palladio

I have a lady friend here in NYC who is looking to start pleasure riding and doing some errands in NYC. She wants something with an upright position and a step through frame, maybe a few gears, a basket - I'm picturing an old Raleigh or Dutch type bike. So she goes to a local shop, and of course they want 1200-1500 for some sort of new retro hipster imitation Dutch bike!

I told her I'd help her find something vintage on Craigslist, Ebay, etc. and fix it up for her instead. All my personal bikes are Italian steel road and track, I have no experience with the type of bike she is looking for, other than a some Raleigh 3-speeds we had around the house as kid.

Can someone recommend some good makes/models and years for this type of bike? Also, what's a price range for something vintage steel of this type in decent shape? I can clean it up, repack/replace bearings, etc. Just need something with quality build and no rust issues.

palladio

Oh and I should mention that she is around 5'5" and thinks she needs a 50-52cm bike. So if anyone out there has something suitable for sale, PM me!

Lapdanceinlyrca

schwinn world tourist, or some sort of Miyata Mixte. very girly, look great with a basket on the front and stylish.

there are tons of options, and you can find a good frame for as cheap as $0 if you look hard enough!. id look for a mixte myself.

they arent exactly "Classic or Vintage" but a used Electra townie or Amsterdam. My experience with Electra has been great. i have a coaster brake beach cruiser from them, and it is a beautiful frame. you could find one of those for relatively inexpensively. Amsterdam's look very classy too!

heres a Miyata 210


heres an amsterdam. again. not vintage, but the nostalgia of vintage bikes is lost on most girls anyway.

gna

Can't go wrong with a Raleigh 3-speed. I've seen several for $40-100, but I have no idea what the NYC market is like.
My wife's Raleigh is very, very popular with her friends. I've fixed up 2 more for my sister-in-law and a friend who wanted one.

greengage

For the money, especially for a city bike, I'd definitely go for a nice old vintage 3-speed Raleigh over a newer bike. They're solid, charming, don't usually attract the attention of bike thieves, and with a basket or a rack, they're perfect for errands and toting stuff. I've seen a few beauties in and around NYC on CL. This is the one I'd go for personally, https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1941759365.html

but there are a bunch on there, including some lovely silver ones from the 70's, a couple of the bronze green ones and they're all under $300. Good luck.

rhm

Why not a Raleigh (or similar) three speed? Lots of them on the streets of NYC these days.

Or, if you can find one, a Raleigh RSW 16. Very cute little bike, built in lights, excellent rack and, if you luck out, a detachable shopping bag on the rack. A little harder to find, though.

palladio

Thanks for the info. I think she likes that style of bike over a Mixte. Do you think that one would fit her? I don't really know how these frame sizes work for this type of bike.

Here's another one listed that seems smaller, but not a nice looking in my opinion. Are there appreciable quality differences between a 1949 and 1959 Raleigh?

https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1952359016.html

gna

A Colt is a smaller frame, 18" or so. It would be better for someone 5' to 5'4" or so. My wife is 5'5", and she can ride either a 19" or 21" step through Raleigh frame. Her current bike is a 21".

As far as quality, the consensus is that quality peaked in the late '50s, and then started to decline as Raleigh kept trying to cut costs. Both a '49 or a '59 are probably quite good. The early '70s Raleighs I've worked on have been ok, but the late '70s ones are a bit rough.

greengage

I'm sure they'll fit! I'm also 5'5 and all the ladies' models work fine for me.

Re quality--I've heard the same as GNA but personally I feel too that it depends on the condition of the bike--some vintage bikes are just more rattly or rusty or what have you. Most of my older bikes feel more solidly made than the newer models. But as long as you're tuning it up for her...After that it just depends on which bike feels right to her and then the whole personal style question--whether she'd prefer the blue and white Colt which is a little funkier and fun, or the classic black bikes which are a bit more elegant IMHO but remind some people of the Wicked Witch.

let us know what you find!

RobbieTunes

I've got an old Hercules ladies bike with a 3-sp Sturmey-Archer rear. It needs a lot of work, but I'll probably sell it for $80 when I'm done.
It's not worth the shipping, but gives you an idea what one of those old bikes is worth.

palladio

How about a 1976 Phillips, is it similar quality to Raleigh?

https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1950846423.html

palladio

Just to clarify, is this definitely a ladies bike? https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1941759365.html

It's advertised as a 1949 Raleigh "Dawn" with rod brakes. It's a step through but I'm wondering if these were made for men too as city bikes? It says the seat tube is 55cm, which would make it about a 21.5" bike, but who knows if the guy measured it right.

JohnDThompson 

By 1976, Phillips was a Raleigh brand. This bike looks analogous to the Raleigh "Sports" model.

randyjawa 

I have several different ladies models kicking around. Both this lovely old Sekine and Raleigh "Grand Prix" are in excellent shape.

Raleigh_GP_Mixte_&#.jpg Sekine_TL35F_Full .jpg

gna

BTW, here's the Gospel:

Sheldon Brown on English 3-Speeds

social suicide

I bought my wife this bike for Christmas....Its now known as the DIVORCE bike.

greengage

Yep--that's a ladies' Dawn. As convenient as the step-through frame is for both ladies and gents, whether or not they're wearing long skirts, they've always been marketed as women's bikes. I'm charmed by this one--it just looks to be in very nice shape and it's got that neat Dunlop saddle which I think is actually made of some kind of very thick, old-school rubber. I saw one on a pre-war delivery bike this summer and it was pretty cool. And yes--I think it's a 22-inch frame.

Veloria

Without a doubt, a vintage Raleigh Lady Sports. The standard 21" frame should fit her just fine.

mrmw

You could get an advance purchase round trip Amtrak ticket from NYC to Raleigh/Durham, pick up RobbieTunes' $80 bike and have an adventure to boot. He is known for guaranteeing his work. Maybe $250 all in and not even a cut or a bruise...plus tales to tell for ages upon ages.

rhm

Well, if you want a train trip, let me check the stock at the Trenton Bike Exchange, where I volunteer. Last I checked we had an excellent supply of nice Raleigh-ish lady's bikes, including a couple of really nice J. C. Higgins ones from the late 50's. Barely an hour on NJTransit.

fender76

I have two 50's and one 60's women's Raleigh for sale if you have any interest

palladio

Thanks for all the helpful advice. We're going to look at that 1949 one tonight to see if it fits her. I like this bike advisor role - I get 99% of the fun of shopping for a bike with 0% coming out of my wallet!

palladio

Went to Brooklyn tonight and bought the 1949 Raleigh Dawn greengage spotted on CL. Very cool bike, all original down to the brakepads, and in beautiful condition! Many thanks to all for the helpful advice. I'll post some pics once I tune her up.

greengage

huzzah!! and I'm only a little jealous...