gster

Good price for A Raliegh "Spot"

nlerner

That’s what it sounds like when you say it with a Boston accent.

gster

Good one!

oldspokes

Looks like an LTD model, but still a good bike in classic black. I'm surprised its still for sale. The larger frames are hard to find and usually command a premium.


I can't believe this thing is still listed for all this time, it don't look that bad in the pics. I don't think I've ever run across a brown Raleigh with matching brown fenders, every one I've had over the years had chrome or white fenders if the paint was other than black. The wheelset alone is worth more than they're asking for this one.

I have noticed that in the past month or so things aren't selling, whether it be bikes or any other item. I've listed some pretty nice bikes over the past few months and gotten no replies for weeks. It also seems the better the bike the less interest it gets these days. Huffy and Murray sell faster than Raleigh or Schwinn here. Over the summer I had a his/hers pair of brown Huffy three speeds, I listed them for $350 for the pair and they were gone in roughly the amount of time it took someone to drive down from NYC. A pair of Sears three speeds made by Murray sold just as fast. Yet a pair of Schwinn Speedsters went without a single email at the same price. I ended up parting both of them out. I got more for their wheels online than I was asking for the pair locally.
At the same time I had a pair of Raleigh Sports, in nicer shape, both mid sized frames, and they got overlooked till I listed them separate. The men's model sold for $250, the ladies model never sold and I ended up using it for parts to fix up another men's model. None of them sold local, all went to folks who drove more than 2 hours one way to get buy them.

gster

They seem to fall in and out of fashion. A few years ago at the annual Toronto Vintage bike show, nice examples of Superbes were selling for $350.00.
A couple of years later $250.00 was a good price and so on.
Unlike the obsessed, most people just want one bike (hard to believe).

markk900

Here's another for your viewing pleasure: was complete when I bought it and just needed lubrication....

browngw 

Brown Raleigh with matching mudguards. 1972 Sports sold during the "pandemic summer", at least it made room for some new bikes.

rustymetal

Its not one type of bike that 'falls out of fashion' around this area, selling any type of bike is hard, if its not $20 it don't seem to sell. Its a rare occasion when you can get a fair value for an old bike.
I found that when things aren't selling on CL its not a matter of price, they just aren't looking. I've listed a few bikes in the free ads and even that don't get a response when CL goes dead around here. I had a Rampar branded ten speed that wouldn't sell all summer, it was in decent rideable shape, I listed it for $50, it sat all summer untouched, I finally took the new tires off it, put a set of good used tires on it and put it up for free. There were no takers. I even started to ride it here and there leaving it unlocked and it never even got stolen. The bike was decent but low end, and too small for me. It was one of those bikes with the front freewheel set up. But it was pretty clean and perfectly usable but I couldn't give it away. I finally pulled the wheels off it, sold the steel wheelset for $70, hung the chain on the wall, used the saddle on another bike, and tossed the rest in the scrap pile. I had sat for 4 weeks on CL for free and didn't get a single reply.
There was a neglected Raleigh Sports on there about 60 miles from me all summer too, it looked rough but was likely rideable or good for parts but it just kept getting relisted.

When things start selling, its not just bikes, it all items. CL and FB seem to turn on and off at the same time as well. There's no rhyme or reason why that I can tell. Its not the beginning of the month or end of the month, and it doesn't seem to follow news events either.
I always have a dozen or so items listed on either site, when its dead, its dead no matter what I've got listed, when it 'wakes up', everything sells. This weekend I sold just about everything I had listed, most items had been listed for months with no replies.
It was everything from furniture, to toys, to bikes, to appliances, it all got emails all at once. Its been like this since 2007 or so.

I also can't help but notice that people no longer know how to bargain, if its more than they want to pay, they don't respond.
I had a lawn tractor listed for $550, a turn key ready to use machine. It sat for four months, (there were others like it priced lower and higher in similar condition also not selling). I dropped the price to $530, and I got four emails, the first one shows up, tells me he was watching it all summer and waiting for me to drop the price. I get that all the time. If he would have simply made an offer, he could have had it then. At that same time, there were others listed as low as $300, also not selling.
I've also raised prices on things when they wouldn't sell, often that triggers a ton of interest. I had a Hobart mixer listed for $50 for a long time, they sell for about $125 new. It got one of two "Is it still available" emails but no real interest. I jacked the price up to $165, and got 20 emails, the first guy to show offered me $140 and left with it. He told me he had been watching my ad for a while but didn't bother replying because he was looking for something 'better'.
I picked up another one, nearly identical, and had it listed for $165 and didn't get a single email, I dropped it to $100, still nothing, it was a better model than the first one yet no takers. I had it down to $50 and still nothing, I took new pics with a different background after a few months, put $200 on it and got a mix of emails, about half were telling me they could buy it new for far less, and the other half wanted it. It was gone that day for $200.
I had four good used tires off one of my trucks, I bought the truck used and it had a pair of tires with fairly aggressive tread on it. I swapped them out for some highway tires and listed the old tires. They were like new and a common size. I listed them for half of what they sell for new. I had another set of tires, well worn, but just good enough to make it through inspection, in the same size, I listed them for $200 obo. I got three pages of emails over night and they were gone for $200 the next morning. All I got on the truck tires was $50 offers and scammers.

There's been a few pretty decent looking older bikes listed for months here on CL, they just keep getting relisted over and over, a few have been on there for years. The better bikes don't sell, just the department store stuff seems to sell. I don't think the average buyer knows old from new, or they only recognize what they see in Walmart these days.

bark_eater 

Got a a question for the 3 speed pro's. I'm picking up a 23" 70's Sport's tommorow that will probably need a new fork and headset. Are there any hidden dangers here? I'm assuming I"ll find a fork on ebay or at the coop post covid
The rest of the bike looks to be in good shape, like it was just left in the barn after the unfortunate event. It still has the saddlebag, a dried up Brooks and melted tires. So I'm thinking low miles. From the pictures an discussion, some one jacked the stem all the way up and bulged the threaded part of the steerer tube with the stem wedge.

Kuupola

Hello,
I have acquired this wheelset around 5-6 years ago, featuring an ASC 3 speed rear hub and a Harden hub for the front wheel, laced on Weinmann 27x1 1/4 alloy rims. I will be taking these to service, at last.
I have a few questions though:
I do not have an ASC specific shifter, but I do have a few S-A triggers. I've heard that an S-A trigger can be modified to work with the hub, but I do not exactly know how. What are my options for a shifter for the hub?
Also, is the grease nipple on the Harden hub standard and is any good quality grease good for it? The bearings feel fine.

arty dave

Wow, they really are melted!! The bike looks good though & I think you're right, prolly low mileage and I would only be worried about dried out grease in all the bearings and the usual precautions with resurrecting old hubs. That sucks with the bulging at the steerer threads. With any luck someone on here may have a spare they might sell you? Or yes the bay or co-op. You might even save that saddle leather, the B72 is one of my favourite saddles.
I just picked up a 70's SA 3 speed bike myself, and it's in similar condition. I can't get the indicator chain to move to change the gears. So far the only thing I've done is filled the hub with WD-40 and spun it every now and then over the weekend. Hopefully this will loosen up the workings, and eventually it will be drained and lubricated with automatic transmission fluid. The bike will definitely get the full bearings clean and re-grease of bottom bracket, headset & front wheel, and I may end up re-building the AW hub. What annoys me is the seeming complete disappearance of new 27 x 1 3/8" tyres, but I think I have some 27 x 1 1/4" in my stash.

arty dave

Nice wheelset! Here are some instructions for converting triggers for the ASC hub:
https://hadland.files.wordpress.com/...6triggers1.pdf

And this guy was making some really nice looking repros (but a long while ago now), he might be worth contacting:
Geared Facile: New Bike #2

BurleyCat

Hard to imagine applying enough force to ‘bulge’ or expand tubing with the stem wedge. What makes you think that happened?
On another note, is that a contemporary seat bag? Canvas? Carradice?

bark_eater 

I don't have the bike in possession yet, but the the fork is reported to be frozen in the frame and will not rotate. If you look at the picture the stem is all the way up and it looks like its cocked forward. I am assuming that the wedge is right up in the upper headset race and some thing has deformed. I have another bike with a wreaked steerer tube from a similar mistake. I'm pretty sure the bag is original to the bike. I think Carradice made them for Raleigh. I have a similar Schwinn branded one that is marked "made in England" thats made out of Naugahyde.

vintagebicycle

I had one a few years ago that I picked up at a yard sale for cheap with frozen steering. The upper bearing race was cracked and a bunch of the bearings were crushed and split. The combination effectively locked up the steering.
If you end up replacing the fork, you may have a tough time finding one to match the paint. I've been hunting a brown one for a smaller frame for a few years now. I bought a brown bike with a smaller frame a few years ago that's got a green fork.

Most brown bikes I've seen have had either had white or chrome fenders, I've seen a few in all brown but none have come my way yet.

Kuupola

Thank you!
I looked up the instructions and it seems like one of my triggers (probably came with the hub) might be modified. Could not find a proper picture of this style of trigger (GC3A) showing the internals for comparison.

dbhouston 

An interesting bike for sale near Kansas City - a Peugeot that apparently made its way to the heartland from the Netherlands, but probably a Sturmey-Archer rear hub and Brampton cranks?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...rral_code=null


Poked around and decided it's probably this, or close to it.

bluesteak 

just for nuts I looked up the asc hub on eBay. Someone is asking $900 for one.

gster

Sounds reasonable.

Kuupola

I paid around 300€ (~350US$) for the wheelset on ebay. So I guess I had a good deal then.

JIMBO53

Recently refurbished my 1970 Dunelt from nasty barn find to a respectable gentleman's city bike. This 23" frame is such a joy to ride! All parts are original except the tires and tubes. Swapped out the tired Brooks mattress saddle for a proper Brooks B72.

gster

"Ride a Wheel on Sheffield Steel"
I like Dunelts. Someone swiped mine a few years back.

56ford

I have my eye on a Dunelt right now actually. That’s a good looking ride @JIMBO53

I like the fancier lugs on them than my 2 Hercules.

sykerocker 

A technical question for the group:

I've finally come up with a Raleigh Tourist rear wheel (Sturmey-Archer AW hub, 1972 if my memory is holding) for converting my Flying Pigeon single speed (with the rim that chews up tubes) to a three speed. Of course, the width of the rear dropouts on the frame is wider than British standard, and I'm not really keen on bending the rear inward. Yeah, I don't trust Chinese steel that much, plus the matter of alignment, plus I may someday want to go back to the single speed.

The simple solution is to spacer the difference (approximately 8mm per side) either by stacking washers, or, preferably, coming up with a solid drilled-out metal spacer, preferably going for the latter in the hopes that it'll give a bit of extra strength to the hub axle covering the distance. Will this proposed setup cause bending in the Sturmey-Archer axle (I weigh approximately 175 lbs) in normal use? Anyone here have experience with doing something like this in the past?

Outside opinions very welcome.

Salubrious

You can pull that off if you have the spacers made from a single bit of metal (IOW not using washers) so that the axle can't flex. But the bigger problem that will likely shoot this down is that the axle isn't long enough to do this. You may have some thread left over, but not enough to secure the nuts properly, so they will strip. Cold-setting the frame sounds easier and how to do this properly is well documented. If you ever want to go single speed again, get a single speed hub that is the same over-locknut (OLD) dimensions as the SA hub.