1940s raleigh roadster restoration and hello I am jake

Hello people my name is jake, this is my first post and I just registered. My friend petre showed me this forum and it looks like a good place for me to talk about my interest in retro bikes.

This is my first attempt at a restoration, I have built up bikes before from scratch but never tried this. Here is a picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55203562@N ... hotostream

I have been fixing up this old gent and at this point everything is going absolutely fine with the project, except for the headset and the saddle (though finding a new saddle wont be hard). The problem is that the headset cups are rather worn. This isnt something that would stop me riding it once the rest is fixed but if I could fix it it would be great, the only thing is I cant seem to find a source of replacements. I found BB parts and hub spares available on ebay easily but this is proving more difficult.

I was wondering if anyone could direct me to a good source, or if someone has one about.

I will upload pictures of the project as I go. Just waiting for the paint on the frame to dry at the moment

Hello and welcome

There is a wee problem with old Raleighs that anyone contemplating a restoration should know. Headset and Bottom Bracket threadings are 26 TPI (Turns Per Inch) not the usual 24 TPI threading of every other manufacturer, blooming Raleigh :roll:

Practical upshot is headset and bottom bracket components that thread to frame and fork have to be Raleigh and that either requires restoring what you've got or attempting to find new or old bits and bobs through the internet. Not a thankless task but not always easy.

'The Old Bicycle Showroom' is a website to look up plus any site dealing with vintage bikes. The Sturmey Archer components are much easier to find as are cottered chainset parts.

Old bikes were not designed for easy disassembly by the home mechanic, punctures were often fixed without removing the wheels as getting the wheel out is a major pain but the old steeds have bags of character so I wish you great success

thanks for the response, I am very aware of the 26 tpi thing, I have 2 26tpi bottom brackets spare that I have picked up here and there but headsets are more difficult to find. I can only assume that seeing as the only down side of a pitted headset is that the bars are very slightly not as smooth to turn that most people just dont bother.

I would agree that these things are not designed for home maintenance and if I had a weird shaped spannar for every headset-bottom bracket-whatever whakit there is I would have about 5 wrenches with no other purpose. I have found in every case though a hammer and punch is fine so have got on swimmingly

Here is what it is looking like so far:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55203562@N ... /lightbox/


surprising how superficial the rust actually was. some emery and a wire brush and it was fine, I painted it satin black with halfords paint and rust inhibiting primer. The finish is quite nice and to be honest I dont really want to put any laquer on it now that it looks like this. Luckily for me these bikes are painted on the inside too so i am not worried about rust damage inside the tubes

The brake 'stirrups' were also painted black oddly, the seller listed it as a 40s bike, I seem to remember reading chrome was a 'strategic material' in ww2 and thus not available to civilians. Perhaps this blacking is a war thing?

Thats looking blooming good. A bit of gold pinstriping and some decals and it'll be fab

I inherited a 1947 Raleigh Sportster but it was alas too far gone to be worth fixing up but had several war time features. No chrome bar the brakes, everything was painted black with war pattern tyres. Did have a top tube mounted shifter for the SA hub though which was a nice 30's feature. I got the impression it was an early post war parts bin special using bits from before the war.

I think you have done a great job, although roadster bikes were never my favouites. (I used to repair them) This looks like a composite of perhaps 2 bikes. The front wheel could belong, but not many of this type would have had a dynohub. The rear wheel is the Raleigh dual purpose, and would have a date on the hub shell. The large cog could have been fitted later, but is on a driver with a circlip which must be later than the rest of the bike. The headset is pre 1948, and the chainwheel from early post war, but the handlebars are chrome.
Antway, a great job, I still hate them. (I sold Raleighs in the 1950's)

If the treaded bits are fine then get new cups machined up. I did this for an old PO bike last christmass. Worked a treat.

Also Able Baker cycles in Bishop stortford might have the parts you require.