New Raleigh Rapide

We'll always have a special fondness for Raleighs. Even this recent find, still has that certain English charm that makes Raleighs unique. Just like the yellow "Sprite 27", we plan to keep this bike original.

Stripped!

Our yellow Schwinn Varsity has been bathed in chemicals and massaged with sandpaper to bring out it's original metal center.





It's fun to see a frame stripped down to it's raw form, as you find small little treasures that the paint kept secret, such as measurement guides and different codes/serial numbers.





Up next is the primer!

Our Latest Enterprise? A Schwinn Varsity!

While out and about on a day of treasure hunting, we found ourselves lost and in the middle of nowhere. Just as we were about to give up and pull over to ask for directions back to civilization, we found ourselves a sweet oasis in the middle of the desert. We had luckily stumbled upon a dilapidated thrift store with an entourage of vintage bikes on display in its front yard. We picked out a clear winner as you can see for yourselves.

Raleigh "Sprite 27" 5-speed Restoration

When we found this bike, the chrome was rusted, the paint was dirty, the derailer was a ball of crust, and the rear fender was half rusted and caved in. But it still had the original Brooks vinyl saddle and a mostly beautiful paint job with good label quality. With some work, we were able to get the chrome back to it's shining ways, reshaped the rear fender and painted it to match, replaced the tires, and overhauled the inside so that it rode like new. On top of that, we added a few accessories to help add some character. This Raleigh was looking so good in the end, that we almost kept it for ourselves.

Sold for $300

Schwinn Speedster 3-Speed

This project was a basic bicycle flip. When we found this Schwinn, it had lots of rust spots on the chrome as well as thick dirt and grime within the hubs, gears, etc. But all the muck couldn't hide the jewel in the rough, which was the "Schwinn Approved" 2 tone bell. After a few hours of cleaning, the Schwinn was looking good as new.

Here are some before and after pictures:














Sold for $75.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Cycle Spa blog!  This is where we will post about the progress of our various bike projects.  Everything from basic clean ups to full restoration and customization.  Enjoy!