Identification help

[Christo]

    Howdy folks!

Was hoping you all can help me out. I am going to send bicycle parts and tools to help people in Malawi. Was sent this image and told this type of bike is the "work horse" of transportation. From what I can tell they seem to be 1 speed with narrow tires, maybe 26 inch? Obviously pedals might be good too.

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Tanx!

X

[Criminal]

(06-19-2022, 10:48 AM)Christo Wrote:  Howdy folks!

Was hoping you all can help me out. I am going to send bicycle parts and tools to help people in Malawi. Was sent this image and told this type of bike is the "work horse" of transportation. From what I can tell they seem to be 1 speed with narrow tires, maybe 26 inch? Obviously pedals might be good too.

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Tanx!

X

It looks to be a Raleigh roadster. Those types of bikes were made for about 50 years (circa 1930s-1980s). There are loads of parts for these bikes available due to the massive production volume over many decades. Parts from Raleighs and companies (Hercules, Royal Scot, Triumph, Dunelt, Humber, Robin Hood, Rudge, etc.) bought up by them will fit those bikes. Many are rod/roller brake design and others are caliper brake design. Most have Sturmey-Archer 3 speed internally geared hubs.
Parts and complete bikes are readily available in the UK and former British territories (e.g. India); often times these bikes are left by the roadside for removal. The US still has loads of these bikes (I find complete rideable examples for $25-$76 regularly), but often folks think that because it is an "old" English bike it must be worth $100s of dollars and you will find many overpriced old steel beaters attempting to be sold for $200+.
You should be able to find the parts you need locally or online. Standard English threaded (9/16" x 20 t.p.i.) pedals can be used. Understand that left side pedals have reverse threads so properly check to make sure you have a set of pedals and not a bunch of right side only pedals; left side pedals are more commonly damaged, as are left side cranks, due to bad threads from improper installation and/or removal.
Tires/rims: 26" x 1 3/8", ISO 590, 650A tires are common enough to find as are the steel rims.
Again, if you can find English 3 speed salvage bikes it would be your best bet for getting parts free or cheap.

[Jesper]

@Christo I agree with the previous comment. The bike pictured had rod brakes fitted at one time and the rims appear to be for that style brake also. You cannot use those rims (rod brake style) as a substitute for a bike which has caliper brakes whose pads contact the side of the rim as opposed to the inner brake track for rod brake bikes. The same applies if trying to use caliper brake rims on a rod brake bike.
I can't see if that bike has any braking system (rear coaster brake?) still installed. The bike may have been modified as a fixed single speed hub providing a means of slowing, but that bike more than likely had a 3 speed rear hub as original equipment.
One of the most common bikes worldwide!