I rebuilt this 1953 Raleigh Lenton over the second half of the winter and start of this past spring. This is a Reg Harris model with Reynolds 531 main tubes. The frame is a 23 inches and wonderfully light in weight. It has the ornate lugs and a very nice green finish with white/silver type stripes.
This bike started life as a road model and at some point in the distant past was converted to an upright utility type configuration. As a utility type bike, it's very light and quite a lively rider.
The wheels are 26 x 1 1/4 (AKA 597mm, 650) endrick rims - Dunlop Special Lightweight steel type. The hubs are a basic Raleigh steel front and a 1953 Sturmey AW rear.
The bike originally came with celluloid Raleigh fenders in the style of Bluemels. Like so many other sets of old, celluloid fenders, the ones with this bike were wipes out long ago. I replaced them with a nice set of chromed steel Raleigh fenders. They're a little heavier, but much more durable.
This bike is quite lively, and a lot of fun to ride (think Raleigh Sports, but sportier).
The previous owner opted to add an aluminum Raleigh Industries kickstand. Kickstands were very popular in the US as a means of parking the bike. The stand is a 1950s era stand, so it probably was added very early in the bike's life. I re-added the stand, but used rubber padding to prevent it from injuring the chain stays. I think it's sufficiently old and has become part of the bike's history.
The pump is an aluminum Raleigh pump from a 1960s era Raleigh Sports. This bike also has some attractive, period decals on the frame.I like the silver lettering and the lightning bolts - a change of pace from the also nice, more conservative Raleigh Sports type transfers of that time.
I still have some final tinkering and set up, but this project is mostly done. It should be a good addition for the coming warm weather.
In a few places, I used clear heat shrink to reinforce and "bandage" small cuts in the vintage cable housings. These creme colored housings are from a 1960s Raleigh Sports, but the color works nicely with the green frame. Heat shrink can be an effective bandage if you want to save period cable housings that are a little damaged, but still functional. The clear heat shrink is visible up close, but from a distance, you won't even notice it.
I have a 1958 Raleigh Lenton Mark III No. 6 that belonged to my father. He purchased it new, in London, in 1958 and brought it to the US with him after a year spent as a medical post doc in the UK. He kept it for the rest of his life, and after he passed in 2024, it fell to me to look after it. Aside from putting on new set of tires last fall, it has been in storage, but I recently got it out for a closer inspection of its overall condition, which I judge to be remarkably good for it's age. However, one of it's weaknesses is that it was fitted with yellow celluloid mudguards, which although they survived for many, many years, are now very brittle and therefore broken in spots.
ReplyDeleteAs part of bringing this old steed back to road worthiness, I may be interested to see if I can locate a set of chromed fenders such as the ones you described installing on your 1953 Lenton. Wondering if you would have any advice on where one might begin look for such things?
Sounds like your father left you a very interesting project. The damage to the brittle fenders is typical of these bikes. I live in a fairly rural area so I go online to look for old stock replacement parts. I use the Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange, the marketplace on Facebook, the Classic and Vintage section of BikeForums.net, and eBay. I've had the most luck finding stuff on eBay but some of those other sources have been helpful. Another option would be an old-time bike shop, such as Via Bicycle in Philadelphia or Bicycle Heaven in Pittsburgh. Best of luck with your project.
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