I picked this bike up for free on Craigslist a while ago with the intention of fixing up right away but a new kid put those ambitions on hold for a bit.
I'm now dusting it off and trying to identify any particular details that may help me get it back up in prime condition. Aside from the obvious, it's a Raleigh 3 speed, what other things do you notice that I'm oblivious to that I need to get familiar with when fixing up? Any advice for this beast?
by baconsideburns
10 Comments
Not advice, I just love the Raliegh logo on the cranks on their older 3 spds. I have one like this. Great bikes.
Tire size. If it says 26 x 1 3/8″, a regular 26″ tire will not fit. They’re getting harder to find, and the price Amazon charges is crazy. I have a mens and ladies Raleigh 3 speeds that I was able to find tires locally on clearance because they were discontinued.
Those brakes are super weird and probably won’t work very well. The design itself is flawed.
And the shift cable kinda needs to be re routed. The little pulley by the seat post clamp should be higher up so that the cable runs straight across the top tube
Raleigh Tourist DL-1, a bicycle that has not changed since about 1920. It’s the model for countless Third-World copies, especially India and China. Unusual 28-inch wheels, strange rod brakes, it’s a true dinosaur. The Vietnamese used bikes like this to ferry supplies down the Ho-Ch-Minh Trail during the Vietnam War. These bikes are indestructible. Here is Sheldon Brown’s description: [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/roadster.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/roadster.html)
I own a similar Raleigh with rod activated brakes .
Straight up you would be well advised to service the wheel bearing and the sturmey archer hub.
Not a particularly hard job but time consuming and some specific tools and so forth required.
Watch tutorials by RJ the bike guy on YouTube for the sturmey archer hub adjustment and service .
Wheel bearing service .
You can get new brake pads on eBay or Allie express I can’t remember which one I got mine from but they are available.
The wheel rims need to be clean for these brakes to even come close to working.
Correct adjustment is tricky at first but you will get used to it if you are patient.
Once you have mastered wheel bearing service you can then think about bottom bracket bearings and servicing them .
Once that is done it will be time to do the steering head bearings and then you shouldn’t have to touch it again for years if you have done the maintenance correctly.
None of this happens quickly it’s a maintenance schedule to be covered over time .
Hope this helps .
Enjoy that bike. I have a DL-1 that is a delight to ride. If you’re looking for parts, tires, etc., the Yellow Jersey bike shop outside of Madison, WI has been a fabulous resource.
You need a cotter press and replacement cotters from bikesmithdesign.com to be able to service the bb. It will last forever if adjusted properly and serviced occasionally – Raleigh used very hard cups/cones. Many fasteners on old Raleighs use Whitworth threading (26tpi instead of 24) so just try to avoid damaging any fasteners and you won’t have to suffer too much. Sturmey-Archer parts are widely available for overhauling, although at most you’ll likely need a cable and some servicing. They’re pretty bog-standard English/standard bikes in most respects, except for the 26tpi oddities. Have fun!
That’s such a cool find, especially for free. Those old Raleigh 3-speeds are built like tanks and really satisfying to bring back to life. Taking it slow and learning the little quirks along the way is half the fun; hope the restoration goes great!
I got one of these from my mom thinking, it would be a nice way to get it or start cycling again. But the brakes were so bad she thought she would kill herself.
Be gentle, tightening up the nuts and bolts. Because it’s Whitworth (BSW not SEA or Metric) and they’re probably impossible to put your hands on ay if you need to replace them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Whitworth