First Project of 2023 - Raleigh Reg Harris Lenton

 The first half of winter 2022-23 has been devoted mostly to cleaning and refurbishing a number of old parts I have on hand and building wheel sets.

But a few weeks ago, I acquired a 1953 Raleigh "Reg Harris" Lenton model from another collector. This bike was originally located in Columbia, Maryland, not far from where I used to live just outside of Washington, DC. I like the 23 inch frame on 26 inch wheels size.

 

The bike was not in bad shape overall. It needed a cleaning and refurbishing. As is so often the case, the celluloid fenders were broken. But the bike is basically all there and a really nice example of a premium bike. I really like the green color.

I have taken the bike apart, cleaned it, and am in the process of getting everything straight and ready for reassembly. I located a set of early 1950s aluminum fenders from a seller in Britain. They need some work, but are in much better shape than the broken original celluloid fenders.

I have no pictures of the work so far because it's all stuff I have covered in the past: cleaning and re-packing bottom brackets, cleaning and preparing brakes, cleaning the frame (carefully, given the fragile green paint), cleaning and lubing hubs, resurfacing cones when needed, etc. 

I will try to show the work I will be doing that is different from subjects covered many times before (refurbishing aluminum fenders, custom lights, etc.). 

I look forward to getting this bike on the road. The frame has Reynolds 531 main tubes (it's a very light and well-balanced frame) and ornate lugs. The wheels seem to be in pretty good shape, and are the premium Dunlop 26 x 1-1/4 type with Raleigh and Sturmey hubs.

An Interesting Advertisement: 1940s Schwinn Continental

I came across the ad below this morning, which is one I had not see before - an ad for a 1940s Schwinn Continental geared toward adult riders in the United States. I've seen quite a few of these catalogs and ads from the period between the late 1930s and early 1950s, mostly those from Schwinn and Westfield/Columbia, advertising adult-oriented utility bicycles in the U.S. 

But this was an ad I have not seen before, and I especially like how it advertises the Continental three speed Schwinn as a practical cycle for exercise, vacation, and utility transportation. 

I've written before about the interesting attempt by some of the American bike builders to revive adult-oriented utility and leisure cycling in the period from about 1938 through the early 1950s. (see my 2017 article and my 2015 article). It is too bad bicycles like this did not take off more in that time period... over 20 years before the second "bike boom" (the first was in the 1890s) in the U.S. I also like how the ad references "foreign" bicycles, likely the English Raleigh and Hercules three speeds coming into the U.S. just after WWII.

Pre-WWII Lobdell Rims Built into Wheels

 A couple of days ago, I took a few pictures of a decent set of pre-WWII Lobdell rims. Here is the constructed wheelset: Sturmey Archer AW 3-speed rear hub, Schwinn hourglass front hub, Torrington double-butted spokes, DT Swiss 14mm spoke nipples.

That's two wheelsets built over the past three weeks. I still have more wheels to build. I have a set of 1950s S-6 Schwinn rims to build into a three speed wheelset, and I have to re-build a set of 1940s Schwinn Stainless S6 rims into a wheelset (spokes rusted on that second set). 

After that, I have to turn my attention to some Raleigh wheels to build. I've got a set of matte-center 1950s Westrick rims to build with, as well as a 1940s set of Dunlop Special Lightweight rims to build into wheels.

Lots to be done still...

Pre-WWII Lobdell Three Speed Rims

Finally we have a truly cold weekend here. The winter has been fairly mild so far, but this weekend has been cold. That means indoor work building wheels and cleaning and organizing parts. 

 

This weekend I am building a set of three speed wheels using a pre-WWII set of Lobdell rims. These rims are reasonably well-made, but simple. They are a single piece of steel stamped to shape, with the old style "hooked" beads. They take tires with either 599mm or 597mm bead seat diameters (that means they can take 26 x 1-1/4 tires or 26x1.375 tires).

 

I have some old stock Torrington spokes, a Sturmey Archer AW rear hub, and a Schwinn hourglass front hub to build the wheels. The rims are in pretty good shape, considering their age. They aren't perfect, but should make a nice set of wheels for a relatively early (1938-45) period Schwinn three speed bike.

The Short-Lived "English" Brake Calipers on Schwinn Three Speeds

For a short time in the early 1950s, Schwinn used English-made brake sets on their three speed bikes. 

 

From the early days of these bikes (late 1930s) through about 1952, Schwinn used a couple different brake caliper types with the "Schwinn Built" logo on the arms. 

Around 1952, Schwinn stopped using the "Schwinn Built" calipers on the three speed bikes and began using English-made calipers and levers that loosely resembled the Schwinn-made parts. These English-made parts only were put on the bikes for a short time, and then were replaced by Weinmann-made aluminum parts. The English-made brakes appear to have been put on the bikes for 1 to 2 years.

These short-lived, English made brakes were "transitional" in the sense they bridged the gap from Schwinn's own brake parts to the well-known Weinmann products.

These English transitional parts could be described as follows:

Plated steel calipers made in England. No name stamped on caliper arms. Hooked springs that wrap around caliper arms. Somewhat more rounded appearing arms than the Schwinn-built models. Usually paired with an English-made lever that somewhat resembles the Schwinn levers. Occasionally appear paired with Schwinn-made levers as stocks of levers were used up. These appear to have been a short-lived, transitional hardware after Schwinn was done making the brakes, but before they sourced the Weinmann parts. These are of the "Birmingham" / Phillips style pattern that take a standard brake cable (not the double-ended Raleigh style).