The Raleigh Sports 3 speed finished (except touch-up) & The Schwinn Le Tour Mixte

Hello and Welcome. The replacement tires arrived yesterday for the 1973 Raleigh 3 speed step-through. This time the tires fit perfectly. Thanks again to the folks at Niagara Cycle Works for getting the tire problem resolved so quickly.
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Above: A view of the Raleigh from the front. I am happy with the way it has come together so far. I am having a little trouble matching the green paint. I think I have found a match. At first I thought it was too dark and experimented with a few other shades of metallic green. But after wet sanding I noticed the paint I thought was too dark, was actually was a real good match. I will get a fresher bottle of that color and try again tomorrow. (mine is really old stock)

Above: I found this rack online, (I think at amazon.com) I looked at so many I don`t remember who sent it for sure. It was a tight fit, but it is on there and well secured. I did have to grind a little on the welds to get the front connect bracket to bolt to the rack mount holes. I found a reflector in the reflector box that fit nicely, after cutting off an extra nub on the back.

Above: This is one of the reasons I like to take pictures. Looking at this photo I can see I need to move the rear brake cable to the underside of the down-tube. Also
I need to get rid of some of the excess cable (up front)on both brakes. I put my best chrome frame pump on this bike. I think it was a good choice. I have plenty of time to find another for my 1964 Raleigh Sports restoration.

The brakes polished-up nicely with Turtle-Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover. I also used it to shine up the "thimble detail" on the fork and the outer bearing cups on the head-set. I used it on the rest of the chrome as well.

Above: The other half of this project is this Schwinn Le Tour Mixte. I was amazed to see how clean the Bracket Shell and Head-Set are when I took it apart today.

Above: I did wipe-off the bearing cartridge and cup quickly with a paper towel.
But the bracket and plastic cover are just how they came out of the shell. I think
this is the cleanest I have ever seen on a 1980`s bike.

This is a shot of the upper head-set bearing cup. All I did was wipe it off with a paper towel. Notice how clean the inside of the head tube looks not a trace of rust.

Above: Obviously I have cleaned-up the frame. But the inner bracket-shell is untouched. I`m sure this bike was ridden once and put away. Or maybe just put away and never ridden. Too bad they did not store it somewhere dryer.

Till Next Time, RIDE SAFE! and Remember to Always RESCUE,RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Winter cycling in Michigan

Hello and Welcome,
Today I decided to see if the "Road Warrior" would perform well in winter conditions.

The snow is very icey. The temp was 20 degrees F or -6.6 degrees Celsius. Our road is mostly hard-pack snow and the main road has been plowed and was mostly free of ice. The shoulder is for the most part unpaved and very icy. I don`t normally ride the shoulder unless I`m on a mountain bike and in the mood for some bumps and ruts.

It might not look like it, but I was a little over-dressed for the weather. The wind was calm today. The ride into town is "for the most part" a slight up-hill grade. About half way into town I stopped to cool-down a little. I`m glad I grabbed a water-bottle on my way out the door.

That`s my "Who the %#@& are You Honking At" look. I grew up in Metro Detroit and I think I developed "the look" as a defense mechanism. It also tends to come-out when I am looking at a camera. So I guess you could also call it my "Hurry Up and Take the $%&@#% Picture" look. Some jerk-wad blasted his horn at me on my way into town. Some of the misinformed people around here don`t know that, Bikes Are Traffic! After getting horn-blasted at, I usually follow the look with the "Your Number One" signal. Using the appropriate finger of course (: NOTE: I am not talking about a little "Here I am" toot on the horn. That does not bother me.

I like Michigan much more in the Summer. Although the cold, crisp and pollen free air of winter is hard to beat. Back to the bike. It rode nice in the powder snow last time out this winter. But this icey snow is a little trickier. It felt like it wanted to go sideways. So I stayed in the tire tracks till I got to the main road.
For rain or slush I would need a front mud-guard and a rear fender. I may add both if I decide to keep this bike. And I will be keeping it for a while, since I sold my MotoBecane. Or at least till I finish the Raleigh Technium

If you want to order Kenda gum-walls for a Raleigh Sports (27 X 1-3/8) do not order the K23. You want to order the K40. Although the description of the K23 sounds like it will fit. It will not replace the Raleigh 27 X 1-3/8 with 37 X 590 ISO. As the K23`s ISO is 37 X 597 (too big). And Thanks to the people at Niagara Cycle Works for getting this all sorted out for me today. You know the real mark of a good supplier is how they treat you when something goes wrong. And Niagara cycle takes care of their customers. I don`t remember the name of the "product tech" I spoke to today (sorry about that)but he was very helpful. And agreed that the information printed on the tire is a little confusing. Also thanks to Cheryl in customer service who always returns my calls. So check them out at http://niagaracycle.com/

Till Next Time, RIDE SAFE and Remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!
Cheers,Hugh

The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles / Review

Hello and Welcome,
This book is a "must have" for anyone who loves old custom road bikes and learning about the master craftsmen who built them.

Left: This book was a gift from my wife Carolyn. It was a totally unexpected and wonderful surprise. This book features some of the finest handmade bikes that you will ever see anywhere. The photography is fantastic and the writing is very informative and  enjoyable.

Here is a 1985 Alex Singer "Campeur". I have always been a big fan of the GT triple triangle frame. Which has been described as virtually indestructible. I "thought" I had an original idea recently. When I pondered the idea of adding a top tube to a Mixte frame to form a quad triangle frame. Looks like someone has already thought of it. And before you e-mail, Yes I am aware those are not all triangles. I think the front two areas are quadrilateral(s) I know Steve will let me know if I got that wrong. At least I hope so.

Above: The start of a Porteur Race in Paris (1958). Each rider carried 33lbs for 23.75 miles. In about 1968 myself and a few friends took Schwinn Stingrays and removed the banana seats and replaced them with a racing saddles. Then we added front (and sometimes rear) racks. Then we would would mount the fattest knobby tire we could fit on the rims. These made great little newspaper haulers and were also great fun on the "vacant-lot trails" after the papers were delivered. There were no actual bicycle paths or trails in those days. At least not in our little neighborhood. I don`t think they even have news-boys in the old neighborhood anymore. Those were great days(:

Here is another bike from the book that was way ahead of it`s time. I am of course referring to the "Bio-Pace like" crank.

This is one of my favorites from the book. A two speed bike that to change gears you just reversed your pedaling direction. I have a feeling that one of these in working condition would fetch a pretty penny.

A beautiful 1949 Rene Herse. This bike had a rear drum brake for reliable braking on long descents. I love the hammered fenders. A very classy looking ride.

Many of the innovations these custom bike builders developed are still in use today. Example: Check-out that front brake, Amazing!


My wife tells me you can find this book on amazon.com much cheaper than the 50.00 US or 57.50 Canadian shown on the back cover.

Till next time RIDE SAFE and Remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh

2010 The Year in Bikes

Here is a look back at some of the bikes that passed through the shop/garage in 2010
Below:January 2010

This Schwinn Continental was the first of three for 2010.I have no idea how I managed to find three un-restored 1980 Schwinn Continentals. It was not intentional.
Below: February 2010

This little Schwinn Sprint is one of my favorites. I tend to roll the handlebars back for my comfort when "test riding". Now I make it a point not to photograph the bikes with the bars rolled back like this.
Below: March 2010

This Vista "Carrera 7" (mixte) got a lot of positive response.
Below: April 2010

This Trek 560 is some of the best work I have ever done to date. And unfortunately also some of the worst photographs of a bike I have ever taken.
Below: May 2010

I can`t say enough about this 1973 Raleigh Sprite. I eventually topped it off with a vintage 1973 Brown Brooks Touring Saddle. Just a fantastic bike!
Below: June 2010

I gave this Centurion Accordo RS a major overhaul. All new rubber and cables, new bar-tape and pedals and a new saddle. I rebuilt the crank and heat-set. This would have made a great "personal bike". But it has a 50cm frame, too small for me.
Below: July 2010

On this Fuji S10 S I installed Aero levers and used a Noodle to allow the front brake cable to make the 90 degree turn as smoothly as possible to the front cable guide/adjuster. I had to grind the end of the noodle nipple down to get it to fit into the cable-guide/adjuster. The tension of the brake caliper spring holds it in place.
Below: August 2010

This Nishiki Sebring was pretty rough when it came in. I installed Aero levers on this one too. Much easier to make the change with a side-pull front brake caliper.
Below: September 2010

This Raleigh (USA) Record was a good looking bike. All the color choices came together nicely. And the bike functioned beautifully. Looking at it now, I think a set of gum brake-lever hoods would have been a perfect for this bike.
Below: October 2010

This Raleigh Capri almost did not get built. It was in horrid condition. But the frame was solid and the paint was savable and the decals were amazing. So with the help of a couple donor bikes it got built. And with a few improvements (:
Below: November 2010

This is the third 1980 continental for 2010. And the second blue 1980 Continental for 2010.
Below: December 2010

This Schwinn Caliente received more than a few up-grades. Among them are a lighter alloy crank and stem. I also installed a set of two-way brake-levers off a vintage Continental. It now sports a Specialized saddle (new take-off) And new Cenelli cork tape.
Below: My favorite "Bike-Rescue" for 2010

I found this Nishiki Mountain Bike in the curb-side trash on a visit to one of my sisters in Brighton.(Michigan) It had been left out in the weather and was in a sorry state when I found it. The Nishiki first appeared on my blog in March. To read more about any of these bikes go to the Blog Archive. Click on 2010. Then click on the month which appears above each bike pic on this page.

Till next time, RIDE SAFE and remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!
Cheers,Hugh

Raleigh "Sports" Restoration / Wheels, Crank , Pedals, Levers etc.

Hello & Welcome. This will be my last post for 2010. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something useful. I look forward to a new year of bicycle projects. I learned a lot this year. One of the things I learned is that there is still much much more to learn. It`s been a great ride so far. See You soon!

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Above: Here is the bracket and crank back on the bike. I am pleased with the way these came out. I also removed the shift cable guide/pulley and cleaned it up. I used the Mother`s Mag and Aluminum Polish to dissolve the caked on sludge on the sprocket teeth. As usual I also used Mother`s on all the bearing cups. (bracket and head-set)

Above: Judging by the lack of wear on these pedals I think it is safe to assume this is a very low mileage bike. The pedal`s metal parts were cleaned-up with brass brushes and Turtle-Wax Chrome Cleaner/Polish/Rust Remover. The rubber blocks were cleaned -up with a bio-degradable de greaser and a scrub-brush.

Above: The front wheel all cleaned up and ready for the new Kenda Gum-Walls to arrive. Both front and rear hubs have oil ports. I am a huge fan of oil ports. I like the idea of the average "not-mechanically inclined" Joe being able to lube anything without having to take it apart first. I guess that`s why I like the self adjusting levers as well.

Above: The "Self-Adjusting" levers cleaned-up real nice. If you take one of these apart for the first time, leave the other one together for a reference. I`m glad I did. There is a little drop-in piece that I assume turns the little cog.(or holds the cog in place after it has advanced ) It fell out before I even got a look at where it was. So I carefully took the other one apart to see how it drops in. I should have gotten a pic of that. My mistake. At any rate, they do work. I remember that from the Raleigh Sprite. When you squeeze the lever something (maybe the little clip) turns the little cog which takes the excess slack out of the cable. I think it only does this when the lever is pulled-in farther than it would normally if the cable were tight. Very cool (:

Above: I think this is the original Sturmey Archer shifter. It looks pretty nifty after all surface rust has been removed. It had not been polished yet when this pic was taken. I ordered a replacement cable. But this one is in such fine shape I decided not to replace it. I did clean up the adjuster-end of the cable. I think I have a pic of that I can squeeze in here. (see below) The shift cable on a Sturmey Archer 3 speed is not under a great deal of tension. It is for this reason that I feel confident not replacing the existing cable that looks to be in "near perfect" condition. I did however lubricate the cable housing with a three or four drops of clean electric motor lube. I also put the same light oil on the linkage chain at the business end of the cable. And wiped off the excess with a clean rag.

Above: The surface rust on the bars and stem came off easily using a SOFT brass wheel brush (on 4&1/2inch angle grinder)and a brass detail brush and lots of Turtle-Wax Chrome/Cleaner/Polish & Rust Remover. The Turtle-Wax is almost gone, I`ll be trying the Mother`s Chrome Cleaner Polish Next. I have been told the bracket with the Heron on it was originally a mount for a specific type headlamp. Maybe one of our friends "across the pond" can confirm this. Whatever it is for, it looks really cool.

Above: This is pretty much where I am at with the Raleigh right now. Since this photo was taken I have cleaned-up the chain. I also have been experimenting with the touch-up paint. Trying to come up with the best color match. I have ordered the tires Kenda 26 x 1-3/8 Gum-Walls with the old style tread. Also (at the owners request) some "Mr Tuffy" tire-liner. I wonder if there is going to be ample room for the inner-tubes now. I could see a little "accordion effect" on the tubes when I removed the tires. It may have been caused by not inflating the tires properly. After mounting a new tire I inflate the tire to about 20 or 30 psi psi. I check the bead, then deflate the tire, and then pump it back up up to about 75%max inflation. Then I re-check the bead if the bead (seal) if it looks good (even) I then pump it up to desired inflation. Sometimes if I suspect, or am not confident the seal is good, I`ll leave the psi at 75% for a day or two.

Above: One of the new additions to the garage/shop this winter is this commercial light-stand. An old friend recently purchased my mortar mixer. He was just a little too low on his bid. So I requested he include this light-stand. It has been a real God-send. As requested by one of my readers I will be doing a post soon about some of the must have tools around the shop. Till next time, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As always, RIDE SAFE and remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Raleigh Sports / Schwinn La Tour mixte / cotter pin removal

Hello and Welcome. Wintertime, and the live`n ain`t easy. Now I got this song stuck in my head, "Summertime and the Living is Easy". Lately I have been hearing the snowmobiles going by while working in the shop late at night. It`s only  been officially winter for two days, and I am already yearning for spring. In an attempt to embrace winter. I went ice skating in Central Park yesterday. Not THE
"Central Park" This Central Park is in Milford Mi. Only the second time I have been on skates since I quit playing hockey some 30+ years ago. Enough about winter. It`s time to get caught-up on what`s been going on (and not going on) in the shop/garage these past few weeks.

Left: This is the temp in the shop on a cold day, with both heaters going! Not as bad as it looks. I keep the radiant propane heater close to my work area. so where I am working it is probably 50 to 60 degrees F.

Above: I found the correct replacement gum hoods for the Raleigh Technium. But I had to put the Technium project "on hold" for a few weeks or so. Due to some unexpected bicycle work that came in.

Above: This Raleigh Sports 3 speed was selected for restoration by one of the two young ladies that stopped by to look at the 10 or so step-through frame bikes I have in stock. I don`t keep more than one or two finished step-through bikes in stock as they do not sell very well.

Above: The other young lady selected this Schwinn Le Tour "Mixte" These were probably the two best step-through bikes of the bunch. These girls knew what they were doing.

Above: I decided to start with the Raleigh. I`m not a huge fan of "Cotter Cranks." I figured it would be best to get it "out of the way" first. Then the rest should be fairly routine. Below is my preferred method of removing cotter-pins.

Above: After removing the nut I sprayed a tiny bit of penetrating oil on the key (both ends)the night before. Then I place the lug-not over the fat end of the pin.
Then carefully position the clamp. This clamp has a groove that helps keep the threaded end of the pin in place. It is still tricky, so take your time getting it positioned properly. Then I apply pressure (as much as I can) Then being winter I add a little heat.

Above: If your shop is well heated this step may not be necessary.If you do heat it up use a low flame, and keep the torch moving. And don`t over-due it. Also only heat up the arm around the bracket not the bracket end. You want the arm to expand, not the bracket. The torch in this pic is not positioned properly. it should be closer and a little bit lower flame. I had the torch in one hand and the camera in the other. Right after I finished warming -up the other side my phone rang. And it broke loose while I was talking to my wife on the phone. So give the heat a little time to work.

Above: This is what a bracket and bearings look like when they have not been serviced in many years. This would not have been savable if it had gone much longer.
As it was, I was not 100% sure I would be able to save it. What you are seeing is a battle between the rust and the grease. Looks like the grease was loosing the battle!

Above; The bracket, bearings and one of the cups all cleaned-up. I used White-Lightning Clean-Streak and a Brass Brush. I also sanded it a little bit with #600 automotive grade sand-paper (only the bracket).

Above: Ready to re-assemble the head-set bottom bracket and crank. The plastic bag contains new head-set bearings. That gets us pretty much caught-up on whats been going on. I will be doing more posts about these two bikes as they progress. If it
is warm enough where you are (or your just really tough) get out and Ride Safely.
Happy Christmas! I hope you have a Wonderful Holiday Season.
Cheers, Hugh

Eddie (the worlds coolest cat)says Remember to RESCUE,RESTORE&RECYCLE