MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
Gorgeous... are you gonna get the mudguards straightened and put back on? I do like a bike with matching mudguards!
Freecycle Raleigh Courier Rebuild
- Thread starter casper-d
- Start date
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wheres_my_beard
Über Member
- Location
- Norwich
OP
OP
casper-d
Well-Known Member
Thanks Chris, WMB, Monty... moving house at present so apologies for the late replies..
The leather I used was aquired by my wife from a lady who was throwing it out - she worked for a company which made handbags. That was about 6 years ago. I kept saying we should get rid of the different sections of hide but my good lady said to keep it. Thankfully I took her advice
I never really had a use lined up for the material but when I chanced upon Auhopu's blog (www.auhopu.com) and saw 'Ralph', I nearly died and went to heaven - not once but many times!! The impetus to get on with my renovation and finish of the bike I had been tinkering with for some time took form...
Hence 'Reg' was born!
I used a different stich for the grips, adding a perpendicual pull seperating the cross hatch. 10lb braid fishing line was used, knowing that it would stand up to the task! The extra araldite step locking the leather to the cotton cloth helped immensely to keep all from slipping.
As for the mudguards, they have long been freecyled. Now if Reggie was more Reginald and had been a Roadster.... well, things would have been very different
WMB - What a project you have there! That will look ace fully restored. What's the current colour plan? I can see black tyres, black grips, and a black seat!!! Oh, and black blocks on that fast braking system
Casper
The leather I used was aquired by my wife from a lady who was throwing it out - she worked for a company which made handbags. That was about 6 years ago. I kept saying we should get rid of the different sections of hide but my good lady said to keep it. Thankfully I took her advice
I never really had a use lined up for the material but when I chanced upon Auhopu's blog (www.auhopu.com) and saw 'Ralph', I nearly died and went to heaven - not once but many times!! The impetus to get on with my renovation and finish of the bike I had been tinkering with for some time took form...
Hence 'Reg' was born!
I used a different stich for the grips, adding a perpendicual pull seperating the cross hatch. 10lb braid fishing line was used, knowing that it would stand up to the task! The extra araldite step locking the leather to the cotton cloth helped immensely to keep all from slipping.
As for the mudguards, they have long been freecyled. Now if Reggie was more Reginald and had been a Roadster.... well, things would have been very different
WMB - What a project you have there! That will look ace fully restored. What's the current colour plan? I can see black tyres, black grips, and a black seat!!! Oh, and black blocks on that fast braking system
Casper
wheres_my_beard
Über Member
- Location
- Norwich
WMB - What a project you have there! That will look ace fully restored. What's the current colour plan? I can see black tyres, black grips, and a black seat!!! Oh, and black blocks on that fast braking system
I would describe the bike as "stock" like the millions of other post office bikes made over the years.
Mechanically the bike is as smooth as Barack Obama after a good session down the waxing salon and his morning Barocca, but for me to be happy with a refurb we would be looking at:
- Replacement rods and hinges for the brakes as the chrome is bad up close
- Replacement Westwood rims (bad chrome) and new spokes (oxidised grey coating) laced onto the existing hubs which look great
- Sourcing some Creme/Cream/Ivory 650B tyres to wrap the nice shiney wheels nice and snug.*
- Mudguards that sit evening around the tyres (i hate uneven/ wobbly looking mudguards) - probably white as per originals or red using vinyl dye
- A light coloured Leather Saddle - possibly Brookes if that's not too predictable, or similar
- A full respray would be nice - probably keeping the Post Office Red, but maybe highlights around the lugwork or some nice chroming in forks and dropouts
- I think leather grips on the bars and the brake lever ends would look a-may-zing... I have yet to convince my girlfriend
- As for the brake blocks, Im not sure I have many options beyond what I have already - they work! Just about.
*This is the tricky/ expensive part, but would have an immediate impact on the looks of the bike.
All this work is dependent on my girlfriend not thinking its too much hassle and buying herself a Pashley...
Toshiba Boy
N+1er
- Location
- By the beach, West Zummerzet
Casper, that's a great job fella, well done....I'm very jealous!
pleasurerocket
New Member
CasperD, this bike looks awesome. I have a 1980s courier I am rebuilding myself this week.. while I think about rebuilding the Sturmey I am going to build it up as a single speed as you have above for the winter.
My question is, what wheels have you used? I can find a front (http://www.mailorderbikes.com/m14b0s420p4062/RALEIGH_26_x_1_3_8_Front_Wheel_Silver) what have you used for the rear? Any help would be very much appreciated, I know this is an old post!
Cheers!
My question is, what wheels have you used? I can find a front (http://www.mailorderbikes.com/m14b0s420p4062/RALEIGH_26_x_1_3_8_Front_Wheel_Silver) what have you used for the rear? Any help would be very much appreciated, I know this is an old post!
Cheers!
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
gareth01244
Veteran
- Location
- chester
Small world, when I was looking for ideas on what to do with my Raleigh courier I stumbled across the pics of your bike with its cream tyres and honey coloured saddle and it was all the inspiration I needed. I was going down the route of black saddle and grips with black tyres but its now all finished and looking resplendent just like yours.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting.