1973 Raleigh Sports

To me, this bicycle was a great find. I found it on Craiglist and the guy was selling it for $40. Without wasting any time, I made plans to go up and look at the bike that night after work. The frame was in good shape and there was just very minimal wear and surface rust. It had been sitting in a moldy garage for years. I handed the guy $40 cash and took the bike home excited about my find.

First things first, the bike needed to be disassembled so it can be rebuilt and regreased.

I did have a heck of a time taking out one of the cotter pins. I think I went through 5 drill bits before I was actually the victor here. Of course, I did find an easier way after the fact. You can find just about anything if you just Google it.

To make the bike a little different than the original, I decided to replace the original handlebars with a drop moustache bar wrapped and laced with elkhide wrap from Velo Orange. I replaced 90% of the chrome components with black satin parts and of course converted it into a fixie. I had some help building the 700c wheels which replaced the 26″ rims. The hubs are from All-City. It was quite an experience making the wheels for this bike. Time and patience is all I can say. The frame I left the same. I wanted the bike to still look original with the original sticker placement. There are a few scuffs on the paint, but it gives it character.