pitted, I just left it as is for now, its not worth messing with other than spraying it down with some wax to prevent it from rusting up again.
The front wheel is straight but has a ton of brake wear. Ride wise, its obviously night and day from the few test rides I took when I first brought it home. It is too small for me, but its usable for now. A proper back wheel, shifter and cable would do wonders for it.
I was talking to another English three speed enthusiast I met locally and he said that the rear wheel may have had an SW hub, which likely failed and got tossed, thus the coaster brake conversion. I think that only makes sense if the bike is older than 1960. What year did they lose the full chainguard boss on the chain stay?

Here's an 'as found' pic and one I took today:


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5158f299f1.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...37110fd2fc.jpg

Wheels are OK. Rusty spokes and rims sprayed silver.
Unsure on the age but would guess late 50's/early 60's.
It has a "C" headlamp bracket which stands for Condor
This was Benotto's first company before the Benotto line of bikes..
i'ts basically a DL-1 frame with a double bar.
very heavy
living in a big city (Toronto) you take it for granted access to parts and supplies.
I'm in need of a cotter pin...
I can order from Amazon Mexico or try the next town over (Bucerias) that has a bike shop.
It's a 30 minute bus ride away.

Night and day

I came up with an inexpensive and easy to use rig for straightening my 1957 Birmingham Gazelle's bent forks. Using some chain I had laying around, a couple of large turnbuckles, threaded rod and some nuts/bolts/washers, I came up with this. Rather than push the forks into alignment, I spun the forks around and pulled them into alignment by tightening the turnbuckles. A picture is worth a thousand words, so this picture will show my basic rig-it has the benefit of pulling one or the other fork leg in case they are bent out of symetry and the turnbuckles can micro-adjust pressure, rather that the bumper jack ratchet style fork straighteners. Anyway, last two pics are before and after-notice gap between front fender and downtube to see improvement.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf97058ffd.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0e2519a5b4.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3aea01a40.jpeg