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@ioreka
this is only my second post on the forum, so apologies if it's a bit cack-handed in terms of formatting...
after about 3 years of riding bikes in London i decided a few months ago to have a crack at restoring my grandmother's 1938 Raleigh. it was the only thing she was ever given new as a child and was passed onto my mother, who unfortunately suffers from labyrinthitis - her balance is so badly affected that riding a bike is simply out of the question, so the bike has languished in various garages for years. since moving to London i've built a single speed and then a 7 speed (arising from a combination of insatiable curiosity, a mechanical mind, a cyclist boyfriend and hating having to get the bus to work) so i thought now was as good a time as ever. i was fortunate enough to move in with a lovely mechanic friend a few months ago too, so he's been my port of call for pretty much everything i didn't understand and wanted to learn (lucky him!).
as projects go i'm sure it's on the lowest rungs of what people on the forum achieve, but if anyone's interested, here's a broad overview of how it's going:
this was how it started:
and a few close-ups:
the paintwork on the frame has worn down over the years so the only actually Raleigh-branded decal (apart from the metal heron on the head tube) is on the chainguard:
although, when i stripped the bike and removed the seat clamp i discovered two parallel lines of red and god pinstriping (more on that later...)
after the first round of parts stripping i took the bike to Armourtex in hackney to have a matt black coat put on the bike. they were not only super helpful and friendly, but also helped me remove the headset and cotter pins so i could finally remove the chainguard:
i then managed to find new 26" wheels, new brakes and brake levers (i'm not keen to keep the rod brake mech so switched it to cable/caliper brakes), vintage-style handlebar grips, and polished everything up as best i could. there are a few bits (on the chrome on the brakes and handlebars especially) which are't perfect but look much better than they did.
and now, for the part i'm really excited for... luglining and pinstriping! i'm just waiting for the paint to arrive in the post then i'll get cracking on it. after that, there's just installing the brakes (which involves drilling a new hole in the frame) and putting things back together. i've absolutely loved doing this so far and i can't wait to get it up and running.
if anyone has any thoughts or input, i'd be happy to hear from you! :)