The_Cycling_Scientist
Über Member
- Location
- Cambridge
So last week I got the great pleasures of a phone call as I woke up on a nice sunny Tuesday morning from my father-in-law telling me he'd won a nice little bike on eBay for a measly sum of £24.60 and asked as he was at work and I was off could I arrange collection and pick it up. Being it was local to me I set upon finding the bike that was in basket for payment and collection. After finding the bike and looking at the photo's I realised how much of a pretty thing it was.
The seller was very nice an prompt with reply and I arranged to collect it that afternoon at half past one. arriving at the sellers door I got shown to this bike just missing a saddle thinking I might have to push it home.. but no the tyres still had little air in it and after fitting my own saddle I brought with me and a few tools to adjust anything needed I set onto a slow cycle home... it wasn't a bad but when I added more air one tyre did bubble so I did walk a little way for the last bit.
Once getting it home we gave it a good clean and tidy up. I swapped the front tyre and innertube, replaced the 3 brake blocks for 4, tightened up a few screws or bolts here and there and replaced a worn cotter pin... woe and behold a working bike! but the real icing on the cake was finding out the original 3 speed dynamo Sturmey Archer hub and front and rear lights all still worked perfectly!
A few days later the father-in-law says it's my early christmas present so I've fallen in love with it and added a coat of paint protector on it this afternoon and t looks miles better already! so by now I can guess you're bored of reading and want to see it....
Here we go..
As I picked it up (ebay photos)
as I geared it up to ride home...
With the balloon in the tyre like this...
but then it improved and I got it washed with the dirty you can see was on the rear SA hub after a quick wipe!
how she is now...
Still more to come over time. (I aim to clean up some of the chrome work and I have a new saddle lined up! and want to try restore some of the original detailing and paintwork.
One of the only thing that mistifies me is there's a lack of information out there on Enfiled cycles.. and also the rear mudguard has Raliegh badge on it but also the original pinstripes from the frame... my only guess is it was made when Raliegh owned the patterns and rights to the name!
The seller was very nice an prompt with reply and I arranged to collect it that afternoon at half past one. arriving at the sellers door I got shown to this bike just missing a saddle thinking I might have to push it home.. but no the tyres still had little air in it and after fitting my own saddle I brought with me and a few tools to adjust anything needed I set onto a slow cycle home... it wasn't a bad but when I added more air one tyre did bubble so I did walk a little way for the last bit.
Once getting it home we gave it a good clean and tidy up. I swapped the front tyre and innertube, replaced the 3 brake blocks for 4, tightened up a few screws or bolts here and there and replaced a worn cotter pin... woe and behold a working bike! but the real icing on the cake was finding out the original 3 speed dynamo Sturmey Archer hub and front and rear lights all still worked perfectly!
A few days later the father-in-law says it's my early christmas present so I've fallen in love with it and added a coat of paint protector on it this afternoon and t looks miles better already! so by now I can guess you're bored of reading and want to see it....
Here we go..
As I picked it up (ebay photos)
as I geared it up to ride home...
With the balloon in the tyre like this...
but then it improved and I got it washed with the dirty you can see was on the rear SA hub after a quick wipe!
how she is now...
Still more to come over time. (I aim to clean up some of the chrome work and I have a new saddle lined up! and want to try restore some of the original detailing and paintwork.
One of the only thing that mistifies me is there's a lack of information out there on Enfiled cycles.. and also the rear mudguard has Raliegh badge on it but also the original pinstripes from the frame... my only guess is it was made when Raliegh owned the patterns and rights to the name!
