# 1968 Raleigh Sports



## milbicycleman (Aug 7, 2017)

I picked up this 1968 Raleigh Sports today. It's my first foray into the British lightweights, so I am pretty excited about it. I ended up getting it from a guy off Craigslist. It's in pretty original shape minus the handgrips and new tires and tubes. There is some rust by the front lug. Do you guys think thats something that would affect the structure of the frame? I think I am going to leave the stock rear cog for now to see how I like it. Do you guys have any suggestions for upgrades that are easy to do or things that would make the bike better?


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## kwoodyh (Aug 7, 2017)

Hard to improve on that bike if you want to maintain an original look. I'd just clean and detail it and mechanically make it as sound as possible. I don't think you will have any structural issues with the lug corrosion but I would address it as soon as possible. 


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## milbicycleman (Aug 7, 2017)

kwoodyh said:


> Hard to improve on that bike if you want to maintain an original look. I'd just clean and detail it and mechanically make it as sound as possible. I don't think you will have any structural issues with the lug corrosion but I would address it as soon as possible.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thanks for letting me know. What would you recommend doing to address the lug corrosion?


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## kwoodyh (Aug 7, 2017)

Try to remove any loose rust carefully without disturbing any original surrounding paint then apply a rust neutralizer of your choice and then find a match or close as you can get and reapply over the area.


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## milbicycleman (Aug 7, 2017)

kwoodyh said:


> Try to remove any loose rust carefully without disturbing any original surrounding paint then apply a rust neutralizer of your choice and then find a match or close as you can get and reapply over the area.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thanks, I'll do that. I have some left over copper wool and oil I can use.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 7, 2017)

If the lug-to-tube joint looks good and there's no gap or opening of it, you're fine. The frames are generally over-built and very durable. Gently remove the rust when you clean up the bike. Looks like the chainstays are crunched by the kickstand. That's fairly normal with those stands - just make sure that there are no cracks or breaks in the tubes down there. Deformation is OK - the frame is very rigid in that area; but cracks or breaks from being crushed are not OK.

Do not attempt to re-build the Dynohub prior to reading the instructions on it - you cannot separate the magnet from its ring without a magnet keeper. 

You're missing the frame pump (easily replaced) and the plastic shifter face (difficult to replace because they're always cracked or broken). There are retro, Dare-style grips being produced today as well if you want better grips. 

Good bike to start with.


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## milbicycleman (Aug 7, 2017)

SirMike1983 said:


> If the lug-to-tube joint looks good and there's no gap or opening of it, you're fine. The frames are generally over-built and very durable. Gently remove the rust when you clean up the bike. Looks like the chainstays are crunched by the kickstand. That's fairly normal with those stands - just make sure that there are no cracks or breaks in the tubes down there. Deformation is OK - the frame is very rigid in that area; but cracks or breaks from being crushed are not OK.
> 
> Do not attempt to re-build the Dynohub prior to reading the instructions on it - you cannot separate the magnet from its ring without a magnet keeper.
> 
> ...



Thanks for all of the helpful info SirMike! I'll address both areas when I give it a good cleaning. The previous owner told me the Dynohub works so I am on the lookout for a lighting set. Do you have any recommendations on where I could buy one and same with the frame pump and grips?
Alexander


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 7, 2017)

Forgot to add - be very careful with preserving the brake cables. They're a proprietary design and not being widely produced today. They're special to Raleigh and have not been made in large numbers in years. They're also specific to the frame size. It looks like you can preserve and re-lube them and keep using them. I'm currently playing with a couple methods of reproducing these cables. I have one method that is promising and likely can produce cables looking and functioning very close to the originals.


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 7, 2017)

milbicycleman said:


> Thanks for all of the helpful info SirMike! I'll address both areas when I give it a good cleaning. The previous owner told me the Dynohub works so I am on the lookout for a lighting set. Do you have any recommendations on where I could buy one and same with the frame pump and grips?
> Alexander




Sunlite makes a 16 inch pump that should fit.  

I have a set like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ral...hash=item4b1e102bbc:m:mjX350PI6kt1AbM23Mi6RKw

on my Raleigh Sprite. They're not exact, but pretty close. They work reasonably well. The Thai-made, barrel style ones with the "R" on them are of dodgy quality.


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## milbicycleman (Aug 7, 2017)

The previous owner told me he re lubricated the cables and I tested out the brakes and seam to work okay. Hopefully I'll be able to keep using them. Thats great you're looking into reproducing the cables. 

I'll definitely get those grips and check out the sunlite pump. Thanks again for your help.


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## morton (Aug 8, 2017)

milbicycleman said:


> Do you guys have any suggestions for upgrades that are easy to do or things that would make the bike better?




Clean and lube; easier said than done on English bikes. You're probably looking at decades old grease that is doing more harm than good and the bike will ride much better with modern lube.  I use synthetic marine grease.  All the add ons or upgrades will do little to improve the bike without fresh grease/oil.

First, as previously stated,  Do not attempt to re-build the Dynohub prior to reading the instructions on it.  Nuff said.

Step one, drain the old oil from the SA hub and replace with new.  I've found them to be almost indestructible with just a little care.  Got one last year that was dry, no oil at all came out. Oiled up it has performed flawlessly for 600 miles to date.

Step two:  Your pita cottered cranks.  Most(I think) people hate em.  Read up on how to get them off and choose your preferred method.  I made the tool and it works well......usually.  And don't forget to lube/oil the pedals.

Step three:  Your circa 50 (26 top 24 bottom or some such arrangement) little loose (uncaged) bearings make lubing the headset another pita.  You should make sure to have extras as at least one or two will roll away and end up under the furnace, in the furnace, or in your neighbor's living room! I have Parkinson's and it's a laugh riot watching me try to install those little bastaxxs one at a time.

To avoid "sanding down" the chrome, make sure the brake pads are not hardened if you intend to ride it.  Modern, pliable pads are much easier on the wheel and stop better. And while your bike is apart, clean and wax everything except braking surfaces.  Paint touch up as needed or wanted. 

I like older Raleighs, have a couple, and had a few others.  I like the way they ride and look but absolutely hate working on them.  I find no joy in laying a bike on the floor to service a headset which many people do to avoid losing too many bearings. Or proprietary brake cables, or self adjusting brake levers (which it appears you bike thankfully does not have) Sometimes I think the Raleigh engineers sat down, looked at the pre production model, and said, how can we make this harder to service. 

Having said all that you may wonder why I do it.  Challenge number one.  If it was easy it would be no fun?  Also pride....pride in being able to do something most bike shops won't even attempt.  And finally having an attractive vintage bike that's as good as anything made since that will be providing a lot of riding pleasure to me and someone else long after I'm gone unless some idiot decides to use it as a yard decoration.


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## milbicycleman (Aug 8, 2017)

morton said:


> Clean and lube; easier said than done on English bikes. You're probably looking at decades old grease that is doing more harm than good and the bike will ride much better with modern lube.  I use synthetic marine grease.  All the add ons or upgrades will do little to improve the bike without fresh grease/oil.
> 
> First, as previously stated,  Do not attempt to re-build the Dynohub prior to reading the instructions on it.  Nuff said.
> 
> ...





Thank you for all of the helpful information! I was told my the previous owner that it needs nothing since he said he went through everything. Hopefully he was telling the truth....From the little I've ridden it, it seems very smooth. 


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## wrongway (Aug 8, 2017)

SirMike1983 said:


> Forgot to add - be very careful with preserving the brake cables. They're a proprietary design and not being widely produced today. They're special to Raleigh and have not been made in large numbers in years. They're also specific to the frame size. It looks like you can preserve and re-lube them and keep using them. I'm currently playing with a couple methods of reproducing these cables. I have one method that is promising and likely can produce cables looking and functioning very close to the originals.




Are you talking about the cable and ends? That would be great. I am also looking for cloth cable reproductions. I don't suppose that is out there yet....?


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## milbicycleman (Sep 11, 2017)

After cleaning up the Raleigh I unfortunately realized that it's in poorer condition than I originally thought. The paint is a blotchy, with clear coat in some places and in others not. I think it must've been exposed to some chemicals from painting or something, as there are white paint specks as well. Also the front wheel is very pitted and rusty. What would you guys recommend? I am thinking sell the bike and look for something nicer.


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 11, 2017)

Do you have any pictures of the problem areas? The bike in the pictures above looks like it will clean up reasonably well. It'sa tall frame with a Dynohub and a pretty good number of original parts - I'd hold off on dumping that one. You'll probably pay good money for a really nice tall frame with the working Dyno.


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## milbicycleman (Sep 12, 2017)

Yes I do. Its kind of hard to see everything in picture form though. I didn't realize a tall frame with the dyno- hub with nice paint would costly. Thank you for letting me know.


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## bulldog1935 (Sep 12, 2017)

I think I would rub that bike, lube it and ride it.


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## milbicycleman (Sep 12, 2017)

Thanks for the advice. What would you recommend to rub it down with?


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 12, 2017)

I like NuFinish scratch repair car polish or 
Meguiars car polish for finish cleaning paint. 

For chrome, I WD40 with a brass brush or bronze wool, followed by Simichrome polish.



milbicycleman said:


> Thanks for the advice. What would you recommend to rub it down with?


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## wrongway (Sep 12, 2017)

I second Bulldog. That's in great shape, actually and shouldn't need much. I'm not familiar with the technique, but I think you would be surprised at how well that finish would turn out!


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## bulldog1935 (Sep 12, 2017)

milbicycleman said:


> Thanks for the advice. What would you recommend to rub it down with?



I usually start with Meguier's polishing compound and finish with wax

My favorite wax is Butcher's and I apply the wax with my fingers, then buff it out with lint-free rags.

This is the original paint (not original decals) on a '76 frame that's been rubbed (and the gold tipping re-done)


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## milbicycleman (Sep 12, 2017)

Thank you for the advice guys. It's been very helpful. I cleaned up the bike and used some 3M wax on it but I don't think there's any way to fix whatever happened to the paint. I also used bronze wool on the wheels. The rear came out really well but the front is super pitted and rusty. The pictures I posted earlier are after I did all the cleaning for reference. At this point should I just let it go the way it is or is there more I can do? 


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 12, 2017)

milbicycleman said:


> Thank you for the advice guys. It's been very helpful. I cleaned up the bike and used some 3M wax on it but I don't think there's any way to fix whatever happened to the paint. I also used bronze wool on the wheels. The rear came out really well but the front is super pitted and rusty. The pictures I posted earlier are after I did all the cleaning for reference. At this point should I just let it go the way it is or is there more I can do?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




As spotted as the paint is, I'd be inclined to stick with it unless you absolutely can't bear it. Most of these were working or utility type bicycles at some point or another - commuters; campus bikes; grocery bikes; etc. The balloon tire American bikes were often for younger people who wanted to imitate a motorcycle or a plane or a car, whereas these were usually for older students or adults wanting a more practical bike. So they got used and saw a lot of time outdoors, or exposed to chemicals in the garage or at work. I'd just call the spotting part of the bike's history, and as long as it's not rusting out or peeling off, maybe let it be.

The rim is a little easier. You can try to locate a single rim on eBay or the like. Or you can do a rim swap to Sun CR18 aluminum rims front and back. Or you could swap both to steel endrick pattern rims from another Raleigh bike. The Sun CR18 is the most common rim swap today and it makes the braking a lot better, and the rims are lighter. If you have to have original, you can probably locate a donor wheel or loose rim on eBay if you're patient. Millions were made over the course of a half century.

The other thing is you could try to locate a tall frame Sports project that is better and swap the parts you want to that donor bike - basically mix two bikes until you get what you want. Don't sell what you have until you have the second bike in hand to mix up what you want, then sell the extra parts you don't want (or keep for spares) off to recoup costs.


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## milbicycleman (Sep 12, 2017)

Thanks, these are all really great suggestions. I'll definitely do some checking around to see what my options are for now. 


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## milbicycleman (Oct 4, 2017)

I went to the Hershey Fall Swap Meet today and found 2 bikes for parts the one is 1952 (based on the hub) Rudge Sports and the other is some beat up West German bike that I got just for the shifter. The plan was to take the wheels off of the 52' Rudge since I know the 50's bikes are better quality and the shifter off of the German bike. What do you guys think?


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## SirMike1983 (Oct 4, 2017)

Yeah - looks to be a 1952 from these pictures. Raleigh/Rudge/Humber were at their best in those years. The wheels look like they'll clean up. That bike is likely a little better-made overall than your other one, but it's also incomplete and a smaller frame. Save as many parts as you can from it - many will interchange with other Raleigh Sports from various years after WWII.

The Sturmey shifter is a late 1950s-era model - also a good one.


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## milbicycleman (Oct 4, 2017)

SirMike1983 said:


> Yeah - looks to be a 1952 from these pictures. Raleigh/Rudge/Humber were at their best in those years. The wheels look like they'll clean up. That bike is likely a little better-made overall than your other one, but it's also incomplete and a smaller frame. Save as many parts as you can from it - many will interchange with other Raleigh Sports from various years after WWII.
> 
> The Sturmey shifter is a late 1950s-era model - also a good one.




Thank you for letting me know. I had a feeling it was better quality. Do you think it would be worth while to put those on the 68 I have, since it's the correct size? Or hold out for a larger older frame? 


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## SirMike1983 (Oct 4, 2017)

milbicycleman said:


> Thank you for letting me know. I had a feeling it was better quality. Do you think it would be worth while to put those on the 68 I have, since it's the correct size? Or hold out for a larger older frame?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




You can put them on - these wheelsets can be moved from bike-to-bike relatively easily once you get used to working with them. I'd throw them on the rider bike that fits you. If you later get an even better bike, the wheelset can move with you to that better frame.


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## milbicycleman (Oct 5, 2017)

SirMike1983 said:


> You can put them on - these wheelsets can be moved from bike-to-bike relatively easily once you get used to working with them. I'd throw them on the rider bike that fits you. If you later get an even better bike, the wheelset can move with you to that better frame.




Okay great, I was thinking that would be the best way use them. Thank you for your help. I'll post updates once I go through them and put them on the 68. 


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## dnc1 (Oct 7, 2017)

There is some excellent advice from people above.
I'm surprised that the paint hasn't cleaned up better after using a rubbing compound; Raleigh paint from this era was still good, not as good as earlier eras but still reasonable. It did have to cope with our lovely English weather after all.
As has been mentioned above also, English parts from the '50's onwards are fairly interchangeable and were produced in their millions, so I don't think you'll have problems finding any parts you might need.
Incidentally, no doubt due to their relative rarity, this era of Brit cycles (with the exception of lightweights that is) seem to be held in higher esteem over your side of the pond.
Which is a shame really, but one day, as time progresses, I'm sure they'll be very collectable everywhere.


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## milbicycleman (Oct 9, 2017)

dnc1 said:


> There is some excellent advice from people above.
> I'm surprised that the paint hasn't cleaned up better after using a rubbing compound; Raleigh paint from this era was still good, not as good as earlier eras but still reasonable. It did have to cope with our lovely English weather after all.
> As has been mentioned above also, English parts from the '50's onwards are fairly interchangeable and were produced in their millions, so I don't think you'll have problems finding any parts you might need.
> Incidentally, no doubt due to their relative rarity, this era of Brit cycles (with the exception of lightweights that is) seem to be held in higher esteem over your side of the pond.
> Which is a shame really, but one day, as time progresses, I'm sure they'll be very collectable everywhere.




Thank you for the advise. I was surprised too. I think the paint must have been exposed to some chemicals or something to get the blotched discoloration. It seems the 60's-70's parts are easier to find in the states than the earlier models since they weren't imported to same extend.


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## milbicycleman (Apr 28, 2018)

Its been awhile since I've posted on here but I'm finally starting to work on the Raleigh again. I bronze wooled the front rims and now I'm getting together the necessary parts to get the bike on the road again. I found the correct white handlebar grips on ebay and I'm looking at koolstop continentals in either salmon or black. I was wondering which one you all think is better for all around performance? I've read mixed reviews about the salmon pads, people seem to say they make a lot of noise unless you're in the wet. I haven't heard much about the black ones.


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## milbicycleman (May 6, 2018)

I put new correct white grips on today. I went to oil the sturmey archer rear hub and it wouldn’t take any oil for some reason. Do you guys have any suggestions on what I could do? 







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## Intense One (May 7, 2018)

Yeah, I see a great looking bike....it's not show quality but who cares.  I have one similar to yours with a dyno hub and a woman's model too both in Bronze green like yours and love them. So that being said... Get out and ride that bike, buddy!


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## milbicycleman (May 7, 2018)

Intense One said:


> Yeah, I see a great looking bike....it's not show quality but who cares.  I have one similar to yours with a dyno hub and a woman's model too both in Bronze green like yours and love them. So that being said... Get out and ride that bike, buddy!



Thank you, I appreciate it! I just need to get a tune up and it should be good to go.


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## 3-speeder (May 9, 2018)

milbicycleman said:


> I put new correct white grips on today. I went to oil the sturmey archer rear hub and it wouldn’t take any oil for some reason. Do you guys have any suggestions on what I could do? View attachment 802549View attachment 802550
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



So no oil would go in? Was the oil port blocked or gunked up? Could you see anything under the cap? There is some good information in this thread:
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/de-gooing-a-sturmey-archer-3-speed-hub.125450/#post-841618
I really like these bikes. Once you work on your first one they get easier. What gets harder is not buying more and more of them.


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## milbicycleman (May 9, 2018)

3-speeder said:


> So no oil would go in? Was the oil port blocked or gunked up? Could you see anything under the cap? There is some good information in this thread:
> https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/de-gooing-a-sturmey-archer-3-speed-hub.125450/#post-841618
> I really like these bikes. Once you work on your first one they get easier. What gets harder is not buying more and more of them.



Thank you for the link i appreciate it. 
It wouldn't go in at all. The oil started leaking out right as I started putting it in. I couldn't see anything but I'll give the WD40 trick a try and hope it works.


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## 3-speeder (May 10, 2018)

I have found that a fuzzy pipe cleaner can come in handy for cleaning some places. You can bend them into shape for what ever nook or cranny might need a cleaning. If you decide to re-grease the bearings in the hub I have found it's best to do one side at a time. It's really not too hard and does a world of good.


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## milbicycleman (May 10, 2018)

3-speeder said:


> I have found that a fuzzy pipe cleaner can come in handy for cleaning some places. You can bend them into shape for what ever nook or cranny might need a cleaning. If you decide to re-grease the bearings in the hub I have found it's best to do one side at a time. It's really not too hard and does a world of good.



Thank you for letting me know, I will definitely give that a try. I think I'll need to re grease the hub bearings based on how old the bike is so your advise will be a big help.


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## milbicycleman (May 14, 2018)

Hey guys, so as I’ve been looking into my options for rebuilding my front and rear hubs I’m beginning to realize I’m out of my depth, skill wise. I was wondering what my best options are for  modern rims and 3 speed hub set ups are? 


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## milbicycleman (May 14, 2018)

Or options in general? I’ve heard road bikes with Reynolds 531 tubing are good and light but I’m guessing expensive...


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## bulldog1935 (May 15, 2018)

Questions are kind of getting wide, but there are some incredible Craigslist buys in bikes out there (long stored in garages).
My buddy paid $125 for this almost-never-ridden Univega mixte for his wife - Miyata built this bike with Tange Cr-Mo butted tubing, arguably better than Reynolds 531
(one of the few high-grade mixtes ever made by any maker)




But easy to rebuild all the bearings (or get a bike shop to do it), re-cable, and set up how you prefer with minimum parts buys (can even move those shifters to stem mount).


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## SirMike1983 (May 15, 2018)

Several different questions there.

First, it is easier to re-grease the bearings than it is to re-build the wheels or to mount new wheels. The reason to change the rims (or wheels) is because you want something lighter and that brakes better when wet. Most people use the Sun CR-18 rims with the polished finish. If you're using this as a hobby/fun bike in only good weather, the original rims are fine. If you're commuting on the bike and out in a lot of wet weather, the Sun rims will be a bit better functioning for you. I prefer the originals and find the CR-18s a particular pain to mount tires.  When people buy CR-18s and try to get rid of their original Raleigh rims, I offer trade/buy them up because I like the originals so much.

Reynolds 531 - this is another type of steel. Raleigh used 10-20 and 20-30 steel for the regular Sports over the years. The 10-20 and 20-30 are just fancy names for plain carbon steel. The 531 allows you to build a lighter frame using thinner walls on the frame tubes. The trade-off is that the 10-20 and 20-30 will take more abuse (people over-clamping stuff; over-tightening kickstands, etc.). This plain carbon 20-30 steel is perfect for a utility bike like the Sports - durable enough to take some abuse, but light enough to ride much livelier than a department store cheap-o bike.

Brake pads - the salmon-colored pads do seem noisier to me than the generic black pads when dry. The salmon stops much better when wet. I've had very good luck with the "Sunlite" brand "X-cut" generic black brake pads you get for cheap in the bike shop (or in bulk online). They work fine in dry conditions. Again, if it's going to be really wet, the salmon Kool Stop is better. When I fit new pads, I pre-contour them so they hit the rim face squarely. This helps reduce noise and improve brake out-of-the-box.


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## milbicycleman (May 15, 2018)

bulldog1935 said:


> Questions are kind of getting wide, but there are some incredible Craigslist buys in bikes out there (long stored in garages).
> My buddy paid $125 for this almost-never-ridden Univega mixte for his wife - Miyata built this bike with Tange Cr-Mo butted tubing, arguably better than Reynolds 531
> (one of the few high-grade mixtes ever made by any maker)
> View attachment 807528
> But easy to rebuild all the bearings (or get a bike shop to do it), re-cable, and set up how you prefer with minimum parts buys (can even move those shifters to stem mount).




Thank you for the advice. I’ve been keeping and eye on Craigslist and there are definitely a lot of great bikes for sale. 


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## milbicycleman (May 15, 2018)

SirMike1983 said:


> Several different questions there.
> 
> First, it is easier to re-grease the bearings than it is to re-build the wheels or to mount new wheels. The reason to change the rims (or wheels) is because you want something lighter and that brakes better when wet. Most people use the Sun CR-18 rims with the polished finish. If you're using this as a hobby/fun bike in only good weather, the original rims are fine. If you're commuting on the bike and out in a lot of wet weather, the Sun rims will be a bit better functioning for you. I prefer the originals and find the CR-18s a particular pain to mount tires.  When people buy CR-18s and try to get rid of their original Raleigh rims, I offer trade/buy them up because I like the originals so much.
> 
> ...




Thank you SirMike, I didn’t know that about the CR-18’s. I was curious about replacing my originals since I saw I video on going through a dyno hub front like mine and it seems pretty tough. With the rear, I don’t know how to go through the hub since mine doesn’t shift smoothly. I have a back up from a 1952 Rudge Sports so I might give that one a try. 

Thank you for letting me know about the brake pads. I got a set of the salmon kool stops but I might get the sunlite pads you mentioned instead
since I don’t ride in the rain. 


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## bulldog1935 (May 15, 2018)

Adding to what Mike said, if you've got noisy brakes, you're probably not getting proper brake pad toe or possibly even alignment - and with the old style pads, you may not have any adjustment.
Certainly scarfing the pads to shape is one way to correct it.



A big advantage of newer cartridge pad designs is a spherical washer and/or a conically free stud that gives them varying degrees of adjustment.
Yokozuna makes somes nice (and cheaper) ones, which I have on my '57 Lenton with Weinmann side pull brakes, replacing the black pads from the photo above.



(the black stripe on the rim was the truncated contact patch from bad alignment on the black shoes)
Aside from no noise, these cartridge pads when compared to the black originals made these brakes go from marginally scary (_stopping would be good_) to more than adequate.
Though the spherical adjustment is limited on the Yokozuna cartridges, if it's close enough for your rim width and caliper travel, they self-align and self-toe with proper installation.
You can also adjust the caliper travel (closer parallel to rim) by shimming the shoes with M6 bellville washers.

The Kool Stop Dura II cartridges are on my '74 International with Weinmann center pulls.  These cartridges have even greater spherical freedom, adjustment, definitely self-align and self-toe when you follow the installation instructions, regardless of rim width, and these brakes have all the power of my Paul touring cantis on another bike (you can't get more than lockup); though they definitely don't modulate as well as the fancy (and very expensive) cantilever brakes installed on my pro cyclocross frame (the Paul cantis will stop that bike from 15 mph in 4 feet - made that stop on the greenway today for a runner with earbuds coming my way and reading his phone - _Planet Earth_).



though I used belleville washers here, too, and looking at the pad stack from inside to out (l to r) are spherical washer, bellville, caliper, bellville, flat washer and cylindrical stud nut.
Bellville washers are conical spring washers that compress to flat as you tighten, and lock everything in place.

Also nice about cartridge pads, when you need new pads, you don't have to change your adjustment on the cartridge holders.  You just back out the M2.5 in the cartridge holder, slide out the old, slide in the new and retighten the M2.5 set screw.


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## milbicycleman (May 16, 2018)

bulldog1935 said:


> Adding to what Mike said, if you've got noisy brakes, you're probably not getting proper brake pad toe or possibly even alignment - and with the old style pads, you may not have any adjustment.
> Certainly scarfing the pads to shape is one way to correct it.
> View attachment 808130
> A big advantage of newer cartridge pad designs is a spherical washer and/or a conically free stud that gives them varying degrees of adjustment.
> ...




Thank you for letting me know. Is changing over to this step up difficult?


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## bulldog1935 (May 16, 2018)

milbicycleman said:


> Thank you for letting me know. Is changing over to this step up difficult?



really nothing to it, and you'll be so proud of your brakes you wouldn't care if it had been more difficult.

Sometimes older calipers, and especially steel calipers, are so thin you need to stack washers in order to be able to tighten them properly:
Likewise, the new pads aren't quite as thick as the old pads, so you may want to stack a couple of washers between the pad and caliper so the caliper doesn't have to travel too far.
Take a look at my stack and caliper alignment on the Weinmann center pulls in the photo above.
1/4" and M6 washers are so close, they're interchangeable for this.

1/4" stainless bellville at fastenall, $0.40/

M6 zinc-coated steel bellville at mr. Metric $0.12/

Looks like Yokozuna are hard to find, but here are the really good Kool Stops (sold by pair)
this is also the same price as one ebay seller with the Yokozunas, so the Kool Stops here are a better deal - they come with an extra pair of pad inserts.
Rivendell used to carry Yokozuna holders, but right now all they have are Ultegra black holders, and you'll want silver holders.
I'll throw these up anyway on ebay, but when Rivendell was selling these, they were Yokozuna-packaged, salmon pads, and $15.  https://www.ebay.com/i/262482892866?chn=ps

The directions are basically simple - set them up loose, and squeeze the brake lever - they self align and self toe - tighten them.
I use a wide stout rubber band around the brake lever for this part, freeing up both hands to keep the pad from rotating when torquing.


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## milbicycleman (May 17, 2018)

bulldog1935 said:


> really nothing to it, and you'll be so proud of your brakes you wouldn't care if it had been more difficult.
> 
> Sometimes older calipers, and especially steel calipers, are so thin you need to stack washers in order to be able to tighten them properly:
> Likewise, the new pads aren't quite as thick as the old pads, so you may want to stack a couple of washers between the pad and caliper so the caliper doesn't have to travel too far.
> ...




Okay great, thank you for letting me know!  Those brake pads are pretty pricey compared to the koolstop continentals I bought so I think I’ll hold off for now. I appreciate you letting me abort them though. 


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## milbicycleman (Jan 27, 2020)

I am interested in selling my Raleigh. What're large frame Raleigh sports worth these days?


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## 3-speeder (Jan 27, 2020)

Worth of your Raleigh Sports might depend on which parts you are including. A decent front Dynohub wheel may fetch $50 on its own in certain markets.  I really love these bikes but I am not sure how much the market loves them. A lot of low selling prices at the Copake auction last year. I'd a had a van full had I been there.... anyway.  I'd start at $150 for that bike as it was pictured in the first post but $100 might be more realistic in my area.


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## milbicycleman (Jan 27, 2020)

That's great to know, thank you. I have a dynohub as well as the original 68 dated wheels and 52 dated 3 speed and front dynohub which are currently on it. I fitted it with the correct style air pump and the white handbar grips.


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