Raleigh Super Lenton 1956 22" frame

[Craigmount]

Greetings to all, thought I’d put pen to paper re my recent acquisition a 1956 Raleigh Super Lenton. I bought the bike last winter off the Bay, but only got possession in the summer when my nephew transported it up the road from the south of England. What I liked was its description as “one owner from new” and “very original.” In fact I bought it direct from the first owner Mike and he’s been great and provided a ton of history.

I’m still in contact with him via email. His father bought it new for him age 14 in October 1956. Mike also confirmed that he hadn’t changed anything on the bike over the decades other than disposing of the celluloid mudguards (which had disintegrated), and the addition of a 2-spd Cyclo Benelux derailleur in 1959 to help him up the hills in Wiltshire. This was fitted by the bike shop in Swindon which supplied the bike from new.

Must admit I didn’t know much about the Super Lenton other than it was the same family as the Raleigh Lenton sports, with butted frame 27” wheels and some alloy components. So it was a wee bonus to discover the fitted 27” Dunlop Special Lightweight wheels mounted on an alloy 4 speed FM hub. The saddle is a Brooks B15 champion Flyer which I’d never come across before. The brakes are GB Sport mk1 Hiduminium, again new to me.

it was a surprise to discover the fitted Raleigh chrome drop handlebars, and the Reynolds domed steel seat post – see all pics attached. The brochures at the time indicated these would be alloy items. Can anyone throw any light on this? Was this a case of availability at the time, or Raleigh cost-saving on the Super Lenton at the end of its line, in preparation for the launch of the RRA Moderne in 1957?
Any contributions on any of the above much appreciated !!

 

[The History Man]

That's gorgeous. It's only original once!

Most of the issues you may come across might be covered in my Armstrong thread below. Click the name to see it.

Will be watching progress.

Welcome to the madhouse!

 

[Craigmount]

Hey thanks THM - not a madhouse - this rebuild will keep me sane through the winter!!
Thanks will read & absorb your Armstrong saga. On that note I've almost completed the strip-down, now it's approaching decision time - especially around the frame/forks ...

 

[Spokesmann]

FANTASTIC PROJECT...
Watching with interest.

 

[Craigmount]

Hey thanks Spokesmann, well I’ve made some progress this past while. The whole bike has been stripped down to the last ball bearing. Next I cleaned up the frame forks and a few components. See pics. The frame is looking a bit more presentable now, so I’ve decided to keep it as it is i.e. original 1956 paint and decals. It’s worn and faded, but hey the bike’s had a full life !
According to the original owner Mike, he cycled to Switzerland and back in the 1960’s …

I’ve rebuilt the bottom bracket, fresh grease etc. I found the thread on the 53 Armstrong Moth really helpful, both bikes seemed to have similar components e.g. GB brakes Benelux gears etc. Thanks for the heads-up The History Man.

The original Super Lenton 16-tooth rear sprocket was replaced by a Cyclo double cog 14 and 21 in 1959 – I noticed that the legend 2spd is inscribed on the Benelux derailleur chrome - see pics. I’ve never seen let alone owned a bike with this hub gear and derailleur set-up, this is new territory for me, so the whole lot is going back on the bike in due course!

Next task – clean off 62 years worth of rust and grime from the wheels and spokes … :shock:

 

[Spokesmann]

Great work, in my view that frame is too good for repainting. Preservation is the key word here. Love the work so far.

 

[Markone]

The frame has cleaned up remarkably well it looks very tidy and full of character.I too am following this thread with great interest.

 

[Craigmount]

Thank you both for the feedback, I’ve enclosed a couple more frame pics. I was hunting around for the frame number at the top of the seat tube (as per Raleigh tradition), eventually found it underneath the bottom bracket, 29911A, indicating 1956.

I wasn’t sure how to “sort” the chrome fork and stay ends, which were rusty after 62 years exposure. I dipped them for 24 hours in a basin of oxalic acid, then washed off the yellow residue afterwards with clean water. This worked better than I expected – didn’t seem to harm ye old paintwork either!

 

[Spokesmann]

very nice, great character, and, dare I say - patina!

 

[Craigmount]

Well now patina - yeah the bike's got lots of that stuff !!
I've made a decision, I know the way ahead - I'm going for the well-used presentable look, rather than anything more ambitious.

I was chuffed the bike came equipped with 27" Dunlop Special Lightweight wheels, which I'd never seen before. The rear was definitely rustier than the front - see the "before" pic.
However I've spent a wee bit time cleaning them both up. They're now "presentable" although they could be better. At least they're both straight, and a lot cleaner. They both came with a DUNLOP rubber liner inside for the spokes - see pic - guess the normal period cotton liner from the 50's is too wide for these narrower rims.

Final pic shows the wheels leaning agin the shed, plus a spare 27" Dunlop 4-speed rear wheel (to the left) I got off the Bay, just as a spare. Impetus is building! What to tackle next … to be continued …