much as I like your everyday/knockabout bike videos, the sympathetic restoration of proper vintage classic marques really highlights your craft. Excellent.
I saved a very similar Raleigh to your one a few years ago. I knew the old chap who’d bought it new in 1953. It was barely rideable when I was bequeathed it and I did every ball race and refurbed the rod brakes. The bike shop where is was bought (now run by the founder’s son) replaced spokes and trued the wheels. It also had working dynamo lights. I rode it on sunny days for a couple of years and the most surprising aspect to me was the dawning of the realisation that the frame I’d thought was built just not to break was in fact sophisticated. It did what steel does: it flexed and bump-soaked and was clearly a balanced set of tubes. Eventually I gave it back to the owner’s daughter who’d passed it to me. In my advancing years I’m tempted to save another as you have so beautifully. Your videos are truly inspiring. Thank you.
Great to see a genuine restoration, thank you. Most so called restorations on YT are rebuilds with only the original frame left! This was a joy to watch. Thank you.
No company has the history of bicycle manufacturing that Raleigh has. For me, the name Raleigh is the epitome of bicycles. As a kid, my first bicycle was a Raleigh, and that name was held in high esteem. Watching your restoration brought back wonderful memories for me. I'm so grateful. If only I could go back in time, even for a short period, so I could ride that Raleigh around the neighborhood like I did almost every day. It's sad that Raleigh is not what it used to be. Now they are made in huge factories in Asia that pump out thousands of bikes that lack the quality of the past. They lasted for years and years, just like the one you restored. Today, they may last a few years, then its ready for the junk heap. The logo up front may be the same, but it's not a Raleigh, a real Raleigh anyway.
My father bought me a brand new Raleigh in the end of the 60's. Raleigh bikes were, and always have been very unusual here in Sweden were I live. However he spotted it in a shop and as a lover of great quality and beautiful engineering, he bought it for me. Rode it a couple of years before it was stolen but I still remember every little detail on the bike and think about it now and then. Swedish bikes used to be of similar quality in those days but it was something with the love and dedication that had gone in to the engineering of the Raleigh that I will never forget. Thank you for your beautiful and very enjoyable video.
Fantastic transformation you are truly a bike whisperer. I just love the old Raleigh’s and can remember when I was a kid Raleigh ruled the bike world. Thanks again for a most enjoyable video.
Fantastic restoration, sure was some quality built into this bike. Glad you brought it back to life and I bet its a good one to ride to a country pub on a summers day.
Guys this is phenomenal - bravo. Nothing but respect for a mechanic who can rebuild a Di2 carbon superbike one week and restore a 60yr old piece of history the next. Keep it going!
What a fantastic restoration. imo, just the right amount of new parts. Well thought out job. Filming, editing all spot on as always. Marvelous. I started a morning paper round in 1973 and the newsagent supplied trade bikes for us kids. They had rod brakes, Sturmey archer 3 speed hub gears, a front hub dynamo and similar or same lights. My dad taught me bike maintenance then and its remained with me. This video brings back fond memories. Thanks once again.
Wow, what a wonderful, nostalgic trip down memory lane. It was obviously a labour of love for you, which came across so well in this outstanding video 😊
I knew it wasn't just me! Those bottom brackets, when properly adjusted, spin superbly! They are also plenty stiff, with relatively large ball bearings close to the edges of the BB shell. People nowadays just want easy installation and no need for adjustments throughout a component's lifetime. Excellent restoration and video! Thanks for your hard work 🙂
I'm 49 and my dad had that bike when i was about 3 years old, He used to go to work on it to Fryston Pit in Castleford used to be kept in the outside Toilet .. Yes outside tolilet ... He had a Grey Vintage Ever Ready 1970s Front Bicycle Light on it,
I always enjoy your videos because i see the working man's bikes to repair and refurbish. But you've outdone yourselves with this one. Throughly enjoyed it and learned quite a lot. Thank you and one thing for sure is these bikes were built like a tank.
?This restoration/rebuild of their Raleigh bicycle is a testament to the designers, and the build quality of the bicycle, as well as the skills of those on the assembly line. Many of those may be long dead, but the result of their ingenuity lives on some 60+ years adterward. Well done!
Wonderful video!! Years ago I bought a 1939 Raleigh that had been sitting under a tree for a good twenty years. Rusted up solid. Amazing that with some bronze wool and a good cleaning it came back to life!! They used a lot of chrome and paint on these bikes!!
@@Bikespeeds was also amazed at the price you picked it up for, there is a real beauty to old bikes and to know that one has been restored for use is priceless
Great to see this Raleigh brought back to life, you did a fantastic job with it. My dad used to work in a metal fabricators on the same road as the Raleigh factory in Nottingham and my first 2 bikes as a kid were Raleighs.
I am in charge of a mechanics club at the school I work at and we have done a few project bikes and it’s so great to see the kids passionate about their work. Hearing you talk about the work you put into these bikes reminds me of that child like aww that we get from watching a transformation that we know we are a part of. Thank you for that.
Very happy to see these old bikes being brought back to be ridden again. There is a bit of a movement, although not huge, but enough of people who want to ride bikes, but the new bikes are a bit much for us, and we don't go that fast. This will be a dream for someone to cruise around on. Thanks for the video !
A very sympathetic restoration and for many people in the 1950 and 60's these bikes were used for the daily commute. I seem to remember that the battery tube was there so that when you stopped and the dynamo wasn't powering the lights the batteries would automatically take over and provide light whilst you were stationary and then when you started moving again the dynamo provided the power and the batteries were automatically switched off.
What a marathon effort, such a delight to re-fresh my gray matter to the older, but simple tech of the day. In this disposable society, its so awesome to see such a transformation. Brilliantly done and thanks for the incrediable effort of producing this outstanding video for the community.
Thanks David that’s a great comment to read. Things really aren’t made to last like they used to be that’s absolutely right. And then issue now is that parts are obsolete so quick bikes are easier to bin than repair as there’s simply no aftermarket support
Wow! I'm in awe 😍 The state of these components is incredible, after 70 years still banging! This bike is a great addition to any collection, but more important is that it's got a new life and can be ridden just like any other bike. Great job, kudos for the effort you put in!
Great Work Lee. My Raleigh (probably older than this one) has a complete back up lighting tube on the frame. The batteries were U2 type and were intended to kick in when you stoped at a junction etc thus powering the lights when you stopped peddling. They never worked very well and usually corroded because the old batteries were left in and over time disintegrated. Hope this helps 🐝💤
I am sure these were fitted with Ni-cad rechargeable batteries but could be wrong. 1961 was the year i was born, my grandfather used to ride one of these to work in the Welsh coal mines.
Yes, this makes sense to me. A school mate had a superb Raleigh Tourer in the 1950s with, what I thought, was a battery holder; wish I had asked about it but now you've solved it. Yes, the old U2 batteries would be correct, something like a present-day D size battery, it probably held 3 or 4 of them. I can't understand why cycles with dynamo-driven lights were allowed without a battery back-up as the lights go out when the bike stops but I do not remember any other cycle with a battery box other than my mates.
48 teeth on the chainring, you can get a fair bit of speed with that. I have never seen a locking-fork till now, brilliant design & build quality for 1961. So pleased you bought this showstopper of a bike for yourself, the thought, love & care you put into it's restoration deserves to give you joy for a long time. The wheel rebuild alone must have taken a long time. Great work Simon & Lee. One of your best videos to date and the one week of work shows. Thank you Bikespeeds, I hope someday you will show us a video of you riding it.
Proper classic there, proof they just don't make them like they used to. Just look at the character in the chainring, when bike manufacturers took pride what they turned out 👌
I just did a 3 speed british Hercules my neighbor gave me. Worked on it off and on for about 4 months. Little by little I appreciated it more and more as I rode it. By the time I was done, I was marveling at the precision tight feel that it has on the road.
What a great video and well presented restoration. I am in the process of restoring a Raleigh Pioneer Spirit. It's had the works done to it, a bit like on this bike of yours. I totally get where you are coming from when you talk about the mechanical re-building and the labour of love into giving an old bike a new lease of life.
Our adult daughter rebuilt my wife's 1971 Raleigh. Such classic lines, and well-made frames. The bike was a 5-speed, originally, and now is a single speed with new: wheels, seat, bars, crank set and brakes. Kept the original bright, neon green metallic paint though!
The quality of the engineering deserves a restoration like this. You won't be doing this on a 60 yr old carbon fibre bike that's for sure. Absolutely magnificent bike and video.
I like your style of restoration. Everything is clean and mechanically sound, yet you don't repaint and rechrome parts. It was used, not abused, and EARNED it's PATINA. Well done, sir. 🍻
I pulled a Raleigh Sport 3 speed out of the metal skip at my local dump this summer. I'm guessing that it's mid to late 60's but it looks a lot like this bike. I've never restored a bike before (though I'm I tinkerer for sure) and I've been trying to figure out how best to fix the damage. Videos like this are just gold for folks like me. Thank you so much. Your passion and love for what you do shows and is infectious.
Nice one I saved many bikes like this. I found my dream bike that was skipped. I found or the guy from the tip brought me a 1911 Hazelwoods cycle in time warp condition last used. Sat in a loft 80 plus years all the rubber is immaculate plus tyres and it's original qheel stands that are over engineered. It has an Armstrong three speed triple X Hub. All nickel plated with 22 carat gold pinstripes paint. Tyres have lettering THE DUNLOP TYRE all the way around self advertising tyres. I was astounded when the guy turned up with it. It's crazy how many go to the tip well built bikes. I collect all love them.
Stunning work again Lee and such a great video production of it too. My first bike was a Raleigh Strika in silver, then a Grifter XL in black and red. I wish I could get one now to do something similar with it like this. Thanks for sharing your passion.
this is quite a poignant video for me. my late dad had one of these in the 70s ( wasn't it called the 'Superbe' ?) i remember how he used to come straight from the factory on a Friday evening riding this bike, all grimy, to pick me and my brother up ,to spend the weekend at his flat. I had many exciting moments sitting crossbar while my dad whizzed us down the roads, the wind in my face. Good old dad, never forgotten. thank you for this video
What a fab old Raleigh Sport. I love these old Raleighs. Simple, robust, functional but also very smart looking. Really nice job. I’m looking forward to doing the 70’s Wayfarer and Esquire I have.
The early 1960s were the high point of Raleigh manufacturing, and this video proves how durable, serviceable, and long-lasting their bicycles were, and are today.. I agree with another poster, a 100 point restoration. Well done!
What a cracking job! I was very impressed with your attention to detail. Like greasing the brake sliding pins, and oiling every part of the linkages, and putting Copperslip on the pedal threads. I'm not surprised that you spent nearly a week sorting the old beggar out. I work on motorcycles, and apply the same attention to detail. If it's metal and it moves it need lubrication end of! So gear linkages, brake linkages, stand pivot points, and levers etc all get a drop/squirt/wipe with something. Plus I never fit a fastening or screw dry. It'll have either anti seize, grease or loctite on it, depending on what it is, and where it is. Motorcycles have the added problem of having lots of steel and alloy components that meet. Steel and alloy can literally fuse together thanks to our lovely British weather. Fortunately there are some excellent greases and anti seize products around nowadays that basically stick two fingers up at the weather once they've been applied. All the best.
What a beautyfull result, you have done really great work and justice to the Bike. I love this old bikes a lot. The Quality of the 50s and 60s Bikes is hardly to top, a golden era, only 10-20 years after that horrible war.
Glad to have found this channel! This was very enjoyable and educational. I just bought a blue 1973 Raleigh LTD 3 for $25 USD. It had been in a shed for many many years. Grimy, flat tires, rust. I had not ridden a bike in 40 years. Works great! I just had to put air in the tires and do a wipe down for it to be ride-able. As far as I can tell everything (even the tires) on it is original and it has all the decals, even the bike shop that sold it. I am in the process of cleaning it, much like you did! Keeping it original but getting rid of surface rust, getting the paint clean and protected, etc. Also riding it in the evenings. I am a complete bicycle novice and had no idea what I was getting into. Learning how well engineered these are, and experiencing that as I clean it and use it, has been fantastic! I know nothing about the mechanics of bikes, much less Raleighs, so am not taking things apart ...yet. I will eventually though with the help of videos like yours. Thank you!
My first bike Raleigh Nova 1980 amazing little bike for around the town still mine still working, little surface patina, all original parts, love your videos keep them coming 🍻
Lovely video and a fabulous classic bicycle...thanks for rescuing it and keeping it original. The best! All that and I'm a new subscriber. Thanks again.
Guys, pleasure to watch ! Took me right back to my childhood looking at that bike !! Love the restoration but to be honest will stick to my carbon cinelli 😉 . My dad used to bike to work on a gold version of that ! Happy days 👍
Got to be one of my fave vids. Love these old bikes. I've got an old Raleigh Magnum that I done up that just sits in the shed. A lovely bike I can't with!
Amazing! Can't believe the shine on that paint! I'm with you on the respray jobs, I guess sometimes the paint is so far gone it's necessary, but I prefer the patina look too. If possible, I'd love to see a video with advice for checking soundness of 2nd hand bikes and making sure you're not getting a lemon. Not just vintage, but relevant for a lot of buyers I think. Thanks again for all the work you put in!
That end result is freakin' awesome ! ..what a beautiful machine.. wonderful restoration !! I've never heard of a 4 speed Sturmey Archer before now !! ..superb !! My first bike was a Raleigh Chicco !.. I loved it !!
I did the same with a 1980 Koga Miyata Road Speed during the long, empty months of Corona lockdown. So rewarding. It’s hanging on the wall of my study now.
Absolutely love it! I inherited a Raleigh Superbe from a kind neighbor. I don't know what exact year the bike was made in, but it has a registration that expired in 1980. Restoring it now and this video is very helpful.
Just gorgeous. Leaving the paint alone was the right call. Looks like a survivor now, because it is. A museum piece you can ride. But if it were mine, it would be ridden only for special occasions, like the 1980 Motobecane I just finished.
Wow, thanks for this epic video! This is by far your best! 👍🏼 Thanks for all the work and effort you put into these (more or less) niche videos, Lee and Simon. They feel like they have always been the same, but I notice quite an upgrade since your first ones - but by presenting such a stunning bike there has to be 😉 Greetings from Germany, I’m already looking forward to next week’s video!
Simon here! Thanks for the kind words it’s much appreciated! I’ve worked non stop behind the scenes trying to bring out the best video possible each week so it’s much appreciated🧡⚙️
Literally one of the most enjoyable 20 minutes I have ever spent on RUclips!
Wow what a great comment! Thanks very much Munro🧡⚙️
Is this bicycle for sale ?
You didn’t literally take it right apart … you DID take it right apart . Why is everyone using literally out of context ?
much as I like your everyday/knockabout bike videos, the sympathetic restoration of proper vintage classic marques really highlights your craft. Excellent.
We’d do this stuff everyday if we could it’s super super rewarding⚙️
It’s a pleasure watching how much technology has changed and how we’ll built vintage bikes were made
We enjoy working on old bikes the most they’re engineered with so much love 🧡
I saved a very similar Raleigh to your one a few years ago. I knew the old chap who’d bought it new in 1953. It was barely rideable when I was bequeathed it and I did every ball race and refurbed the rod brakes. The bike shop where is was bought (now run by the founder’s son) replaced spokes and trued the wheels. It also had working dynamo lights. I rode it on sunny days for a couple of years and the most surprising aspect to me was the dawning of the realisation that the frame I’d thought was built just not to break was in fact sophisticated. It did what steel does: it flexed and bump-soaked and was clearly a balanced set of tubes. Eventually I gave it back to the owner’s daughter who’d passed it to me. In my advancing years I’m tempted to save another as you have so beautifully.
Your videos are truly inspiring. Thank you.
That’s a great story, good luck with all your bikes 🧡
Who doesn't love a good bike resto and a 17031 rolex in the same video!?
Great to see a genuine restoration, thank you. Most so called restorations on YT are rebuilds with only the original frame left! This was a joy to watch. Thank you.
We agree with you! Some old charm still left 🧡
I like watching these restoration videos. It's nice that some of these vintage bikes are still around and being enjoyed.
Glad you enjoyed it! We just uploaded a new one you might like 🧡
Brilliant restoration, I have referred to it a few times in the process of turning a 1972 Superbe back into a daily-driver. Cheers!
Enjoy!🧡
No company has the history of bicycle manufacturing that Raleigh has. For me, the name Raleigh is the epitome of bicycles. As a kid, my first bicycle was a Raleigh, and that name was held in high esteem. Watching your restoration brought back wonderful memories for me. I'm so grateful. If only I could go back in time, even for a short period, so I could ride that Raleigh around the neighborhood like I did almost every day. It's sad that Raleigh is not what it used to be. Now they are made in huge factories in Asia that pump out thousands of bikes that lack the quality of the past. They lasted for years and years, just like the one you restored. Today, they may last a few years, then its ready for the junk heap. The logo up front may be the same, but it's not a Raleigh, a real Raleigh anyway.
It is a privilege to watch a master at work.
Thanks for the kind comment 🧡
My father bought me a brand new Raleigh in the end of the 60's. Raleigh bikes were, and always have been very unusual here in Sweden were I live. However he spotted it in a shop and as a lover of great quality and beautiful engineering, he bought it for me. Rode it a couple of years before it was stolen but I still remember every little detail on the bike and think about it now and then. Swedish bikes used to be of similar quality in those days but it was something with the love and dedication that had gone in to the engineering of the Raleigh that I will never forget. Thank you for your beautiful and very enjoyable video.
That’s a great read 🧡
Gorgeous restoration! Thanks for the extra effort putting together this video. 👍👍👍
This one was an epic job to do and film so it’s always appreciated!🧡⚙️
The low kilometer ones that just sit inside somewhere and get tired are the best light restoration candidates. Beautiful, respectful job.
Nice work!
Definitely they’re gems 🧡
Fantastic transformation you are truly a bike whisperer. I just love the old Raleigh’s and can remember when I was a kid Raleigh ruled the bike world. Thanks again for a most enjoyable video.
Thanks Kevin! We loved this one also🧡
Fantastic restoration, sure was some quality built into this bike. Glad you brought it back to life and I bet its a good one to ride to a country pub on a summers day.
It’s super rewarding to ride a bike you restored yourself that’s for sure 🧡⚙️
Guys this is phenomenal - bravo. Nothing but respect for a mechanic who can rebuild a Di2 carbon superbike one week and restore a 60yr old piece of history the next. Keep it going!
Kind kind words! Thanks for all the support, we try our best🧡⚙️
This kind of restoration is what i like. Restoring original parts instead of swapping with new parts.
Us to! Keeps the character🧡
What a fantastic restoration. imo, just the right amount of new parts. Well thought out job. Filming, editing all spot on as always. Marvelous.
I started a morning paper round in 1973 and the newsagent supplied trade bikes for us kids. They had rod brakes, Sturmey archer 3 speed hub gears, a front hub dynamo and similar or same lights. My dad taught me bike maintenance then and its remained with me. This video brings back fond memories. Thanks once again.
Great story! Me and Simon both had paper rounds and started riding there each morning also⚙️
Wow, what a wonderful, nostalgic trip down memory lane.
It was obviously a labour of love for you, which came across so well in this outstanding video 😊
Glad you enjoyed it🧡
I knew it wasn't just me! Those bottom brackets, when properly adjusted, spin superbly! They are also plenty stiff, with relatively large ball bearings close to the edges of the BB shell. People nowadays just want easy installation and no need for adjustments throughout a component's lifetime. Excellent restoration and video! Thanks for your hard work 🙂
They don’t make them hem like the used too!⚙️
I'm 49 and my dad had that bike when i was about 3 years old, He used to go to work on it to Fryston Pit in Castleford used to be kept in the outside Toilet .. Yes outside tolilet ... He had a Grey Vintage Ever Ready 1970s Front Bicycle Light on it,
Wow! I do believe this is your most impressive clean/restoration video yet!
Thanks Robert! We’re glad you guys enjoyed this one as much as we did 🧡⚙️
I always enjoy your videos because i see the working man's bikes to repair and refurbish. But you've outdone yourselves with this one. Throughly enjoyed it and learned quite a lot. Thank you and one thing for sure is these bikes were built like a tank.
This one was absolutely full on! Thanks for watching🧡
Just shows what you can do with quality components, excellent work (yet again).
We love this older stuff! They don’t make them like they used too⚙️
@3:43 Wow! That crankset is shiny! Appears to have cleaned up nicely.
Thanks very much! These parts come up amazing 🧡
?This restoration/rebuild of their Raleigh bicycle is a testament to the designers, and the build quality of the bicycle, as well as the skills of those on the assembly line. Many of those may be long dead, but the result of their ingenuity lives on some 60+ years adterward. Well done!
Absolutely!🧡⚙️
Wonderful video!! Years ago I bought a 1939 Raleigh that had been sitting under a tree for a good twenty years. Rusted up solid. Amazing that with some bronze wool and a good cleaning it came back to life!! They used a lot of chrome and paint on these bikes!!
They really come back incredibly. We love Chrome! 🧡
Such a magnificent piece of engineering and the re-furb/rebuild you did was a joy to see 🙏
We agree with you there! We enjoyed every step of this one, even watching the video ourselves lol🧡⚙️
@@Bikespeeds was also amazed at the price you picked it up for, there is a real beauty to old bikes and to know that one has been restored for use is priceless
What a great job! Amazing results! I had a Raleigh bike when I was a kid . Loved it so much that I kept it for many years. Great engineerig
52 would be the year, 2 the month and 17 the day so 2nd of February 1952 and the dc is the town/city it was made in.
Wow! What a nice surprise this video was! So thankfull you guys put the time and effort into making this possible!
Thanks Mathias! Simon here actually and the support always keeps me going in the long edits😂⚙️
Love it. A birthday-year bike for me. I’m keeping my eyes open for a restorable Raleigh of this era. Great machines.
Awesome! 🧡
Great to see this Raleigh brought back to life, you did a fantastic job with it. My dad used to work in a metal fabricators on the same road as the Raleigh factory in Nottingham and my first 2 bikes as a kid were Raleighs.
Awesome! Everyone has a good Raleigh story 🧡
I can remember my uncle having a Raleigh Robin Hood bicycle, it was a much loved bike, and I enjoyed the video. Thanks, I'll now subscribe
Great video. You clearly care about keeping vintage machines alive and happy. I wish I could've watched this when it published.
Thanks Matt! Glad you enjoyed this one🧡⚙️
Brilliant refurbished..kept original. The days of proper quality chrome ..well done guys.👌
Thanks Leslie! We agree the chrome days were great🧡⚙️
I am in charge of a mechanics club at the school I work at and we have done a few project bikes and it’s so great to see the kids passionate about their work. Hearing you talk about the work you put into these bikes reminds me of that child like aww that we get from watching a transformation that we know we are a part of. Thank you for that.
Great story there! We love to here stories like that, thanks for watching🧡
Now I really want one, spent the last week thinking of vintage bikes and Dutch style bikes and now this. Thanks for all the great videos
There’s really something nice about riding one now ⚙️
Best channel on youtube. A big thank you to you and Simon for all the great content. Cheers from California.
Thanks Rodney! We appreciate the support! Lee & Simon⚙️🧡
Very happy to see these old bikes being brought back to be ridden again. There is a bit of a movement, although not huge, but enough of people who want to ride bikes, but the new bikes are a bit much for us, and we don't go that fast. This will be a dream for someone to cruise around on.
Thanks for the video !
Thanks Jeff glad you enjoyed this one!🧡⚙️
A very sympathetic restoration and for many people in the 1950 and 60's these bikes were used for the daily commute. I seem to remember that the battery tube was there so that when you stopped and the dynamo wasn't powering the lights the batteries would automatically take over and provide light whilst you were stationary and then when you started moving again the dynamo provided the power and the batteries were automatically switched off.
Great work on a great bike. These are the kind of bike's I work on daily. Riding a 53 Veeno myself
Oh wow awesome! We only wish we saw more of them🧡⚙️
So lovely to see an old Raleigh sit and beg bike being restored.
Beautifully done sympathetic restoration. Great choices made by a master craftsman.
Thanks Scott! We appreciate it🧡⚙️
This rebuild video deserves more likes, nice bit of detailing done
Thanks Gerry, we’d love one of our videos to blow up so hopefully this one could be reached to the masses🧡⚙️
What a marathon effort, such a delight to re-fresh my gray matter to the older, but simple tech of the day. In this disposable society, its so awesome to see such a transformation. Brilliantly done and thanks for the incrediable effort of producing this outstanding video for the community.
Thanks David that’s a great comment to read. Things really aren’t made to last like they used to be that’s absolutely right. And then issue now is that parts are obsolete so quick bikes are easier to bin than repair as there’s simply no aftermarket support
@@Bikespeeds Spot on, and not just bikes, everything. Hopefully things may be changing slowly. Thanks
Stunning restoration. Congratulations Lee and Simon for all your efforts. Another vintage bike saved!!
Thanks Todd! We appreciate all the support🧡
Wow! I'm in awe 😍 The state of these components is incredible, after 70 years still banging! This bike is a great addition to any collection, but more important is that it's got a new life and can be ridden just like any other bike. Great job, kudos for the effort you put in!
Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for taking the time to drop us a comment🧡⚙️
Great restoration! I love seeing all of this old tech that I have no clue about. I mean the breaks alone are just stunning!!!
Everything was so well made⚙️
Excellent work from yourself and Simon!
Thank you very much🧡⚙️
Great Work Lee. My Raleigh (probably older than this one) has a complete back up lighting tube on the frame. The batteries were U2 type and were intended to kick in when you stoped at a junction etc thus powering the lights when you stopped peddling.
They never worked very well and usually corroded because the old batteries were left in and over time disintegrated.
Hope this helps 🐝💤
Great to see you Steve! We figured it’d work like that but weren’t sure⚙️
I am sure these were fitted with Ni-cad rechargeable batteries but could be wrong. 1961 was the year i was born, my grandfather used to ride one of these to work in the Welsh coal mines.
Yes, this makes sense to me. A school mate had a superb Raleigh Tourer in
the 1950s with, what I thought, was a battery holder; wish I had asked about it
but now you've solved it. Yes, the old U2 batteries would be correct, something like a present-day D size battery, it probably held 3 or 4 of them.
I can't understand why cycles with dynamo-driven lights were allowed without
a battery back-up as the lights go out when the bike stops but I do not
remember any other cycle with a battery box other than my mates.
48 teeth on the chainring, you can get a fair bit of speed with that. I have never seen a locking-fork till now, brilliant design & build quality for 1961.
So pleased you bought this showstopper of a bike for yourself, the thought, love & care you put into it's restoration deserves to give you joy for a long time. The wheel rebuild alone must have taken a long time. Great work Simon & Lee. One of your best videos to date and the one week of work shows. Thank you Bikespeeds, I hope someday you will show us a video of you riding it.
Thanks from Simon here! Much appreciated, glad you enjoyed the video!🧡⚙️
Wow. This one was really awesome.
This one definitely was mega 😂
Proper classic there, proof they just don't make them like they used to. Just look at the character in the chainring, when bike manufacturers took pride what they turned out 👌
We really love this era, like you say there so much character⚙️
I just did a 3 speed british Hercules my neighbor gave me. Worked on it off and on for about 4 months. Little by little I appreciated it more and more as I rode it. By the time I was done, I was marveling at the precision tight feel that it has on the road.
Awesome! Enjoy all your working on it!🧡⚙️
What a great museum piece! The thickness of the paint is amazing. Great work gentlemen.
It really shone up in the end, thanks for all the support as always!⚙️
What a great video and well presented restoration. I am in the process of restoring a Raleigh Pioneer Spirit. It's had the works done to it, a bit like on this bike of yours.
I totally get where you are coming from when you talk about the mechanical re-building and the labour of love into giving an old bike a new lease of life.
Enjoy it! It’s our favourite kind of work🧡
Our adult daughter rebuilt my wife's 1971 Raleigh. Such classic lines, and well-made frames. The bike was a 5-speed, originally, and now is a single speed with new: wheels, seat, bars, crank set and brakes. Kept the original bright, neon green metallic paint though!
Very cool!🧡⚙️
I've just aquired a 1963 model of this bike. I can't wait to get stuck into it. Great video!
Enjoy it!🧡
The quality of the engineering deserves a restoration like this. You won't be doing this on a 60 yr old carbon fibre bike that's for sure. Absolutely magnificent bike and video.
We said the same thing when filming!🧡⚙️
Parabéns muita bonita a bicicleta
I like your style of restoration. Everything is clean and mechanically sound, yet you don't repaint and rechrome parts. It was used, not abused, and EARNED it's PATINA. Well done, sir. 🍻
That’s our mindset! Thanks for watching!🧡
I lovely glimpse back in time from Raleigh's Hay Day. Wish I'd kept my grandad's old bike now
Thank you for showing us all.👍
John.
Thanks for watching John, glad you enjoyed this one🧡⚙️
What a fantastic restoration of this piece of history. Well done.
Thanks Christopher!🧡⚙️
Awesome job. I just Restored my first bike. Its an Indian made Hercules roadeo a100.
Awesome!! Enjoy your work Praveen🧡⚙️
The way these videos are done is just so perfect. Love this channel.
Thanks Josh! We love a comment like that🧡⚙️
I pulled a Raleigh Sport 3 speed out of the metal skip at my local dump this summer. I'm guessing that it's mid to late 60's but it looks a lot like this bike. I've never restored a bike before (though I'm I tinkerer for sure) and I've been trying to figure out how best to fix the damage. Videos like this are just gold for folks like me. Thank you so much. Your passion and love for what you do shows and is infectious.
Awesome Matt thank you! Good luck with your restoration. Just remember to take your time and enjoy it🧡⚙️
Nice one I saved many bikes like this. I found my dream bike that was skipped. I found or the guy from the tip brought me a 1911 Hazelwoods cycle in time warp condition last used. Sat in a loft 80 plus years all the rubber is immaculate plus tyres and it's original qheel stands that are over engineered. It has an Armstrong three speed triple X Hub. All nickel plated with 22 carat gold pinstripes paint. Tyres have lettering THE DUNLOP TYRE all the way around self advertising tyres.
I was astounded when the guy turned up with it.
It's crazy how many go to the tip well built bikes. I collect all love them.
Stunning work again Lee and such a great video production of it too. My first bike was a Raleigh Strika in silver, then a Grifter XL in black and red. I wish I could get one now to do something similar with it like this. Thanks for sharing your passion.
Awesome! Thanks Paul!🧡
this is quite a poignant video for me. my late dad had one of these in the 70s ( wasn't it called the 'Superbe' ?) i remember how he used to come straight from the factory on a Friday evening riding this bike, all grimy, to pick me and my brother up ,to spend the weekend at his flat. I had many exciting moments sitting crossbar while my dad whizzed us down the roads, the wind in my face. Good old dad, never forgotten.
thank you for this video
Wow what a great story! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching🧡
What a fab old Raleigh Sport. I love these old Raleighs. Simple, robust, functional but also very smart looking. Really nice job. I’m looking forward to doing the 70’s Wayfarer and Esquire I have.
Enjoy working on your own! They’re great bikes 🧡⚙️
It's a lovely grease... A man that loves grease is a true mechanic! ahahah great work!
Hahaha yes we love a good grease here 😂⚙️🧡
The early 1960s were the high point of Raleigh manufacturing, and this video proves how durable, serviceable, and long-lasting their bicycles were, and are today.. I agree with another poster, a 100 point restoration. Well done!
Built to last! Thanks for watching Shaun🧡
What a cracking job! I was very impressed with your attention to detail. Like greasing the brake sliding pins, and oiling every part of the linkages, and putting Copperslip on the pedal threads. I'm not surprised that you spent nearly a week sorting the old beggar out.
I work on motorcycles, and apply the same attention to detail. If it's metal and it moves it need lubrication end of! So gear linkages, brake linkages, stand pivot points, and levers etc all get a drop/squirt/wipe with something. Plus I never fit a fastening or screw dry. It'll have either anti seize, grease or loctite on it, depending on what it is, and where it is.
Motorcycles have the added problem of having lots of steel and alloy components that meet. Steel and alloy can literally fuse together thanks to our lovely British weather. Fortunately there are some excellent greases and anti seize products around nowadays that basically stick two fingers up at the weather once they've been applied.
All the best.
Enjoy all your work and thank you for the support!🧡
Finally, I am on work vacation and I can enjoy your amazing videos once again! I am glad to see 15 k subscribers and proud to be one of the first.
Thanks for the support right from the start, enjoy the videos of course!🧡⚙️
Didn't find the ' love ' button. A marvelous transformation.
What a beautyfull result, you have done really great work and justice to the Bike. I love this old bikes a lot.
The Quality of the 50s and 60s Bikes is hardly to top, a golden era, only 10-20 years after that horrible war.
Definitely a golden era!
Lovely job! You could polish the lights glasses to make them sparkle even more!
Brilliant old school bikes you could work on stood the test of time .
They don’t make them like they used too!🧡⚙️
Amazing!! Thank you for saving a little bit of history.
Thanks Raymond!🧡⚙️
I really love your bike restoration videos.
We really appreciate that Daniel, definitely more on the way🧡
I have a 68 Humber found it twenty years ago at the dump shop . I plan to restore it one day as its like an old friend with lots of history.
We did do a humber on the channel! Enjoy your work🧡
Glad to have found this channel! This was very enjoyable and educational. I just bought a blue 1973 Raleigh LTD 3 for $25 USD. It had been in a shed for many many years. Grimy, flat tires, rust. I had not ridden a bike in 40 years. Works great! I just had to put air in the tires and do a wipe down for it to be ride-able. As far as I can tell everything (even the tires) on it is original and it has all the decals, even the bike shop that sold it. I am in the process of cleaning it, much like you did! Keeping it original but getting rid of surface rust, getting the paint clean and protected, etc. Also riding it in the evenings. I am a complete bicycle novice and had no idea what I was getting into. Learning how well engineered these are, and experiencing that as I clean it and use it, has been fantastic! I know nothing about the mechanics of bikes, much less Raleighs, so am not taking things apart ...yet. I will eventually though with the help of videos like yours. Thank you!
Enjoy the process!🧡
That’s a nice bike! Love Raleighs!
Top restoration. Love it.
Excellent work on that restoration!! Looks fantastic!!
Thanks Vito! We Always appreciate the support🧡⚙️
My first bike Raleigh Nova 1980 amazing little bike for around the town still mine still working, little surface patina, all original parts, love your videos keep them coming 🍻
Awesome! Enjoy your bike!🧡⚙️
Lovely video and a fabulous classic bicycle...thanks for rescuing it and keeping it original. The best!
All that and I'm a new subscriber. Thanks again.
Thanks for subscribing Joseph! Glad you enjoyed the video🧡⚙️
Awesome restoration!!!
Great work!!!
What an absolute transformation. Superb engineering from Raleigh. My first bike was a Raleigh Hustler, purple racer circa 1977. 🇫🇮😎
So this is a good video for you then lol!🧡⚙️
@@Bikespeeds you had me at cotter pins 😉😎
Guys, pleasure to watch ! Took me right back to my childhood looking at that bike !! Love the restoration but to be honest will stick to my carbon cinelli 😉 . My dad used to bike to work on a gold version of that ! Happy days 👍
Better days!
Got to be one of my fave vids. Love these old bikes. I've got an old Raleigh Magnum that I done up that just sits in the shed. A lovely bike I can't with!
Haha go out and ride it then you can enjoy doing it up again lol⚙️
hi, thank you, a friend of mine and I, really enjoyed watching this video.
That’s great to hear, thanks very much for the support!🧡
Really great video, one of the best bike resto vids on You Tube. Well done!
Wow thanks Richard!🧡
Amazing! Can't believe the shine on that paint! I'm with you on the respray jobs, I guess sometimes the paint is so far gone it's necessary, but I prefer the patina look too. If possible, I'd love to see a video with advice for checking soundness of 2nd hand bikes and making sure you're not getting a lemon. Not just vintage, but relevant for a lot of buyers I think. Thanks again for all the work you put in!
This is a very old video which covers a similar topic but we’ll bring it back up if we get the
right bike in!
ruclips.net/video/sEtei5XLsqc/видео.html
Thank you!
That end result is freakin' awesome ! ..what a beautiful machine.. wonderful restoration !! I've never heard of a 4 speed Sturmey Archer before now !! ..superb !! My first bike was a Raleigh Chicco !.. I loved it !!
We hadn’t seen one before either! Thanks Jim 🧡⚙️
Had loads of bikes but never one like this - they are really beautiful - fantastic restoration !
Thanks Fergus!🧡⚙️
I did the same with a 1980 Koga Miyata Road Speed during the long, empty months of Corona lockdown. So rewarding. It’s hanging on the wall of my study now.
Enjoy it Marien!🧡⚙️
my grandpa bought me this bike. i love it and we also need to fix some stuff and clean it so very cool video
That’s a great story, enjoy it🧡
Absolutely love it! I inherited a Raleigh Superbe from a kind neighbor. I don't know what exact year the bike was made in, but it has a registration that expired in 1980. Restoring it now and this video is very helpful.
Awesome! We have a superbe on the way to be done but it’s a few months down the line!🧡
Just gorgeous. Leaving the paint alone was the right call. Looks like a survivor now, because it is. A museum piece you can ride. But if it were mine, it would be ridden only for special occasions, like the 1980 Motobecane I just finished.
Awesome! Enjoy your Motobecane! Thanks for watching🧡⚙️
I literally found one of these just sitting by the garage with nothing wrong except rust and airless tires, I have started restoring it myself 😊
Good luck!🧡
Wow, thanks for this epic video! This is by far your best! 👍🏼 Thanks for all the work and effort you put into these (more or less) niche videos, Lee and Simon. They feel like they have always been the same, but I notice quite an upgrade since your first ones - but by presenting such a stunning bike there has to be 😉
Greetings from Germany, I’m already looking forward to next week’s video!
Simon here! Thanks for the kind words it’s much appreciated! I’ve worked non stop behind the scenes trying to bring out the best video possible each week so it’s much appreciated🧡⚙️