Nishiki Olympic 49cm (blue), lugged steel frame. Flat bar conversion with Tektro levers. DiaComp center pull brakes. Shimano light action shifting. Chrome rims with Shimano high flange hubs. New tires, tubes, rim strips, cables, cable housings, chain and free wheel. $275.00 – SOLD

57cm frame, largest made and somewhat uncommon. Shimano 3-speed internal gear hub. $275

The fact that Raleigh 3-speeds are made of steel shouldn’t fool you into thinking that these bikes were cheap or inferior in any way…they were not…they were the finest utility bicycles money could buy.

Raleigh 3-speed bicycles were introduced around the turn of the century, and kept improving in technology over the years, reaching a peak in quality probably in the mid-to-late 1950s. They continued to be built in Nottingham until the mid-1970’s, when the glamour of the 10-speed fad pushed them out of favor with the rising baby boom generation.

For many years, in many parts of the world, the Raleigh “Sports” three-speed bicycle was considered the ultimate in human-powered transportation. These bicycles were not toys, and, despite the model name, they were not sporting equipment…they were serious vehicles. The men and women who built them, by and large, also rode them, as their primary means of transportation.

Most modern bicycles are designed with the primary intent to catch your eye on the sales floor, and persuade you to buy. That is not what a Raleigh Sports was about…these were designed to provide solid, dependable transportation for the British public, at a time when only the upper classes had motorcars. These bikes were built to last 100 years, with reasonable care.

Don’t sneer at old 3-speeds. They are serious bikes, built for serious use. They are meant for utilitarian cyclists, and they are still extremely appropriate for riders who don’t usually go more than a few miles at a time. They are particularly at home in stop-and-go traffic, because they can be shifted even while stopped. Their English heritage: full fenders, oil lubrication, and totally enclosed gear system, makes them relatively impervious to wet conditions. They may be heavy. That is not because they were built to be cheap, but because they were built to endure extremely rough usage and neglect. Properly cared for, they will outlast us all. www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh.html

58cm lugged steel frame built with special lightweight 4130 Chrome-Moly double butted top and bottom steel tubes. 700c alloy wheels with quick release skewers. Chrome fork crown and tips, and chrome rear dropouts. Shimano Altus drivetrain. Dia Compe center pull brakes. 450.00 – SOLD

58 cm, Reynolds frame, Shimano Exage cranks and hubs, GB side-pull brake system, Simplex rear derailleur.

$395 – SOLD

In 1947, the twin brothers Roger and Marcel Lejeune, former amateur racing cyclists, set out to manufacture bicycles in Paris. In the 1950s, Lejeune Cycles purchased a small manufacturer J. Beck, of Rue Réaumur in Paris, whose brand was called Sauvage. The bicycles were marketed under the name Sauvage-Lejeune. The head badge of their bicycles depicted a caricature of a “savage” that might have been considered offensive by some and may be the reason that from the late 1960s the bicycles were branded only as Lejeune. In 1974, Lejeune Cycles bought and moved into a larger facility in Paris. They sponsored or co-sponsored professional cycling teams from 1961 through to 1985.

Small aluminum frame road bike with carbon fork. Truvativ compact crank. Shimano Tiagra integrated STI shifters and front derailleur, 105 rear derailleur. Dual pivot side pull brakes. Ritchey seat post and stem. Tuned up and ready to roll. $350 – SOLD

57cm, made in the USA. Shimano RX100 components. Complete tune up and service including new tires, tubes, shift/brake controls, cables and bar tape. $425-SOLD

Royal Windsor Triathlon, 54cm, silver. Aluminum frame with carbon fork, Vuelta XRP Pro wheel set, Gossamer crank with hollow tech bottom bracket, Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur, Tiagra controls and front derailleur, Tektro dual pivot brake calipers, Continental tires. $599 – Sold

Lugged cromoly frame. Cottered chrome crankset, Sunrace derailleurs, Weinmann center pull brakes with dual action levers. Sunshine high flange hubs laced to chrome wheels. This bicycle has been through our complete mechanical restoration process; all bearings (head set, hubs, bottom bracket) have been overhauled and all components have been removed, cleaned, inspected, and adjusted for peak performance. New tires, tubes, rim strips, chain, freewheel, rear derailleur,front derailleur, bar tape, stainless steel cables, and housings. All this and the best warranty in the business, one year parts and lifetime free tune-ups and labor.

$275- SOLD

Lugged steel frame, alloy crankset with built in chain guard ring, Huret drivetrain. Weinmann side pull brakes with dual action levers. This bicycle has been through our complete mechanical restoration process, headset, hubs, bottom bracket have been overhauled, all components have been removed cleaned, inspected, and adjusted. New tires, tubes, rim strips, chain, freewheel, bar tape, stainless steel cables and housings. Our warranty includes one year parts and lifetime free tune-ups and labor.

$375 – SOLD