TRIUMPH
1965 STANDARD
This beauty was a classic barn-find restoration, having been sourced from a house clearance. As you can see from the photos, it was in quite a state...
It took quite a bit of research to establish the history of this bike, mainly because the Triumph brand was taken on by Raleigh in the mid-1950s. We were able to accurately date the bike to 1965 thanks to its Sturmy Archer hub, but unfortunately couldn't locate a brochure or anything to help determine the actual model. It transpires that Raleigh-owned bicycles which didn't have the Heron crest didn't earn much in the way of publicity and marketing...in short, this was a below-average bike in its day. We saw it potential though, so got to work on it...
We stripped the bike of all components and were delighted to see that the paintwork was largely intact all but for some patina and minor surface rust. Unlike our Peugeot restoration, we felt it would be right to preserve its years of service by way of thoroughly cleaning and polishing the metal, sealing it with a carnauba wax.
The wheels were also intact, so we carefully removed surface rust and shod them with gorgeous whitewall tyres. Being age-specific, the tyres would have been all black at the time, but we felt the whitewalls would enhance the overall look.
New gear and brake cables further helped freshen up the look, and then we devoted several hours to cleaning and polishing all chrome parts..
To finish it off, tan leather handlebars were added along with a similarly-coloured saddle.
And, the bike was complete. Around 15 hours to restore, but it was a straightforward and thoroughly enjoyable process...mostly spent outside in the sun!
RESTORATION PROJECT:
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