A PROPER bike. Picked up what to me is a real find today; a virtually new Raleigh Chiltern, made Dec 1991. Never been ridden, never been spanner-ed, sat collecting dust at the back of someones garage all its life. Very similar to yours. A spin around the block confirmed all is well, only a few minor scratches mar an otherwise pristine paint job and barely any rust on the chrome. I was surprised how effortlessly it bowls along, with quick steering yet a 'hands off' ride. I expected it to weigh more than its 32.5lbs and feels much lighter. It's certainly brightened up my day! A good wash confirms it is indeed as new. I feel very fortunate to find such an excellent example.
If you stick with that bike I think you’ll find yourself appreciating just how good old steel Raleigh frames were. I was bequeathed a battered earlier version of yours (sort of) with rod brakes, wonky wheels and a small fraction of the intended ball bearings. It was my kind of technology and I was able to make it perfectly usable. I knew the chap who had bought it new in 1953 from Frosts in Hitchin. That was their first year of trading and some of the company transfer was still legible on the frame. Incidentally, Frosts became Paul’s Bikes from where I bought my Brompton around eight years ago. The perfect compromise design; I love it and it’s used as much as any bike I’ve owned. Anyway, I rode the Raleigh just for a bit of a giggle at first but then it began to dawn just how clever that combination of steel flexibility, upright riding position and the mattress saddle were. The Sturmey 3 speed was exactly right too. They made A LOT of steel bikes and I’m sure the design and materials were upgraded over the years. I took a flask of tea and a snack on a few great rides on that bike and loved the unhurried upright style you had to adopt. The best part was that eventually I gave the bike back to that old chap’s daughter. And five years ago I moved to Suffolk, so not a million miles away!
Wow, what a great comment. I know Hitchin, because I lived in Letchworth! Thanks very much for sharing your experience. So far, the bike has been excellent for getting into town in a very Gentlemanly style!🚲👍🏻
Beautiful machine Andy & love the Brooks saddle. Often when I up in Norfolk I drop into a well known cycle shop in Diss & he seems to have regular older machines in there along with the newer ones which makes one feel very nostalgic especially now i'm into my 4th decade of cycling
Hi Andrew, I have a Raleigh wayfarer 1973 very similar to yours but I think yours is newer it could be a Raleigh courier. Those old brooks seats are lovely. I bought a vintage oil can to go with the bike. Well done mate for keeping this old bike in use 👏👏👏👏👍
Great idea, Andrew. I donated a bike to a similar scheme in kent a few years back. I think a steel frame can be a little more forgiving. Happy riding! I hope your shorts did not stick to the saddle. 👍
The bike looks very good for it's age and you made a good deal with schwalbe tires! But the rack looks hilarious on it! So modern and small 😂 I thought these iron bikes were heavier than 17 kilos, my bike is made of aluminium and weights 16 kilos!
It looks like a Raleigh Superb to me Andrew, but you can do a Google image search of retro Raleigh bikes and compare. You can also find out when and where the bike was made by using the frame number. Plenty of guides online but RUclips seem to delete my comments when I include any links. +1 for Bicycle Links as well. Managed to get some gear cables for my project on getting my early 90's Condor back on the road for a really good price.
I love that bike and I bet you will have a ton of fun with it. Nice to have internal hub gears for a thousand times less than the price of Rohloff too. Goo old Sturmey Archer eh?
Hi Andrew are you doing the Dun run tomorrow? You don’t have to do it on your new / old bike !!! Looks like it should be a good one Weather / wind / feed stops etc 👍🚴
That’s certainly a beast you’ve bought there Andrew. A climb up the hill past Weybourne railway station would be a challenge 😳😁
17kg of steel! Yep, a beast but a joy to ride🚲😆
A PROPER bike.
Picked up what to me is a real find today; a virtually new Raleigh Chiltern, made Dec 1991.
Never been ridden, never been spanner-ed, sat collecting dust at the back of someones garage all its life. Very similar to yours.
A spin around the block confirmed all is well, only a few minor scratches mar an otherwise pristine paint job and barely any rust on the chrome.
I was surprised how effortlessly it bowls along, with quick steering yet a 'hands off' ride.
I expected it to weigh more than its 32.5lbs and feels much lighter.
It's certainly brightened up my day!
A good wash confirms it is indeed as new.
I feel very fortunate to find such an excellent example.
My sentiments exactly! Thanks for your comment. Happy riding 👍🏻🚴🏼
If you stick with that bike I think you’ll find yourself appreciating just how good old steel Raleigh frames were. I was bequeathed a battered earlier version of yours (sort of) with rod brakes, wonky wheels and a small fraction of the intended ball bearings. It was my kind of technology and I was able to make it perfectly usable. I knew the chap who had bought it new in 1953 from Frosts in Hitchin. That was their first year of trading and some of the company transfer was still legible on the frame. Incidentally, Frosts became Paul’s Bikes from where I bought my Brompton around eight years ago. The perfect compromise design; I love it and it’s used as much as any bike I’ve owned.
Anyway, I rode the Raleigh just for a bit of a giggle at first but then it began to dawn just how clever that combination of steel flexibility, upright riding position and the mattress saddle were. The Sturmey 3 speed was exactly right too. They made A LOT of steel bikes and I’m sure the design and materials were upgraded over the years. I took a flask of tea and a snack on a few great rides on that bike and loved the unhurried upright style you had to adopt.
The best part was that eventually I gave the bike back to that old chap’s daughter.
And five years ago I moved to Suffolk, so not a million miles away!
Wow, what a great comment. I know Hitchin, because I lived in Letchworth!
Thanks very much for sharing your experience.
So far, the bike has been excellent for getting into town in a very Gentlemanly style!🚲👍🏻
Beautiful machine Andy & love the Brooks saddle. Often when I up in Norfolk I drop into a well known cycle shop in Diss & he seems to have regular older machines in there along with the newer ones which makes one feel very nostalgic especially now i'm into my 4th decade of cycling
Thanks Will. Yes it's proving to be a great bike. 👍🏻
Hi Andrew, I have a Raleigh wayfarer 1973 very similar to yours but I think yours is newer it could be a Raleigh courier. Those old brooks seats are lovely. I bought a vintage oil can to go with the bike. Well done mate for keeping this old bike in use 👏👏👏👏👍
Thanks Graham. The bike is incredible...not a single creak from her and a really comfortable ride on that saddle. So far I'm delighted!
Great idea, Andrew. I donated a bike to a similar scheme in kent a few years back. I think a steel frame can be a little more forgiving. Happy riding! I hope your shorts did not stick to the saddle. 👍
Thanks Grant. Me too! It is supposed to be the correct stuff for the saddle...so far so good!
@@divum 🤣
The bike looks very good for it's age and you made a good deal with schwalbe tires! But the rack looks hilarious on it! So modern and small 😂
I thought these iron bikes were heavier than 17 kilos, my bike is made of aluminium and weights 16 kilos!
The rack came free, and although a little incongruous, I'm thinking of getting some old panniers to hide it -then I can go bike packing on it!😆
It looks like a Raleigh Superb to me Andrew, but you can do a Google image search of retro Raleigh bikes and compare. You can also find out when and where the bike was made by using the frame number. Plenty of guides online but RUclips seem to delete my comments when I include any links.
+1 for Bicycle Links as well. Managed to get some gear cables for my project on getting my early 90's Condor back on the road for a really good price.
Cheers James, excellent advice Thanks
I love that bike and I bet you will have a ton of fun with it. Nice to have internal hub gears for a thousand times less than the price of Rohloff too. Goo old Sturmey Archer eh?
Thanks for a great comment. Yer, I'm loving this bike! Now I need an allotment!!!!
Hi
Andrew are you doing the Dun run tomorrow?
You don’t have to do it on your new / old bike !!!
Looks like it should be a good one
Weather / wind / feed stops etc 👍🚴
Hello John, sorry, no I'm not riding it this year, but keep a look out for Dave...👋🚲👍🏻 I hope you have a great ride.
Ok
There’s always next year 👍🚴🚴🚴