ohjonnybegoode

Is this known as a camelback frame....were the drop bars added later? Is it rare?

Thanks!

David Newton

Probably Raleigh clone, what's the date on the Sturmey hub?
Bars are more than likely not original, nor the seat, but the post could be.
Is it a coaster brake?
I think it is a juvenile bike, thus the sloped TT.

ohjonnybegoode

Thanks...not sure of the year...a friend of mine picked it up...I'll ask her about the hub date....I figured the bars weren't orginial...but I thought someone might have tried to create a more "road" bike out of it, thus the bar replacement....

ftwelder

Dunelt is one of the Raleigh brands. If it says nottingham on the rear fender, it's a Raleigh. I see a few of these and have never seen one with a frame like that.

wahoonc

Looks like the Raleigh pattern frame. The frame style is called camelback. It was designed to reduce stand over height. I wouldn't call it rare, but you don't see a lot of them. The Raleigh model was the Colt. They also used that style frame on the Space Rider (24" wheels) and the Mountie (20" wheels).

My brother did a similar conversion to a 3 speed he had back in the early 80's. I am sure it is still wandering around out there somewhere.

Aaron

RobbieTunes

Those are kind of a trend in the midwest. People are putting drop bars on their old Scwinn and cruiser frames and making sort of "industrial strength" single and IH path bikes. Once you get the fit right, they are pretty cool to ride. Road bike feel, monster strength.

gbalke

It appears that the stem has been opened to accept larger diameter drop bars, and the clamp bolt has been replaced. Normally, you would find 7/8" diamter bars. Can you measure the diameter of these drops? Are they 15/16"?

wrk101

+1 Someone really went to town on that stem.

sailorbenjamin

I like the look. For the real vintage look, get some of those reproduction grey grips and use them instead of wrap.
I've been thinking of putting drops on the Phillips Sport that I turned into a fixy.

sailorbenjamin

kind of like this, note the straight brake levers;
https://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleigh...48clubman.html
Does yours have a rear coaster, BTW?

cycleheimer

Bike is from the early to mid-1960's. 26" wheels? If so, great! Camelback bikes like yours were great for kids because of the reduced stand over height. Yours is a three-speed with coaster brake, which is why it only has the front hand brake. Outside of the bars, saddle and stem binder bolt...yours looks pretty much all original. Amazing to see yours has the reflector intact on the rear fender. The brake pads are probably the original John Bulls. Dunlop tires? Probably outgrown by a 12-year-old about 45 years ago ... after being used for about a year or two. IMHO, it would look pretty neat with black Hunt & Wilde plastic bar tape and plugs, and the correct binder bolt in the stem. The three-speed trigger would probably be better on the other side of the bars ... "Clubman" style. The scratches in the paint are an easy fix...black is about the easiest color to touch-up.

David Newton

I bought a new Robin Hood in 1970 to ride to college, my first brit bike. I don't know.... a week maybe till I exchanged the north road bars for drop bars.

andy b.

I saw no reason to start a new thread since this is the bike I am talking about.
I ordered a new seat post and handlebar stem and plan on replacing the seat and handlebars as well. Since the parts won't arrive for a few days, and since the old seat post, seat and handlebars are going into the trash as soon as the new stuff gets here, I figured I may as well put the old stuff to use so I can go for a ride. A few minutes with the MIG welder this afternoon, and I was out for a ride with my kids by 6pm.



The frame is only about an 18", but I prefer small-frame bikes anyway. It gives a nice upright ride, which is what I was after with this bike.

I pulled the pedals apart to regrease the bearings and did the same for the front wheel. I have to pull the headset and bottom bracket apart tomorrow, as they are definitely dry. Other than that, the TCW hub works great once I adjusted it and flushed it with oil. The coaster brake isn't exactly the most powerful thing, but I may pull the hub apart in the next few weeks to see how worn the brake components are. Oh, the brake pads on the front are John Bulls and I would guess they are original judging by how they look.

I'll probably order some new tires (and innertubes) as well since these are getting dry-rotted and I don't need a blow-out when I'm out riding with my kids.

andy b.

David Newton

You know... the seat and post sort of resemble a Heron.

andy b.

I got the headset cleaned, re-greased, and adjusted. It was very dry and the grease had turned to black tar. Then the kids and I went for a short ride (about 3 miles). I really like riding this bike.

Then I decided to pull the bottom bracket apart and re-grease and adjust it. There was the slightest bit of play and I needed to pull the left crank (non-chain ring side) off to get at the adjustment nut, so I figured I'd just pull it all apart and clean it. I tried a few whacks on the cotter pin, and needless to say it didn't budge. I then read a bunch of posts here on cotter cranks as well as the Sheldon Brown site. I figured the "pipe and hammer" method seemed pretty successful and I have pieces of pipe and hammers around. I got everything all set up and gave it about ten hits and out the cotter pin came. I then realized I am stupid and blind because it was the chainring crank I had now removed. Oh well, the left crank came off with two hits so all worked out okay.

I won't get to pull the rest of the BB apart until Monday, but at least the cranks are off. After reading the horror stories regarding them, it wasn't that bad, and my cotter pins are still usable.

Also, I have been adding oil before every ride (and most of it leaks out), but the TCW hub seems to be shifting nicer and the coaster brake now actually works. In fact, I can probably lock up the rear wheel in low gear if I wanted to. I think my frequent oilings are flushing all of the old oil and dirt out of the hub.

andy b.

PS- regarding the heron seat, there are a bunch of grey herons that hang out in a stream in my yard so maybe I was subconsciously building a seat that looks like them.

Knorr

This is a youth bike. The drop bars were added. Some of these Raliegh made bikes came with drop bars, but they would not have chain guards or steel mudguards. Also, positioning of the shifter looks like guesswork. None of the youth frames would get the clubman treatment.
Btw. A Sports with drop bars and no tinwork can be a beautiful thing to ride.

clubman 

Welcome to the forum but keep your eyes peeled on those thread dates. Zombie newbie!
What else you got?

Knorr

Reading glasses! They must be around here somewhere...

USAZorro

I like how you think, Knorr. Can never be too many Raleigh guys around.

Esteban32696

Original poster = the original bars on your bike were probably like those in Andy's pix. I have owner one before.

Carllitos