# Mid Sixties Robin Hood Lenton Sports?



## slowride (May 23, 2021)

Hello everyone,
I couldn’t help myself.
This was advertised as Raleigh Lenton but we know thimble fork crowns not present.
I did some digging and heard Lenton name reused mid 60s on a Robin Hood on a standard carbon steel bike.
Owner said he bought in ‘69 and was told it was about 10 years old . Said he repainted green as he did not like gold. Lost head badge.
Rear wheel a replacement Dunlop lightweight special with BH racelite . Front a Dunlop EA with hub with no markings except stamp of sir Wally. Rear rim slightly narrower. Both 27 x 1 1/4. Brake calipers seem like from standard raleigh sports; look at brake pad adjustment. Brake lever is an anomaly; why? 
As always I welcome your expertise everyone! Cheers!


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## jimbo53 (May 23, 2021)

Great save! Lots of riding left in that old girl. When did those mini-fender show up and fade away? They look to be about as useless keeping rain and road crud off as you can get short of no fenders at all. Taking off those fenders and adding some proper bar tape would spiff it up a bit. Should be a nice rider with thatrelaxed geometry. Looks to be about a 21" frame?


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

jimbo53 said:


> Great save! Lots of riding left in that old girl. When did those mini-fender show up and fade away? They look to be about as useless keeping rain and road crud off as you can get short of no fenders at all. Taking off those fenders and adding some proper bar tape would spiff it up a bit. Should be a nice rider with thatrelaxed geometry. Looks to be about a 21" frame?



Thanks Jimbo. I don’t know about when shorty fenders came out or how well they work but I agree probably very limited protection. Frame size 21”.


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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

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pedals appear Phillips Apollo

mixed gear ensemble; evidently the original Allvit was replaced with something from Monsieur Juy...

chainset is NERVAR Ref. 53-65 with the outer chainwheel of Ref. 63-66





would expect front spacing to be 89mm, shell 71mm, steerer & bb thread 26TPI

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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> pedals appear Phillips Apollo
> 
> ...



Thanks Roger! Any idea on what timeframe we’re talking about from components? What is going on with brake lever?


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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

slowride said:


> Thanks Roger! Any idea on what timeframe we’re talking about from components? What is going on with brake lever?




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arrestor operator -

have seen this type previously for use with tandems - rare

one possibility is that it may have been an adaptation for a rider without the use of the left hand...or no left hand to use

you may have seen this type of lever previously on a Brit adult racing trike where two caliper brakes are mounted for the front wheel

curious what gear block will turn out to be - could be Atom, Cyclo  or Thomas D. Cross

if drive chain original it may be a Renold (if you are fortunate!)

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wrt dating -

cannot see front mech well eno' in images to tell if it has two travel adjustment screws or just one

model 600 Allvit had one travel adjustment screw and model 700 Luxe two; the latter launched in 1966

there may be a marking on the Dunlop rim beneath the rim strip


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

Here some more pics


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## bikerbluz (May 23, 2021)

Very cool


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

Durex freewheel?


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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

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[added a bit to previous message]

front mech is model 600 Allvit

the font employed for the name marking is a helpful clue

this was changed about 1965 from a thin upright script font to the one we see here

have been thinking cycle may be slightly later than date given by p.o.

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DUREX is a rare gear block marque, never had one come through me workshop

checked at one of the francophone fora and they (even) never had one...

also not listed at VB


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

Durex freewheel? 


juvela said:


> -----
> 
> [added a bit to previous message]
> 
> ...



The Durex freewheel spins:ratchets very nicely ; in fact one of the first things I noticed.
Yes I was thing the same about arrestor; maybe limited capacities in left hand. Surprisingly it works fine ; never seen on trike for front brake I will have to research this. 
Rims need trueing...
Wrights saddle has canvas under leather. Undercarriage painted black.


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

Saddle


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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

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possible you may discover marking on steerer...when you get there

have you tried determining date from serial?


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## slowride (May 23, 2021)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> possible you may discover marking on steerer...when you get there
> 
> ...



Unfortunately cycle was repainted and then someone took an abrasive wheel of sorts to read the serial. I would have to put paint stripper on it to find the other three numbers. Kurt Kaminer ‘s site said BB shell s/n dating was from 63 to 69 and if in fact 48 first two digits would place it 1969. Caveat is these serial patterns observed on Sports, Superbe, Dl1 not other models. 

unfortunately chain is Union made in w.Germany


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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

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drive chain -

yes, noticed that in one of the later pictures it can be seen that plates are not beveled - eliminates Renold

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here is date bracketing for change in Huret marking -

advert of may mcmlxv shows the model 600 front mech with the old marking





mfr catalogue page of 1966 -





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## juvela (May 23, 2021)

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gear block -

discovered that there are a great many DUREX entities...

the one which produced the block is Bruninghaus & Co. of Bielefeld, Germany

maker of coaster brake hubs and front hubs also -





https://www.ebay.com/itm/293960476933?campid=5335809022
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## dnc1 (May 24, 2021)

slowride said:


> Durex freewheel?
> 
> View attachment 1417290



As @juvela said, the freewheel is of German origin.
Durex started out in 1903 making coaster brakes.


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