Raleigh Royale circa 1968? 5speed

[Brummie53]

Hi newbie here, I have one of the above bikes which has been in my garage for many years . Thinking about restoring it and wondered if replacement parts are still available! Thinking of wheels tyres and inner tubes in particular.
Any advice welcome

 

[Cycleops]

Do you mean Royal? Is it like this one: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/raleigh-royal-23-5-frame-absolutely-stunning.263916/#post-6056795
All parts are available so don’t worry. You’ll need to replace all the cables, inner and outers as well as the bar tape. A good clean and lube should see you ready to roll.
Good luck, any help you need just ask.

to the forum

 

[Illaveago]

Hi and .
You might not need much in terms of parts .
If you were to give it a good wash off and then go from there . Give it a good clean and polish.
Most likely that the bearings will still be good and will just need cleaning and new grease and will go on for more years .
If you can post pictures it will help and we enjoy looking at them .

 

[Poacher]

Do you mean Royal? Is it like this one: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/raleigh-royal-23-5-frame-absolutely-stunning.263916/#post-6056795
All parts are available so don’t worry. You’ll need to replace all the cables, inner and outers as well as the bar tape. A good clean and lube should see you ready to roll.
Good luck, any help you need just ask.

to the forum

Could be Royale, which was the mixte equivalent of the Royal. Probably a bit more recent than 1968? Late 70s/early 80s possibly.
Featured in this 1983 catalogue as a 10 speed, 531 main tubes.
Welcome @Brummie53 , as mentioned above, photos would be useful - you may need to make a few more posts before you're allowed to add them. While some exact replacement parts may no longer be readily available, wheels, tyres and inner tubes are no problem. Your wheels may be 27", but slightly smaller modern 700c wheels should be usable with a bit of adjustment to the brakes.

 

[Brummie53]

Thanks folks for your help. Hopefully I will be able to attach some photos As Poacher intimated it is Royale on the decal. I left school in 1968 and I either had the bike in the last year at school or the 1st year at work. As this is now over 50 years ago I am now wondering if my memory is playing tricks on me! It appears to be all steel tubes although I am not sure what 531 tubes are . Is this a different type of metal? All help appreciated.

 

[Paulus]

531 are steel tubes used for better quality frames. It is lighter and thinner than the steel used on standard bikes.

Your Royale looks in a bit of a mess, but, with some TLC and some elbow grease it should come up fine.
The chain looks like it has had it, but you never know. The freewheel and rear mech might come up once they are cleaned.
You may also need new cables, but once again see what happens when it is all cleaned and lubed.
All parts are readily available still from bike shops or online.

 

[Gunk]

That is completely restoreable, it’s the sort of bike I refurbish. I’ve just rebuilt a 1960’s Claud Butler which was in similar condition.

It will need stripping to a bare frame and if you’re brave enough the wheels dismantling and then rebuilt. Everything is serviceable on these bikes.

 

[raleighnut]

Very nice, a Carlton build by the look of those wrapover seat stays.

 

[Brummie53]

Thanks for the help Paulus and Gunk. Hope to start in a few weeks when I’ve finished jobs around the house and managed to tame the garden. This could turn into a autumn/winter project. Raleighnut you mentioned a Carlton build. Were they a separate company or part of The Raleigh stable? Thanks

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks for the help Paulus and Gunk. Hope to start in a few weeks when I’ve finished jobs around the house and managed to tame the garden. This could turn into a autumn/winter project. Raleighnut you mentioned a Carlton build. Were they a separate company or part of The Raleigh stable? Thanks

Carlton was bought out by Raleigh, a lot of the top end Raleighs were built at Worksop until they set up the SBDU in Ilkeston, Wrapover seat stays were a bit of a Carlton trademark, here's my 67 Carlton Clubman for comparison.

 

[midlife]

Wrapover seat stays were used on upper class Raleigh frames way back

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/eb/2b/94eb2bbd72746994b45114ee00d3c3fb.jpg

 

[Drago]

Strip, clean, polish, re grease, new chain, tubes, tyres and cables and that'll make a smashing and very ride able classic bike.

 

[Cycleops]

Nice, it’ll be a lot of work but well worth it. Looks all original apart from the derailleur which looks like a later cheapie unit, can’t be sure but it’s using an integral C attachment rather than the frame’s own dropout hanger, but could be a Simplex. Anyone else recognise it? Please show a better pic so I can ID.

 

[Drago]

That's a Simplex Prestige rear mech, probably a 637 in those colours. A decent unit, and if not original then certainly period correct. IIRC the knuckles were made from an early attempt at plastic composite.

They had a reputation for cracking that was probably undeserved as many seem to have survived just fine. Clean and presentable ones can sell for north of 50 sheets.

Edit - they were made from Delrin, and the uneducated of the day simp,y got fixated on the word "plastic" and they were therefore automatically crap. Delrin is used for load and pressure (but not hot) bearing internals in guns, suspension bushes, all sorts of high load bearing stuff, so is probably over specced as a material for a mech.

 

[raleighnut]

Wrapover seat stays were used on upper class Raleigh frames way back

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/eb/2b/94eb2bbd72746994b45114ee00d3c3fb.jpg

They purchased Carlton in 1960.