This lovely machine came to me through eBay, but not in the usual way you expect. It first appeared on eBay around December of 2004, and I so happened to find the ad while searching one day. While I had always dreamed of owning a Raleigh DL-1, I had never even thought of such a machine as this lovely, all-original Rudge Maroon roadster, let alone a machine with every traditional feature in the book: A full chaincase, locking fork, Brooks B-73 triple-spring saddle, Dynoluxe lighting system and 3-speed Sturmey-Archer Type-AG "Dynothree" hub. Needless to say, I immidiately fell in love with the bike.
I purchased this bike from the seller a half year after he initially posted it on eBay, around May of '05. His initial $600 reserve price on his December auction was never met, nor was his $450 Buy It Now price met on his January auction. As the bike was never posted on eBay afterwards, I called him up a half year later...and the Rudge was mine for $100.
The bike had been kept in storage during that half year, and somewhere along the line, the front fork was bent in (possibly by a vehicle backing into it), and the saddlebag had been stolen.
An hour and a half's sweaty work in the outdoor backshop of the local bike shop was sufficient to return the fork back to its former glory. I specifically took extra pains to get the fork perfectly straight, which was well worth the effort, as the bicycle can be ridden hands off with ease. A few other minor things were still to be addressed at this point (and the Dynolux system has yet to operate properly), but progress has been excellent.
Repairs and work of note that have been addressed so far include: Re-mounting of the rear fender, replacing the right hand cotterpin, rod brake adjustment, addition of a Sturmey-Archer rear reflector, and a complete wax and polish.
The B73 saddle was very poorly maintained throughout the life of this bike, and the top layer of leather has cracked some. I have yet to decide whether conditioning the saddle with neatsfoot would benifit it or not.
The Rudge now appears as you see it here, all waxed and polished. I hope to add stainless spokes to it sometime in the near future, as it is most deserving of them.
On a historical note:
I'm sure that by now I've got a few Raleigh enthuthiasts scratching their heads, wondering where in blue blazes was the Rudge name being marketed after 1972. The secret was easily revealed by a decal (apparently a decal from factory) just below the Rudge-Whitworth logo on the rear fender, reading "Curacao Trading Corp CTC C. por A."
Obviously, these Rudge DL-1s were manufactured by the Raleigh Nottingham plant for export to Curacao, yet, the question as to how this particular example ended up in South Florida remains a mystery. I have not been able to trace or find any information of any other examples existing, or any information regarding the sale of these bikes.
I'm particularly interested these particular late '70s Rudge export DL-1s, and would appriciate it if anyone with information regarding them, or knowledge of any other examples existing. I can be contaced via the Email Form here on the site.
Photos:
