Raleigh identity please!

[Cavalol]

Sorry to be a bleeding nuisance with another 'identity' question but any anyone able to identify this Raleigh, please? I'm not sure if the sticker (last picture) is a clue to the name, or just from the supplying dealer when new.

I'd have thought it was a 1960s bike but sadly have no clue. It has a sturmey archer 3 speed system (I'm told you can date bikes from these but unsure where to look sorry) and a dynamo front hub. It's a damned nice little bike (under the surface rust that is!) and I would like to restore this one. It came with a half decent Brookes saddle but I've 'borrowed' that for the BSA!

Also if it's not extending the boundaries of use of this forum does anyone know much about Vindec pumps? I found some info about Vindec bikes on-line but nothing about pumps. I did find a picture of a Dunlop pump [circa 1904 I think) that looks similar, but nothing on these

Thanks once again.

 

[biggs682]

the hubs are date coded normally . i would hazard a go as cant read last pic but my bet is on Lenton or trent sports , if lenton shoud be 531 .

either way nice find

 

[Cavalol]

Many thanks. I will go and try and internet search now on Lenton and Trent, hopefullyit'll shed more light. Much appreciated, cheers.

 

[biggs682]

Many thanks. I will go and try and internet search now on Lenton and Trent, hopefullyit'll shed more light. Much appreciated, cheers.

theres a lot on lentons on sheldon web site , been trying to find a nice one for a while but few and far between

 

[Cavalol]

Cheers. Just had a scout round on there and the web in general and it looks like it could be a Lenton Sports Tourer, as the odd few ones I found have 'non drop' type handlebars, although confusingly enough even some of them are different. I found this on Flickr, which I reckon looks pretty damned close to mine:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5090/5266115542_e25ce3e15c_z.jpg

which leads me to think your suggestion of it being a Lenton is spot on, thanks! I'll try and get cracking on it at some point, the gear cable is missing and the back tyre at least is shot, but I think I have one somewhere and I found some very cheap new ones recently. Bit wary of trying to restoring it as I'm not sure losing it's originality is necessarily a good thing. Obviously the basics of the bike would remain but it might look a bit 'over done' and I do prefer the lived in look!

 

[wisdom]

Nice find which ever route you take be it full restoration or "lived in" it will be a fine machine, and a piece of cycling heritage and british manufacturing and engineering excellence.

 

[biggs682]

looks pretty dam close to me .

my lbs owner still has his sat in the corner of there workshop , have asked a few times but get told no each time , there was a nice original one on preloved a while back for £100

 

[Cavalol]

I'd probably better not say what I paid for mine then!

 

[biggs682]

a lot less i should geuss . its a tough decision when deciding to restore or not , i work on basis if all ready re painted then go for re paint if original paint is there then leave as is and just clean as best as poss .

most important think is to enjoy it

 

[Cavalol]

Hmm, good thinking. It looks like the original paint, there's some really nice sort of pinstriping effect in there which mirrored one I'd seen on the net, so a clean up probably best. I think (read 'hope') the wheels are serviceable as the way I usually work it is to get the bikes rolling and assess them from there.
I don't know if modern, stainless (or whatever they are) wheels would be a good idea (no rust etc) or getting these cleaned up somehow, which I'd prefer to be honest. Is there a simple way of doing it (de-rusting) at home or is it a job best left to the pro's? I have a wire brush but not a lot of patience so I'm hoping there's an easy answer to this!

 

[biggs682]

i work on same basis of get them rolling first to evaluate if worth carrying on with . and then go from there .

wire brush or wool and see how bad they look after , a lot will depend on what you are going to do with end result .

does it warrent new rims or wheels ? keep a look out for a cheap donor bike

 

[Cavalol]

I don't think it needs new rims as such (i.e I don't they're rotted through, probably famous last words!) so hopefully I can clean them up. I might take them to work and either ask one of the workshop lads if they can do it, or just do them myself when I'm on lates. Not in work's time though of course, that'd be wrong.

It has 531 tubing by the way, if that makes any odds?

 

[biggs682]

531 tubing is good , so all in all thats a good find . if i get chance i think i have a 26" alloy rimmed old fashioned fr wheel ie not mtb style will have a look in shed but doubtfull it wont be before friday .

its surprising how much surface rust comes off and how clean the chrome can be underneath

 

[Cavalol]

Nice one, cheers. I might have got some MTB wheels here as it goes, excuse my thickness but can I just take the cassette off the rear wheel and replace it with a single cog?

 

[biggs682]

yes if screw on style by using a BMX style one . might nned rear wheel re dishing to get a good chain line

best done by lbs mine charges about £20-25 for this