Salamandrine 

Oh for sure it's a taste thing. And I hate okra but love broccoli.

The Golden Boy 

It's working on it now... ...

Agreed.

I guess I'd be tempted to try to make a Blackburn Mountain Rack work rather than a Pletscher.

RobHalligan

Point taken, Salamandrine. I'll cop to being spoiled.

Soma is too modern for a 3-speed. And I have a thing about paying more for a rack than I paid for the bike.

SotR23

I just picked up a 52 Raleigh Sports with a rack attached. The brand is called Midland.

clubman 

Have a look at this Presstube rack Rob. Never mounted, some shopwear. PM me if interested.

RobHalligan

Thanks clubman. That arrived today and it looks great. That was very nice of you...hope the PayPal arrived.

I also bought a Wald rack and plan to install that another bike. Having to drill out the holes on the rack where that is to attach to the dropouts is holding that back. I'll post pictures of both racks as I progress (...am working on my daily driver before these projects). I'll show the Wald "butchered" and un-"butchered" on a Raleigh 3-speed.

Thank you all for your help.

clubman 

Good news Rob.

Cute Boy Horse

I'm going to say the most traditional rack is no rack at all, just a gigantic round saddlebag with a cutout to fit the saddle springs. I've got an alloy pletcher right now and I can't stand the sight of it, but needs must.

RobHalligan

Surely. Good point....but a rack is really practical. I've thought of the Pletscher rack as the standard but am exploring some alternatives as I don't like the look of them. (I do love my Esge Pletscher double kickstands and the Esge rack I had on a German bike.)

I like the look of the Prestubes which came stock on some Raleighs, and I'm gambling $20 on a Wald rack that I plan to modify as discussed above. I have a Steco rack that I'll install on my Tourist when I get around to re-assembling it. I don't mind a bit of a resto-mod such as LED bulbs in my Dynohub lamps, a cambium saddle rather than leather or vinyl, and a reflecto strip on my tire side walls.

ollo_ollo

Fair Warning: My 74 Raleigh Superbe has a Presstube rack. I never much liked the spring loaded clamp back in the day, so removed mine during the initial clean-up. With passage of time, decided to go back to stock, but gave up after wasting an afternoon trying to puzzle out how to properly tension the spring when re-mounting. I saved all the parts but removal may be permanent. Don

RobHalligan

I installed that Wald rack on a Raleigh 3-speed with 26 inch wheels and fenders. The rack was a little too short; so, I cut out two of the rack cross members to keep the rack from pushing the fenders into the tire. I had to drill out the holes at the 3 points where the rack attached -- at the brake bolt and at the dropouts. I decided not to reduce the size of the "platform" (partially because I already weakened the structure by cutting the cross members). The tongue connecting the platform to the brake caliper bolt required some cutting and bending. I'm not sure I'll do it again...still searching for a solution. I use Steco racks on my 28 inch wheel bikes: https://www.dutchbikebits.com/steco-sturdy-luggage-rack




.

savvylu

JohnDThompson - I just bought a Raleigh Sports and took it into a bike shop. The mechanic told me I couldn't attach a rack.... but the photo of your wife's bike with a rack looks like the same model I have. The link you posted to the rack isn't working - do you remember the name or model? Thanks!

thumpism 

Raleigh Sports with a Pletscher works fine for me. I understand if you don't like the looks but you can't beat it for utility.

savvylu

this is great! Do I need to get a vintage rack or will any pletscher do? I’m entirely new to this world, so I feel like I’m stumbling around in the dark a bit. Can you send a link to one that might work without modification? Thanks!

bulgie 

Tonard racks are a sentimental fave for me. Rode across Canada with one in '76, full camping gear. Made in London UK.

They were sold in the US by the Touring Cyclist Shop, so they were known to US bikies as "TC" racks back then (Bike Boom years). At that time, they were widely regarded as the best you could get among USA tourists. Well, among those who had never seen a Singer, Herse, Jack Taylor or the like with a rack made of tubing. I think they must have been carried in the UK by Claud Butler, because I have often heard them called Claud Butler racks. But they were made by Tonard Brazing Company. Yes, they are brazed, not welded.

Tonard mostly made frames and forks for a bunch of bike shops in England that wanted a house brand, decaled with the shop's name, so the Tonard name was never seen on them. A guy who worked there said they made the racks on a piece-work basis between frame orders, to stay busy and fill out their paychecks a little..

When I started at R+E Cycles in Seattle in '79, they were selling Tonard-built frames decaled as Rodriguez, the "R" of R+E. That was the first time I'd heard the Tonard name. Those frames were nice and straight with clean attractive workmanship, definitely good quality. Better than say a Bob Jackson of the same era, if you know those. The racks are nothing special though, just solid steel rods, not tubular. Both heavier and more flexible than a Tubus, Bruce Gordon, or most any tubular rack you could name. But for a vintage British rack for a vintage British bike, you could hardly ask for better.

Here's one on eBay. Shipping from England is a bit dear, circa $40 assuming you're in the US. I'm still tempted, even though I have them on two bikes currently -- one of mine is rusty! But so far I have resisted the temptation.

They do appear for sale in the US sometimes. For keywords in your searches, in addition to Tonard, use "Claud Butler" and "TC rack". Sometimes the seller doesn't know the brand name (most of them have no brand marking at all), so it might just be called "chrome steel rack" or some such. A few of them were sold painted black or silver rather than chromed -- must have been cheaper. My rusty one was originally painted silver, not much paint left now.

Details varied a bit over the years, so you'll see some slight differences like in how they attach to the dropouts. Also see the ebay auction versus the TC catalog scan, different "third rail" in the top platform. The eBay one is newer, TC Shop is early-'70s

Mark B in Seattle

savvylu

Thanks for all of that info - very helpful! So that one would be compatible with my Raleigh Sports?

bulgie 

You mean the Tonard? I don't know. Mine are both on bikes with 27 x 1-1/4" wheels and fenders with generous clearance. Your bike is 26" wheels, but the attachment point on the dropout is lower, so maybe, maybe not.

Also of note, the strut that goes to the brake centerbolt is not adjustable, so the rack will only sit level on certain frames. You have a little adjustment in whether you put the strut in front of the bridge or in back, but that's it. On my 25-1/2" Super Course, the strut is a bit too long, so the rack slopes down to the rear. On my Schwinn Super Sport, I think it's about a 24" frame, the rack is level. Both of those have the strut in front of the bridge, so a somewhat smaller frame could have the rack level if you put the strut behind the bridge. I don't know what size that would be. 23" maybe? Plus Tonard rack dimensions varied over the years, so if being perfectly level is a must for you, I'd say that's risky.

On your Sports, it's even more likely to slope down towards the front, because of the rearward location of your dropout eyelets.

Mark B

SotR23

Rob -
Did you ever come up to NH to buy some bikes? I think I might have sold you a 3-speed a couple of years ago. Your collection looks familiar.

Be well -

RobHalligan

Yes, that was good fun buying that '53ish Raleigh from you. Lovely collection you have. I was cracking myself up when I said to your wife, "I swear I'm here to buy bikes not sell him more!" My sister bought a house in Meredith, NH and my brother has been coviding in Woodstock, VT, so I've thought of you a few times driving through Concord. I still have your bike. I've done a few things to it - not much. I think I have the fenders off to paint the stays at the moment. I've been riding a similar '50 Raleigh for those full chaincase 26 inch occasions.

SotR23

Good memory. Glad you still have her and that she’s surrounded by a family of 3 speeds. Be well.

~Chris