We had the priveledge of fully refurbishing a Raleigh LTD-3 frame from the 70s for a dapper young professional man. We put on new 3 speed wheel-set with aluminum 26 X 13/8" rims, new cotter-less crank-set and cartridge bottom bracket, and vintage aluminum handlebars. We re-tapped the bottom bracket shell of the frame allowing the modern BB and cranks to be installed. This process is fun and takes full advantage of the great old British steel that these old frames are made out of.
Notice the MKS sylvan touring pedals and the modern crank-set. We installed refurbished old Japanese alloy calipers which stop the bicycle better than the steel calipers that came on the bike ever could. As well replacing all the Whitsworth with metric should go much appreciated by any mechanic that works on this bike.
With all these Japanese parts we had to reinforce the British roots with a genuine Brooks Saddle. The alloy post-style seat pillar and old Sturmey-Archer pulley cable-guide serve to lighten the bike up and reduce friction in the shifting cables.
This photo does not do justice to the beautiful alloy Phillips French three-speed bars and sweet clear cablehousing guiding the controls. Keeping the bike and rider cleaner and happier and lighter are some Planet Bike Cascadia fenders in black. Light for a three-speed is an understatement. This bike's brand new Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub shifts like a charm and the bike flies the way these were meant to glide through traffic and up bridges.Stay tuned for the next installment where we feature a sweet conversion of a Trek road bike and the Raleigh Colt that was reborn as a Pacific North West tattoo parlor shuttle bike.
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