Sad old Raleigh
08-22-09, 10:55 AM
#1
Tinkerer
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Sad old Raleigh
I bought this old Raleigh Sports for $5 yesterday. I'm guessing from the serial number on the frame and date stamp on the Sturmey-Archer 3-speed that it's a 1954 model. It's pretty sad. I can still see black peeking out from under the orange spray job that must be 20-30 years old.
The saddle is a Troxel that might be worth refurbishing. The bike has a Sturmey Archer 3-speed TCW coaster brake hub with a date stamp of '54. The Sheldon Brown website says they were unreliable, but I do have a spare S3C coaster hub I could lace onto the wheel.
I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it. My wife suggested it would make interesting lawn art with saddle baskets filled with flowers....
The saddle is a Troxel that might be worth refurbishing. The bike has a Sturmey Archer 3-speed TCW coaster brake hub with a date stamp of '54. The Sheldon Brown website says they were unreliable, but I do have a spare S3C coaster hub I could lace onto the wheel.
I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it. My wife suggested it would make interesting lawn art with saddle baskets filled with flowers....
08-22-09, 11:50 AM
#2
hi
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Nice score!! It looks perfectly ok to me 
Seriously.
Overhaul the headset and bottom bracket. Put a band on the reaction arm (brake) and take care of the tires.
I have a TCW as well, but that bike also has a front brake. As long as you know that it's a little temperamental, it rides just fine.
Seriously.Overhaul the headset and bottom bracket. Put a band on the reaction arm (brake) and take care of the tires.
I have a TCW as well, but that bike also has a front brake. As long as you know that it's a little temperamental, it rides just fine.
08-22-09, 12:22 PM
#4
Wood
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James,
You are sucker for hard cases, and may your tribe increase.
You are sucker for hard cases, and may your tribe increase.
08-22-09, 12:29 PM
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It looks almost like my Sports but mines slightly older. and isn't painted that way lol Some naughty person removed the fenders! from that sad bike.
08-22-09, 12:45 PM
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James! you old dog!!!
That's a great find and I'm glad it was you that beat me to finding it!
It screams "Ride Me"!
That's a great find and I'm glad it was you that beat me to finding it!
It screams "Ride Me"!
08-22-09, 01:12 PM
#7
Steel is real, baby!
I smell a future "Rat Rod"...
Take some fine grit sand paper, like 600, and gently sand off the orange rattle can paint. Whatever doesn't come off, leave it.
Take some steel wool to everything that has rust, and clean it up as good as you can. Whatever doesn't come off, leave it.
Take some sort of leather softener, like Brooks Proofide, or baseball glove stuff, to that saddle.
Forget about the 3 speed, and make it into a single speed w/ a coaster brake.
Put some beach cruiser wheels & tires on it, bought from someone off of Craigs List.
Put new grips on it.
Slap a new chain on it.
That's what I'd do.
Take some fine grit sand paper, like 600, and gently sand off the orange rattle can paint. Whatever doesn't come off, leave it.
Take some steel wool to everything that has rust, and clean it up as good as you can. Whatever doesn't come off, leave it.
Take some sort of leather softener, like Brooks Proofide, or baseball glove stuff, to that saddle.
Forget about the 3 speed, and make it into a single speed w/ a coaster brake.
Put some beach cruiser wheels & tires on it, bought from someone off of Craigs List.
Put new grips on it.
Slap a new chain on it.
That's what I'd do.
08-22-09, 01:13 PM
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that is a great old bike, really. grease it, lube it, wax the rust and take off. I agree with yepyep, that bike's a survivor and deserves a good ride!
08-22-09, 02:35 PM
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Thanks for all the replies! I was just out in the garage playing with the bike. I do intend to make it rideable again. I attacked the rusty handlebars first, and I'm pleased with the results so far. Below is an example of what you can do with generous application of brass wool and WD 40. This bit of work took about 10 minutes.
08-22-09, 09:28 PM
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She's a beaut... a real survivor! Might be a little more work to get everything running like new... but IMHO those things are built like farm equipment - designed to last for generations. I bet you could still ride that bike for years!
08-22-09, 11:12 PM
#14
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Gotta love the fork header.
Old classics like these never die....they just yell for new paint! Restore that sweetie, and take lots of pics for us.
Old classics like these never die....they just yell for new paint! Restore that sweetie, and take lots of pics for us.
08-22-09, 11:35 PM
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Is it an optical illusion, or does the top tube sag a little?
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08-23-09, 06:14 AM
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optical illusion, or does the top tube sag a little
I did some mild sanding on that ugly old paint and not only found the original black paint underneath, but also revealed some of the Raleigh Sports lettering on the downtube. Sadly, I don't think I can save the original paint. However, the head badge is still there and in nice shape.
Attached are some pictures. The crank cluster and wheels look a bit rough, but I suspect they will clean up nice. Interesting that the Raleigh Heron is repeated in the crank. I'm not sure about the seat. I assume it was a replacement, given it's a Troxel made in Moscow, Tenn. I most likely could recover it. The hub is a bit loose, but the chain moves in and out and the coaster brake appears to work.
Anyone know the purpose of that mount below the handlebars? It has the Heron motif, but I don't see any mounting points for a light. Not sure what it's for...
Last edited by jamesl; 08-23-09 at 06:18 AM.
08-23-09, 09:31 AM
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Ok,let's all root for jamesl to get this raleigh running.That bike deserves to ride again! Raleigh guys....to the rescue!
08-23-09, 09:34 AM
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What's the serial # on the seat lug, out of curiosity?
-Kurt
-Kurt
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08-23-09, 09:55 AM
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What's the serial # on the seat lug, out of curiosity?
The Sturmey hub has the number 54 and to one side, the number 12. Assuming December 1954, I guess the bike could be an early 1955 model. That seems to support the idea, given the speed at which Raleigh was moving through the letter designations.
Convention #2 (1948-195?):
4-5 digits followed by two letters (or, for the 28"-wheel models, two letters followed by 4-5 digits). e.g.: "12345AB," or "AB12345." Serial "rolls over" when numerals are used up - without rhyme or reason relating to month or year - in the same fashion as an odometer. This convention might have been used in 1947 as well, however, we have not found any Raleigh examples from 1947 so far that exhibit this serial system.
1948 = Serials ".....AJ" through ".....AP" (?)
1949 = Serials ".....AP" through ".....A?"
1950 = Serials ".....A?" through ".....AX" (Serials "...AV," "...AW," and "...AX" may stand for both a late 1950 model, or early '51s built with frames built the previous year)
1951 = Serials ".....AV" through ".....BG"
1952 = Serials ".....BG" through ".....BI"
1953 = Serials ".....BI" through ".....B?"
1954 = UNK
1955 = UNK
4-5 digits followed by two letters (or, for the 28"-wheel models, two letters followed by 4-5 digits). e.g.: "12345AB," or "AB12345." Serial "rolls over" when numerals are used up - without rhyme or reason relating to month or year - in the same fashion as an odometer. This convention might have been used in 1947 as well, however, we have not found any Raleigh examples from 1947 so far that exhibit this serial system.
1948 = Serials ".....AJ" through ".....AP" (?)
1949 = Serials ".....AP" through ".....A?"
1950 = Serials ".....A?" through ".....AX" (Serials "...AV," "...AW," and "...AX" may stand for both a late 1950 model, or early '51s built with frames built the previous year)
1951 = Serials ".....AV" through ".....BG"
1952 = Serials ".....BG" through ".....BI"
1953 = Serials ".....BI" through ".....B?"
1954 = UNK
1955 = UNK
08-23-09, 11:15 AM
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Interesting story on finding this bike: I had posted a wanted ad on Craigslist looking for old road bikes. A gentleman from the wilds of Oklahoma north of Ketchum called and said he had a truck load I could haul off at $5 each. When i got to his home, I found 9 acres filled with junk. Turns out his father had collected cars and bikes and anything that might have value. Dad had a stroke and the son was slowly selling off the choice bits to pay the bills.
The bikes were hanging like last year's laundry on cables strung between the trees. I'd say at least 40-50 complete bikes were strung up, while old wheels and frames and various parts were piled in the weeds below.
Sadly, for me, most of the bikes were rusting department store junk, with Huffy and Murray in abundance. I searched in vain for anything with a cotterless crank. I ended up pulling out the Raleigh, along with an Azuki and a no-name bike with Balilla brakes and cottered cranks. I bought a few others either for their interesting frames or 3-speed hubs. I spent a fair time searching but found nothing really tasty.
The son was a nice guy and helped me load everything up. He invited me to come back later in the year when the vegetation had died down a bit and said he would take me on a tour of the property. The place was a veritable jungle and I was hesitant to go wading through it in my shorts and running shoes. Still, it's tempting. Who knows what might lurk in the trees and weeds, aside from bugs, snakes and jagged pieces of rusty metal...
The bikes were hanging like last year's laundry on cables strung between the trees. I'd say at least 40-50 complete bikes were strung up, while old wheels and frames and various parts were piled in the weeds below.
Sadly, for me, most of the bikes were rusting department store junk, with Huffy and Murray in abundance. I searched in vain for anything with a cotterless crank. I ended up pulling out the Raleigh, along with an Azuki and a no-name bike with Balilla brakes and cottered cranks. I bought a few others either for their interesting frames or 3-speed hubs. I spent a fair time searching but found nothing really tasty.
The son was a nice guy and helped me load everything up. He invited me to come back later in the year when the vegetation had died down a bit and said he would take me on a tour of the property. The place was a veritable jungle and I was hesitant to go wading through it in my shorts and running shoes. Still, it's tempting. Who knows what might lurk in the trees and weeds, aside from bugs, snakes and jagged pieces of rusty metal...
Last edited by jamesl; 08-23-09 at 11:19 AM.
08-23-09, 12:09 PM
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Let me join the chorus encouraging you to rehab this survivor! I love the heron lamp bracket . You know, since you have Endrick rather than Westwood rims you could mount caliper brakes. This would open up more choices for rear hub. (Of course, my '78 Sports has the Raleigh Pattern "Westrick" rims, Weinman caliper brakes and the wide-range AW hub. See avatar!)
08-23-09, 02:05 PM
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Serial number is 97772, with CB below the number, stamped on the seat lug. I made my '54 determination on the combination of the Sturmey-Archer hub dating and the "Convention #2" listed on the page in your signature. Unfortunately, it only goes to 1953 and ends with Bi. However, it seems reasonable to assume that once Raleigh finished with the "B" letters it then moved on to "C".
The Sturmey hub has the number 54 and to one side, the number 12. Assuming December 1954, I guess the bike could be an early 1955 model. That seems to support the idea, given the speed at which Raleigh was moving through the letter designations.
The Sturmey hub has the number 54 and to one side, the number 12. Assuming December 1954, I guess the bike could be an early 1955 model. That seems to support the idea, given the speed at which Raleigh was moving through the letter designations.
(Problem is, I also have an "-----BX" in the 1954 list, with an April '54 serial. I'm tempted to say the B-series framesets used in '55 were hung for a year before they were partially assembled, boxed, and shipped).
-Kurt
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