Cleaning and Stocking Parts

 I wrote previously about "smart stocking", which is the practice of buying and stocking the spares you are most likely to need. There's certainly a line between hoarding unnecessary items and targeting your spare parts stock to those items that always seem missing or damaged on your new project...

 

Here is another round of parts: good fenders and brakes for a 1940s-50s Raleigh, and a mixture of Schwinn bottom bracket parts. I'll find that often you need that nice, spare fender to substitute a missing piece, or to replace a rusted, worn, or abused bottom bracket or brake part on a project bike. I'm trying to take in fewer projects these days, but it's nice to have the parts when I need them.

My process for cleaning and storing the parts is simple. First, I inspect the parts and decide if they need cleaning. Small, plated parts are cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner mixture of Simple Green and Warm water. Sometimes a little purple degreaser is added if the parts are particularly dirty. Vintage painted parts are gently cleaned with an old tooth brush and some Dawn Powerwash or some Simple Green/water mixture. 

Rust is then addressed if it is a problem. Chrome plated parts may be put in Evaporust if rusty enough. Otherwise, they are cleaned with a brass wire brush and WD40. Painted parts are gently cleaned with 0000 steel wool and WD40. 

Storing the parts is also simple. Small and medium parts are placed in ziplock bags with a little WD40 to deter moisture and rust while in storage. The bags are labeled and put in metal tins or plastic tubs with similar parts. Large parts are labeled with a little masking tape and put in a large, plastic storage tub with similar parts. They may receive a light rub-down with WD40 to deter rust while in storage. 

Keep everything you store dry and out of the dampness if you store in your basement or garage. I especially like plastic or wooden storage pallets to keep the tubs of parts up and out of the water. Each large storage tub has a masking tape label on the side with a list of the parts in the tub. I prefer clear plastic tubs over opaque ones so I can see what's inside. 

My favorite sources for parts:

• The CABE/BikeForums websites
• Ebay
• Facebook Marketplace
• Talking to other collectors 

I've had less luck with Craigslist for parts. I haven't used some of the other sites, such as "OfferUp". 

Don't underestimate the power of conversation. Sometimes just talking to another collector, you'll learn they're looking to sell a bike or parts that you want or need. Don't be afraid to make a reasonable offer or keep talking to see if there's potentially a chance to buy or sell something at hand. Sometimes the best stuff changes hands starting by word-of-mouth. 

 

Humid Rides...

 

Not much in the way of heavy-duty heat here lately, but plenty of humidity. I guess it's that time of year... I'll put up a few photos of the 1948 Raleigh Sports Tourist and the 1950 Schwinn Superior. They both ride nicely. The Sports Tourist is a little heavier with its chain case and dynohub system, but no complaints about either bike. 

I've probably written this before, but chain cases are great looking and great from a collector standpoint, not so much from a mechanic's standpoint. They're a pain to get "just right" so nothing rattles or rubs. This one is a good one: no real dents and very straight. It has all the covers, sliders, etc. I still prefer a hockey stick style chain guard for riding and repair purposes. But the full chain case sure does look the part...

 

 The Superior has a more American flavor to it: lots of chrome, heavy gooseneck stem, louder paint scheme and decals... 

The Superior has a 22-ish inch frame, versus the 23-inch of the Raleigh. I am 5ft 8in or so tall, with long legs for my height. I can ride either frame comfortably, though perhaps the 23 is a little better fit. 

One trick with the smaller frame is to use a better seat post and a little longer stem to get the bars and saddle into place. BMX seat posts are a good source of longer, stronger posts for these welded Schwinn frames. This is a Cr-Mo post that is quite long. The taller "AS" razor stem also helps get those bars into place and more adjustment range. I hate a bike with too much or too little reach to the handlebars. For whatever reason it's among the first things I notice riding a bike. I hate feeling like I'm straining to reach the bars especially... So a taller stem and a little more range of adjustment is in order on these 22-inch frames. 

You can only do so much though with the stem and seat post. If you're 6ft 3in tall, a 22-inch frame on 26-inch wheels will not cut it. Then you would need the taller frame. But if you're at the edge of the frame size in terms of fit, the stem or seat post can make the difference in getting comfortable.

I notice the days are starting to get a bit shorter again... too bad. Keep on riding. 

1936 Raleigh Mini Catalogue - Adaptation to the US Market

I recently had a chance to scan in an interesting consumer mini-catalogue from Raleigh. This is a 1936 consumer mini catalogue showing the various models and specifications of Raleigh bikes for that year. What is interesting about this particular booklet is the that it was specifically adapted for use in the USA.

 

 

This booklet shows that by 1936, Raleigh had expanded outside of Boston and into New York City. East Coast cities like NYC and Boston were ideal places for Raleigh, given their proximity to Atlantic ports, large populations, multiple universities and colleges, and bike shops with the expertise to deal with English-made bicycles.

 

Of particular interest in this catalogue, the models offered by the Raleigh Cycle Agency are marked with dollar currency stamps. The English money entries are blank. This catalogue shows the particular models this shop was selling at this particular time with the dollar stamps, though they undoubtedly sold different models at different times and during different years. The variety of models offered was much more limited in the USA than in England. 

 

 This catalogue was originally a British offering adapted for American usage. It does not appear to have been a dedicated booklet for the US market, as some of the Raleigh USA Boston brochures and catalogues were in the 1930s. 

These bicycles were expensive in their day. For example, the Sports "C" Tourist above was $55.00 at this particular shop in 1936. Using US Government inflation statistics, this would be about $1,330 today. The Tourist rod brake model was $48.75 then, which is about $1,180 in today's money. 

Looking back at the 1935 California Services catalogue from my previous entry, we find the Raleigh was a bit more expensive in some cases, but close in others. The basic Royal Enfield roadster sold for $40.00, versus $45.00 for the Raleigh (about $120 difference today). Royal Enfield's smaller roadster was $42.50, very close to the Raleigh Dawn's price at $42.25. 

 

 Parts were also available, including a small array of Sturmey Archer hubs. The choices were more limited in the USA than in England, but at least some hubs were offered.

 In these early days, English-style, modern "lightweight bikes" were somewhat exotic machines in the USA: costly, available from East Coast city shops/dealers, and not available in all parts of the USA. The post-war era would change all that, with the influx of English bikes in the latter half of the 1940s.