Mark Manley
Raleigh Fan
I am not sure how well this will be received here as most of these posts seem to be original or bikes with period modifications which this one is definitely not either. As a teenager I always lusted after one of the Team Raleigh racing bikes, I possibly could have afforded one of the 5 speed Records but don't ever remember seeing one in the bike shop I used so when deciding on a paint scheme for this one decided to do a homage.
It is not actually a Raleigh but a Roberts Roughstuff from 1994 so is 531 tubing and fillet brazed, I presume it would have been someones made to order pride and joy at one time, not the rusty mess with a seized in bottom bracket that I bought. I prefer hub gears and either drum or disc brakes on bikes I plan to ride off road and this one has a pair of vintage Sturmey Archer drums with a 3 speed hub, they were also a rusty mess until I had them powder coated and rebuilt them with new bearings and brake shoes, I machined up a long rear spindle for the 135mm dropouts and all fittings have been remade in stainless steel. The rims are Rigida and the 40 spoke for the rear took some tracking down.
Most of the other components are Hope, it has a Hope seatpost now as well as my prefered Ergon grips and Brooks saddle and with its low gearing is quite usable on the lanes around here, I know there is a limit to how low the gearing should be on a SA 3 speed but I am light enough it does not seem to be a problem.
It is not actually a Raleigh but a Roberts Roughstuff from 1994 so is 531 tubing and fillet brazed, I presume it would have been someones made to order pride and joy at one time, not the rusty mess with a seized in bottom bracket that I bought. I prefer hub gears and either drum or disc brakes on bikes I plan to ride off road and this one has a pair of vintage Sturmey Archer drums with a 3 speed hub, they were also a rusty mess until I had them powder coated and rebuilt them with new bearings and brake shoes, I machined up a long rear spindle for the 135mm dropouts and all fittings have been remade in stainless steel. The rims are Rigida and the 40 spoke for the rear took some tracking down.
Most of the other components are Hope, it has a Hope seatpost now as well as my prefered Ergon grips and Brooks saddle and with its low gearing is quite usable on the lanes around here, I know there is a limit to how low the gearing should be on a SA 3 speed but I am light enough it does not seem to be a problem.

