(Sorry this is so long. Just over-enthusiastic in my newness.)
Thanks for the welcome, Paul. I'll be there. Just have to break away for Mark Murphy's second set at the Blue Note! Thanks for your questions about the Raleigh Lenton Grand Prix / Reg Harris that I'm building up here. If everyone will indulge me, I'll give a little more detail about it, with the hope of getting a better fix on just what I have (and what I will need). UK listmembers, please feel free to weigh in!
At hand is a 23" silver / gray metallic frame & fork with white head tube, serial # 69122 RA stamped at the top of the seat tube. I seem to recall looking at some Raleigh serial number lists on Sheldon Brown's site and not being able to fit this number into the patterns there, but maybe I should go have another look. It has brazed on top-tube cable guides on the underside of the tube, also cable guides on the downtube and right lower stay. Bosses for rear shifter, and one on the fork for a lamp. The decals feature a Gothic typeface over a billowing red / gold / and white banner--and yes, that Reg Harris torch is on the seat tube. No snowflake however as on Paul's. Will be curious to see that. Head lugs have fairly sharp points on the front, but longer and less pointy (rounded at the tips, in fact), vaguely '50s rocket-ey points where the lugs engage the other frame members, kind of like the scallops (not flames) seen on early 'hot rod' Fords and such.
I was trial fitting some tubular wheels under this thing, but it really does seem to want 27 x 1.25 clinchers: a tubular front fits alright, but the Universal Mod. 61's are too short-reach for the rear, and the wheelbase (and corresponding gap behind the seat tube) is pretty long. I take it that the original rims were Dunlop Special Lightweight and I imagine I can look around for these. Anybody with a set to sell in the coming months, remember this and please let me know.
My biggest questions are to do with the shifter boss that is brazed on the downtube. I can't figure out what threading is there--and thus what brand of shifter / shift lever to look for. I have Campagnolo and Huret shift levers lying about, and the fixing bolts of those two brands are threaded to different pitch than each other--and seemingly to the frame as well. Conflicting standards again . . . . I imagine this bike would have originally utilized Cyclo Benelux or possibly Simplex rear derailleur and shifter. I think it would be fun to try original equipment on this bike--and I do have a Simplex rod-type shifter on hand--but I'm hoping to get some advice. I have no experience with chain-operated rear derailleurs . . . but I'm not afraid. Would like to try one, in fact. It's just that I only have experience so far with the double-parallelogram . . . .
Incidentally the crank is a Williams cottered-type with the Raleigh Heron repeated around the riveted 49 / 46 chainwheels--very pretty. The CR site has a nice bit on dating Williams stuff--thanks for that! The crank is heavy, but I have other bikes for lightness. I'll let this one utilize a little steel. Crank is dated 1958, but I do not know for sure that it is original to the bike. It wasn't mounted when the bike was shipped to me, and I have the feeling it was obtained separately. Perhaps the seller is a list member, and will remember this bike. I didn't question him very thoroughly at the time.
JUST IN--thank you, Marc St. Martin! Looks more and more like I should be looking for Cyclo changers. What about functionality of Cyclo vs. Simplex in the period? Or shall I go directly to Huret Allvit? Dropouts without integral derailleur hangers DO narrow ones choices a bit. Fortunately I won't (likely) be racing this bike, even if Reg Harris' name is on it. Okay, one more: anyone know how many teeth one can utilise with various '50s rear derailleurs (esp. chain-pull types)? I'm fond of lower gearing in general, and it's not as if there is usually room for high speed here in the big city, what with all the taxis and pizza delivery guys going the wrong way in the bike lanes (though we do have the loop in Central Park on certain days, and the newish Hudson River Park on the west side). Plus, though this frame IS 531 and thus fairly light, I'll be lugging an extra 5 or so pounds of British Steel . . . (a nod to P.C. Kohler).
Other parts onboard so far are Raleigh steel seatpost (pin!) from derelict DL-1, topped with Lycett L'Avenir saddle, and GB bars and spearpoint stem which are near and dear to my heart. Regarding Hilary Stone's GB Synchrons and Sheldon Brown's revealing them to be Altenburger designs, I wonder: what were the names of earlier GB brakes--and who made them? I bought some GB bar end plugs awhile back, and was surprised to note that they were marked "Paris". Really like the GB stuff, and it's difficult to get info on it, I find--here in the states, anyway.
Thanks for the (further) indulgence,
Tom Ward Manhattan Isle
On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 16:44:02 -0500 plee1@optonline.net writes:
> Hey Tom,
>
> By all means, try to make the B.V.V.W. meeting Thursday evening.
> I'll be there with Jamie Swan. We're from out on Long Island. The
> meetings are fun.
>
> I've got a Raleigh Lenton Sports Reg Harris Racing Special, which
> has cool decals (does yours have the torch and the snowflake?) but
> is about as ratty as a bike could get. I have it set up as a SA
> three speed with twist grip on tourist bars, AVA tubulars and Rudge
> fenders (similar color and patina (rust)) and a well weathered B66.
> Brakes are Universal side pulls.
>
> And, talking about liking larger frame sizes as one gains experience
> (aging), I've really taken a liking towards 25.5" Raleighs (pro's,
> competitions), 64 cm Fujis and the sort. Back a few years, I was
> very happy riding 58-60 cm bikes, then I found 62 cm ones suited me
> better and now I'm quite pleased to ride these large bikes, with 46
> cm bars. It is nice to be able to utilize the Campagnolo seatposts
> without venturing into the "illegal" zone. For way too many years
> back as a teenager, I rode a too small Atala Record Professional and
> was as happy as can be. I just didn't know any different.
>
> I still ride a wide variety of sizes but have slowed down on buying
> ones on the small side (but have a hard time passing up anything on
> the large side).
>
> Welcome to the list.
>
> Paul Lee
> Huntington, NY