Hi Tim:
If I remember correctly, the bike you have is very similar to the Lenton Sport, except for bars and maybe saddle (Sport had a B15; Tourist probably came with a B66). The Dynohub lighting setup was optional on both. The bike is most likely 531 straight-gauge; the frame is surprisingly light (ask Brian Baylis; he painted my Lenton Sport); the fork weighs nearly as much as the frame! Rims are probably chrome-plated Dunlop Special Lightweight, and the biggest problem you'll have is finding decent tires for it without resorting too the 26x1-1/4x1-3/8 Schwinn-sized balloon tires. I'm not aware of anyone who still makes the correct 26x1-1/4 size; handling is squishy, rather than sporty, with the balloon-ish tires.
Crankset is most likely a Raleigh with the three cute little herons cast into it. The polychromatic green paint is a translucent topcoat sprayed over a black basecoat. The bars as you describe them are probably an "all-rounder" bend rather than North Road.
Not a bad bike, and none too common in the US.
Chris _________________________________________________ Chris Beyer Volvo Cars of North America, LLC Customer Relations Rockleigh, NJ USA
Telephone: 800.550.5658 E-mail: CBeyer2@volvocars.com
-----Original Message----- From: Tim F. [mailto:fricker61@earthlink.net] Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 4:27 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Raleigh Lenton Touring
Hey folks-
I'm in the process of acquiring a Raleigh Lenton Tourist, and I'd like to know if anyone here knows anything about it. It's the classic Raleigh green color, with the heron headbadge that says "The Raleigh" on it. Rear hub is a 1951 Sturmey AW, front is a Dynohub of some flavor, with the wide part on the left. Seat tube has a very plain looking "531" decal. Rims are Dunlops, EA1 sized, not sure of the model. Bars are narrowish, and sort of a modified North Road... not much sweep up or down to them, nearly flat, but curved forward from the stem, then back. Grips look like some really thin, really cheap, plastic replacement. Saddle was gone, so I don't know what it's supposed to be. Anyone know? Oh, crankset has a single replaceable ring, don't know just yet how many teeth.
So, anyone have words of wisdom on this bike?
Thanks!
Tim