# 1958 Raleigh



## SirMike1983 (Jan 12, 2014)

Working on a 1958 Raleigh, though doing it slowly. I haven't got a lot of time for it, but things are starting to move along a bit.

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-post.html


----------



## OldRider (Jan 12, 2014)

Beautiful bike Sir! I own the sister to your bike, just in a different color.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 12, 2014)

I really like the earlier Sports from the 1930s-50s. They had some nice features that got pulled off later on, like the more ornate chain ring, metal pulley wheels, and 32-40 spoke counts. The frame pump on this bike is really ornate, with an etching of Walter Raleigh in the handle. Raleigh's peak of quality was in the 1950s, and it really shows compared to the 1970s era bikes. People will still be riding these bikes in another 50 years, I think.

I am also experimenting with using my smartphone to take pictures for the blog, but I'm liking the regular camera better and will probably be going back to that.


----------



## OldRider (Jan 12, 2014)

This is the sister, badged as a Eatons Glider, 100% original.........I lucked out on a trash score, unreal what folks throw out here.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 12, 2014)

OldRider said:


> This is the sister, badged as a Eatons Glider, 100% original.........I lucked out on a trash score, unreal what folks throw out here.




The two-tone darts and trim were used for only a very limited time in the early 1960s. I've actually only seen a few of them and this is the only Eaton's with two-tone I've seen. I really like the effect it adds.


Here is the etched Raleigh pump:


----------



## OldRider (Jan 12, 2014)

Wow! That's the first etched pump I've seen. I see quite a few pumps up here but never anything etched like that. Super cool!


----------



## OldRider (Jan 12, 2014)

Quick question Mike...........was the chainguard optional? I see no marks or anything where there should have been one on mine.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 13, 2014)

My guess is it would have come with the basic, hockey stick chain guard that the Sports-type bikes generally had. But that's just an educated guess. It is possible yours was removed early in the bike's life and so no marks were left. Raleigh did have 26 inch roadsters with no chain guards stock at one time, but I think by the early 1960s the upright Sports all carried chain guards of some sort or another. 

http://threespeedmania.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/kgrhqnhje4fgjl6lj8cbrvqpf7fw48_20.jpg?w=1200


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 16, 2014)

Cleaning up wheels and fenders, a little touch-up talk, and experimenting with larger cogs on the notorious Sturmey Archer SW. 


http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/01/bicycle-wheels-and-fender-touch-up-1958.html


----------



## OldRider (Jan 16, 2014)

SirMike1983 said:


> My guess is it would have come with the basic, hockey stick chain guard that the Sports-type bikes generally had. But that's just an educated guess. It is possible yours was removed early in the bike's life and so no marks were left. Raleigh did have 26 inch roadsters with no chain guards stock at one time, but I think by the early 1960s the upright Sports all carried chain guards of some sort or another.
> 
> http://threespeedmania.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/kgrhqnhje4fgjl6lj8cbrvqpf7fw48_20.jpg?w=1200



Thanks Mike! I went out to the shed and dug out the 1959 Eatons catalogue, and it does show the bike with a chainguard! My SA hub dates it to November 1959, so most probably sold in 1960 like you said. If you ever need catalogue scans for late 50s early 60s Raleighs I have a lot of Eatons catalogues.
PS: A lot of the higher end Raleighs in the catalogues show they came equipped with a leather tool pouch behind the seat. I guess they didn't survive too well because I've never come across one that still had the pouch.


----------



## slcurts (Jan 21, 2014)

*Raleigh chainguards*



OldRider said:


> Quick question Mike...........was the chainguard optional? I see no marks or anything where there should have been one on mine.




Actually I can see the chainguard bracket on your frame there - it attached to the guard by pinching a piece of sheet metal. The rear end of it had a p-bracket or whatever they're called that clamped to the seat stay. It's not hard to find Raleigh chainguards for sale, but I've never seen one with an Eaton label. I've never heard of an Eaton for that matter - was that a Canadian brand?

Stan in Indy


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 21, 2014)

Yes, Eaton's was a Canadian department store. Raleigh contracted to have some of their second rank bikes branded Eaton's for Canadian sale. They're like a Nottingham Hercules or Phillips type bike. The flagships were Raleigh, Rudge, and Humber. Hercules, Phillips, Eaton's, etc. were like a budget variation of the Sports.

You are correct about that clamp. That clamp hold a protruding piece of metal from the chain guard. Raleigh actually went to that set up in the late 1970s for its own bikes.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 26, 2014)

A little more clean up, and driving out damaged rivets using a small punch. 

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/01/polishing-and-cleaning-bicycle-paint.html


----------



## ohdeebee (Jan 27, 2014)

*Bike looks great!*

Hi Mike! I'm so glad that this bike went to such a loving home and is getting the attention it deserves! It looks very very good so far, I can't wait to see the finished product.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 28, 2014)

I may swap the SW for an FW four speed. I recently picked up this 1956 Sturmey Archer FW. The SW has a pretty bad reputation for camming out of gear in 2d and 3d at the worst time... I'm on the fence about it. I like bikes original, but the FW with 24 tooth cog would give the bike outstanding climbing ability using a period correct hub.

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/01/1958-raleigh-sports-hedging-bets-with.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jan 29, 2014)

Cleaning up the chain ring and cranks:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/01/raleigh-chain-ring-cleaning.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 2, 2014)

Some work touching up the black paint on the Raleigh's fenders:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/02/bicycle-paint-touch-up-1958-raleigh.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 13, 2014)

Snow day here in Virginia. That means I can finally update the Bike Shed Blog with what I did this past weekend.

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/02/restoring-raleigh-3-speed-1958-raleigh.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 13, 2014)

Brief sound comparison of the SW (floating crescent pawls) and the FW/AW type (spring pawls). 

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/02/sturmey-archer-sw-hub-versus-awfw.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 23, 2014)

Servicing and cleaning the Raleigh Sports bottom bracket and bearings:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/02/servicing-and-cleaning-raleigh-sports.html


----------



## Momo (Feb 23, 2014)

Bike looks great. A couple questions... 

1. Rear fender clearance with tire looks really tight (I like it)... is this because the modern tires have a taller sidewall or is it just how you have everything adjusted? 

2. Did the bike have a Schwinn badge on it at some point? Wondering about those extra holes and the oval mark.

I like the whitewalls BTW. Nice change of pace from gum or black walls.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 23, 2014)

Momo said:


> Bike looks great. A couple questions...
> 
> 1. Rear fender clearance with tire looks really tight (I like it)... is this because the modern tires have a taller sidewall or is it just how you have everything adjusted?
> 
> ...





The tires are basically the same size as the originals. The fender clearance is just the way it is set up for now. There is no chain on it yet, so this is just a temporary set up. It may space differently once done and built.

I don't think the badge was a Schwinn. It looks like a different dimension, but I'd have to check it again to be sure. 

The tires are Duro whitewalls. The catalogs for the period generally show whitewall Dunlops, so this is as close as I could get with what tires we have available now. Blackwalls were also offered in some markets, but I thought I'd give the whites a try going off the catalogs.


----------



## fat tire trader (Feb 24, 2014)

Hi Mike,
Do you usually leave Raleigh bottom bracket fixed cups in place when you overhaul the bottom brackets? I always remove both cups when I overhaul bottom brackets for better cleaning and inspecting, but Raleigh fixed cups are a PITA to remove...Do you have a source for new bottom bracket cups?


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 24, 2014)

fat tire trader said:


> Hi Mike,
> Do you usually leave Raleigh bottom bracket fixed cups in place when you overhaul the bottom brackets? I always remove both cups when I overhaul bottom brackets for better cleaning and inspecting, but Raleigh fixed cups are a PITA to remove...Do you have a source for new bottom bracket cups?




I leave the fixed cup in place whenever possible. I have the Bikesmith tool for removing it, but it's still a pain compared to leaving it in place. I take a small brass bristle brush and reach in to clean it. 

For new cups I search Ebay or shops I know deal with 3 speeds locally. Sometimes people on the Bikeforums.net Classic & Vintage forum have them too.


----------



## Iverider (Feb 24, 2014)

Lookin' Sharp! Dig the tires. White walls on a black bike look nice! 

I'm getting my green 60s Sports back together but I killed one of the cotter pins removing it to service the bottom bracket bearings. Guess I need to order one.
And tires too...going back and forth with color options.




SirMike1983 said:


> Servicing and cleaning the Raleigh Sports bottom bracket and bearings:
> 
> http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/02/servicing-and-cleaning-raleigh-sports.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Feb 25, 2014)

Krautwaggen said:


> Lookin' Sharp! Dig the tires. White walls on a black bike look nice!
> 
> I'm getting my green 60s Sports back together but I killed one of the cotter pins removing it to service the bottom bracket bearings. Guess I need to order one.
> And tires too...going back and forth with color options.




The best pins on the market today are Bike Smith "Grade A" pins. If you order them, make sure you ask him to put a "Raleigh cut" on them. He will hand machine the ramp on the pin to Raleigh specs. I've used a couple sets of the Grade A pins and I think they're actually higher quality than the originals.


----------



## Iverider (Feb 25, 2014)

Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Mar 10, 2014)

The bike is assembled but road testing showed that the SW hub will need to be replaced. The transmission cams out in third gear under any sort of load at all. Second runs reasonably well and first runs a little rough. It likely needs new pawls, but I'm not putting any money or time into fixing it, as the SW is a known faulty design. The plan is to replace the SW with an FW four speed. I'll have to make up the spoke difference using some spoke and nipple washers, which are often a good idea anyway.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Mar 13, 2014)

The wheel is re-built but I blew a spoke while tensioning. I haven't done that in awhile, and it really makes you jump when it happens. Am working on replacing the spoke and getting the 4 speed wheel built. I have a nice brass faced SA shifter from the 1950s I can use. I will probably finish the wheel early next week if I get a chance.

In other news- I thought I'd make a little post about bottom bracket cotter pins:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/03/bicycle-cotter-pins.html


----------



## Iverider (Mar 13, 2014)

I just bought some of these on your recommendation. I'll report back if they suck. If I don't report back...it's because they worked just fine.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Mar 18, 2014)

Rebuilt the rear wheel with a 4 speed FW hub dated 1956. It's tensioned, trued and set up with the tire. I still have to blow WD40 through the innards, grease the bearings, and add 20 weight oil. It's not a big task, just sort of messy. I will get pictures when the weather improves.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Mar 20, 2014)

The bicycle is coming together. I am now down to setting up the shifter with a fresh cable, rebuilding the pedals, and test riding. The plan at this point is to have it be a four speed with the 1956 FW hub and a 2:1 sprocket to cog ratio. It should climb like a chimp and be a good bike for hilly terrain as well as runs on the bike trail and around town.

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/03/1958-raleigh-sports-bicycle-progress.html


----------



## OldRider (Mar 20, 2014)

I wish my Raleighs were in that good shape.......very very nice!


----------



## SirMike1983 (Mar 23, 2014)

It's done. Lots of pictures are up on my blog, and here are just a few:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/03/1958-raleigh-sports-four-speed.html


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jun 15, 2014)

Update:

http://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2014/06/1958-raleigh-sports-update.html







The stock fork came with the bike and had a little twist to the blades. It wasn't much and it rode well, but it worsened a bit when I hit a large pothole a few weeks ago. I'm pretty good about avoiding them, and this is the first I've hit in about nine years. I located a 1950s period "heavy duty" replacement fork. The Raleigh spares book describe this new fork that way, and it appears to be a heavily-built, Rudge style fork with "Raleigh Industries" decals and Sir Walter Raleigh images.


----------



## bikiba (Jun 15, 2014)

Looks fantastic Mike!!


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jun 16, 2014)

drop-dead gorgeous


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jun 24, 2014)

Here's  a couple with the 1959 Miller LED conversion lamp.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jul 2, 2014)

Bike Shed has a Facebook page now with lots of pictures of the various projects from over the years. Feel free to post some of your own ideas and rides too.

https://www.facebook.com/bikeshedva


----------

