I bought this bicycle as a basic Sports model for $30 in September 2003. That month, a hurricane hit the area where I was living, knocking power out for around two weeks. During the blackout, my Specialized Expedition bicycle was stolen.
I replaced the modern Specialized with the 3 speed Sports as my commuter bike. The Raleigh turned out to be a gem, and over the following months I gradually upgraded it in various ways, all the time focusing on period-correct features.
So I have come to associate the Sports with fall. This is when I bought the bike, and I have fond memories of riding it late into the night under the parking lot lights at my university's campus in 2003-2004.
The bike remained my commuter into the first semester of post-grad school, when I finally got a new car. However, the Sports remained a fun rider on the local bike trails and I still have it. I have a strong sentimental attachment overall to the bike, and I make a point every fall of giving it extra ride time.
