Dissecting a Raleigh Bicycle Chaincase

My 1952 Raleigh Sport came with the fully enclosed chaincase, as seen in the photo above. It was one of the reasons I wanted the bike. I think it's a really cool look, and it's certainly practical. I do understand why all bikes don't have these. They do make things more difficult when you're dealing with maintenance issues. And they add weight.

I was a bit intimidated by this chaincase. Things I had read on the web led me to believe that these chaincases wildly complicate such everyday jobs as removing the rear wheel. As I read through Sheldon Brown and others, I learned that you would have to remove the pedal and the drive-side crank in order to remove the chaincase.

That is true. But the belief that you have to remove the chaincase to do anything to the bike is wrong, and it's what I inferred from various bike forum comments. Once I cracked into the chaincase myself, I found out that it's really not difficult to deal with. First off, you can remove the wheel quite easily with only minor effort.

Understanding the anatomy of the chaincase is the key, I think. Here's a breakdown of the entire chaincase, as it comes apart into separate pieces:

The part labelled "A - Main Chaincase Body" in the photo is actually bolted onto the bike frame from behind the crank and pedal. So it is true that you have to remove the crank in order to get the chaincase body off. But for most purposes, you never need to take it off. The only reason I did so was to give it a thorough cleaning. Otherwise you could leave it on the bike to remove the wheel, change or maintain the chain, or even remove the pedal and crank for that matter.

To remove the rear wheel, you only need to remove the part called "B - Bottom Piece." It is attached to "A" with two small screws. Only a screwdriver is required to remove it. Once you pull it off, you can easily access the cog, axle nuts and chain area.

Keep in mind that in order to remove the rear wheel, you also must disconnect the gear cable from the end of the axle. But as long as you tighten the small knurled nut on the indicator chain up snug against the gear cable's screw-on when you have the gears properly adjusted, you'll always know just where the screw-on needs to go when you put it back on.

Another tip is to put a wire or something through the chain when you remove the wheel, so that it can't slip out of view. As long as the chain is not unlinked, it won't go far.

I seriously wonder how often the back wheel was removed from my 1952 Sport. I'm guessing only a handful of times. The back tire was not original, and there were patches on the tube. So at some point it had to be accessed. But probably not often.

When I pulled the chain out of mine, it was covered in gunk. But I soaked it in vinegar for a day, then wiped it down with some oily rags. I then used a bit of solvent on it, then cleaned it some more. And it looked like new! So these chaincases really protect that chain, no doubt about it. There is a small oil port at the top of the chaincase, so you drip oil directly on your chain without removing any part of the chaincase.

Restoring and Upgrading the 1961 Raleigh Sport

I had delayed quite a while in doing the restore/rejuvenate/update project to my 23" frame 1961 Raleigh Sport. Once I took the leap of faith and started work, things progressed well and it went fast. Below is a photo of the finished project:

I ordered the cotter pin press and cup removal tool from Mark Stonich of bikesmithdesign.com. I had decided the entire project of overhauling this bike was contingent on being able to get the bottom bracket issues resolved. I am very happy with how easy these tools made the job, and I would recommend them.

The press easily pushed out the old cotter pins, and without any distortion I was able to use them again. The cup removal tool allowed me to remove the drive side cup, so I could thoroughly clean the entire bottom bracket and check the condition and clean both cups.

I was able to get the correct bearings from my LBS. There are eleven .25" loose bearings on each side. The cups cleaned up nicely and everything worked great once reassembled. Therefore I was able to crank the pedals and test the back wheel. The three speed hub went easily from first to second to third. The back wheel was a dirty mess, and I still had to decide what to do with it.

Ultimately I decided to carefully remove the hub from the wheel and lace it into a new rim. This was my first attempt at wheel building. As I built up a list of parts I would need, I researched the spoke length I would need for building this wheel into a new alloy Sun CR-18 rim. Bike forums all seemed to agree that the same size spokes would work as came out of the old wheel. I did, however, decide to use a spoke calculator, and arrived at a different number. I ordered my spokes and rims.

Now this ended up creating a problem when I compared the spokes I removed with the ones I bought. Not the same size. Turns out that I assumed the wheel was built "cross 3" (meaning each spoke crosses over three others). In fact, the original wheel was built "cross 4," so the length was different.

I went ahead and built it Cross 3 and it turned out just fine. Here's a look at the front wheel after it was finished.

So my original goal of preserving the rear hub, which has the date stamp of 1961 in it, worked out. In doing this project I removed every nut and bolt down to its smallest component and cleaned everything, oiled or greased, then reassembled. New bearings were replaced in the front hub, the headset and fork, and the bottom bracket.

Two places I did not tear into were the rear hub and the pedals. I plan to replace the pedals, but I ran into a problem removing them. It took awhile before I was able to find the right size pedal wrench to fit them. As it turns out, the old Raleigh multitools that came with the bikes has the right wrench. My modern Parks pedal wrench did not fit. I have also learned that a 5/8" wrench would fit, but would need to have its face ground down to where it was thin enough to fit in there.

I took the nuts and washers off the rear hub, and removed the 18 tooth gear cog, which was replaced with a 22T to give me a lower first gear for hills and riding in the wind. I then cleaned everything up, but I did not crack into the hub. This is something I plan to do later, because I would like to clean up the pawls and springs and replace the bearings and clean up the cups and cones and get new grease in there. Below is a photo showing how I like to work. I use an old spoke with a loop in the end, then as I disassemble something, I string it onto the spoke in the order it came off. I also take a lot of photos of assemblies so I can go back and refer to them. It's very easy to forget which way a piece was turned, or what order things go.

Toward that goal I found a used 40-hole Sturmey Archer AW hub (the same model) on eBay for $10. I've now practiced taking it all apart and putting it back together, and it's not that difficult. The only thing I'd be a bit concerned about is getting the cones set exactly right.

I also had to replace the original stem.

The chrome had come right off of it, so there was nothing really to clean up. I found one on eBay for $10, and was fortunate that the seller was from my hometown, so I got local pickup and saved shipping charges. Like the original, these stems are only 5.5" long, which may turn out to be too short for me. I may eventually swap out a new longer Nitto stem and perhaps a set of slightly wider handlebars.

Like my previous project, the 1974 Raleigh Tourist DL-1, I used the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser cream tires. I found a used black Prestube rear rack on eBay and added that. It may not be authentic, but it's appropriate to the period, and it hides a few of the dings and dents on the rear fender.

I did not intend to paint the frame. I had hoped I could get a few of the dents out of the fenders, but they are pretty stubborn. I did have to repaint the white part of the rear fender. I also found a replacement rear reflector in great condition, and it really helps distract from noticing that the paint is cleaner than the rest of the fender.

I also replaced the brake cables, and this is always a problem for these older Raleighs. They have a soldered "pear" end, so you have to cut the original cable and create a workaround using a small piece of hardware called a "cable knarp." I'm not very happy with the result. The knarp is not really the right shape for the receiver. The caliper brakes that came on these Raleighs are also very difficult to "center." The springs wear out and they end up with one caliper touching the tire and the other too far away, and no adjusting works. I managed to get the rear brake to work, but I'm not happy about it and have bought a new replacement brake, but haven't installed it yet.

The original seat was missing from this bike when I bought it. To get that classic look I also added a Brooks B67 saddle. The B67 requires a modern seat post, and I bought a two-button micro-adjustable post. This was my plan all along, because it's really important (to me) to be able to get the seat angle adjusted perfectly.

Also missing was the frame pump. Since the brazed bosses were in good shape I bought one that has the traditional look and function. But I have had bad luck using these for the very important function of putting air in the tires! So I moved my Brooks Millbrook saddle bag over to this bike. It has a tiny modern pump in there. So the frame pump is for appearance only.

I also added the Velo Orange leather mudflap to the front fender. It's handy for hiding a bit of damage there, and looks good, I think. Then there are the shellacked cork grips, which match the leather saddle and mudflap nicely.

Since this is a bike that I bought with the intention of fixing up to ride myself, I was not concerned about costs. But they can add up in a hurry! When you consider the cost of new rims, spokes, tires, tubes, rim strips alone, you're getting in pretty deep just doing the wheels. Then there's the cost of the Brooks saddle. I can't complain about anything else really. Those were the biggest costs. And I don't include buying tools, because I will use them on other bikes. 

I'm sure I'll continue to tweak and add new touches to the bike. I think a set of rattrap pedals with steel toe clips and leather straps would look really good, and enhance how it rides. I generally ride bikes with clipless pedals, and enjoy the added efficiency they offer, but I want to be comfortable riding this bike in street clothes.

This was a great project, and I learned a lot doing it.

Big Plans for 1961 Raleigh Sport

In a previous posting, I talked about my fear of starting on bike repairs and projects. I see now that my post was written three months ago. And I haven't really done anything since then, other than planning in my mind.

I had a good excuse and a lousy excuse: I didn't have much work, so I had a lot of free time during nice weather, so I rode more. But I also had free time on rainy days, and I see I didn't get down to the workshop on those days either.

Now I'm busy with work again, and keep thinking about working on bikes. It's an endless cycle with me. Pun intended.

I missed a pretty good opportunity. A set of his and hers Raleigh Sports on Craigslist at a really cheap price, and I made arrangements to see them, but they were sold before I could get there. I was a bit relieved to not bring more bikes into the house, but disappointed because those bikes had some parts that I could use or learn on.

It's back to the same problem: I'd rather not fix the bike I have because I'm fearful of not knowing what I'm doing. I'd rather have a spare that I can use to learn on. I don't think that fear is entirely unjustified when we're talking about overhauling a Sturmey-Archer AW3 three-speed hub.

* * *

As I consider tackling the rebuilding of the 1961 Raleigh Sport I have several problems with the bike that I am trying to solve. First, the stem and handlebars are seriously rusted. So I need to replace them. I'm not a purist, and I'm not going to sand these down and have them re-chromed. This is why it would have been nice to get a couple of cheap bikes. I could probably have used the stem and bars off one of the other bikes just fine. I don't need flawless, but I want them to look pretty good.

Second, I want to replace both wheels. I'm going with something like the Sun alloys. As it so happens, these wheels are available already built by Harris Cyclery. The rear wheel comes with a new Sturmey-Archer hub in it.

Now this is a tough decision for me. I'm not saving a national landmark, it's an old Raleigh three-speed bike and there are millions of them. But it would be great to use the existing hub if there's nothing wrong with it primarily because it dates the bike. The hub is stamped with the date of manufacture.

Secondly, I have been considering that removing the hub and putting it into a new rim would be a great opportunity for me to learn to build a wheel. There's really no pressure here. I have plenty of bikes to ride, so it's not like I have to do it on a timeline.

But before I would think about pulling the old hub and building it into a new wheel, I'd need to verify that the hub was in good shape. That presents yet another challenge: I will need to tackle overhauling that hub, making sure it is in good working condition and well lubricated.

Thus, another reason for wanting "extra" bikes around: a laboratory and spare parts for learning to strip down the Sturmey-Archer AW3 hub.

* * *

I'm also going to need to get into the bottom bracket and service it. When I test it on the bike stand, the drive train has some sort of problem. This will be another good project for me, since it involves learning how to remove the cotter pin and get into that axle assembly. I am hopeful that it will go well, as I really want the traditional crank with the Raleigh Heron pattern to stay on the bike if at all possible. Again, I could probably have used that extra bike for the parts!

Then there are the fenders. Lots of little bumps and dents. I had thought that it would be quicker to just take these newer fenders and paint them rather than try to hammer out the 1961 fenders.

Some time back I bought a good condition Prestube Minor rack. I believe that would have been period correct, and it will look good on the bike. It also may help hide some of the fender blemishes!

* * *

Let's just assume that I succeed with all that. All that's left is ordering a headlight and a new Brooks sprung saddle and a modern seat post. I use Brooks saddles for my bikes and find that I need a micro-adjusting seat post in order to tune in the proper tilt and position.

Cork Grips and Shellac

[caption id="attachment_71" align="aligncenter" width="558" caption="Raleigh DL-1 with shellacked cork grips"][/caption]

This past week I decided to follow the trend I’ve seen on some vintage bike blogs, notably on Velo Orange and on Lovely Bike, of shellacking my cork grips. Really, nothing to it. Just pulled the grips off the bike before they had a chance to get dirty and grimy, and put a couple of coats of amber shellac on them, letting each coat dry for around 30 minutes to an hour between coats.

If there was anything the least bit challenging about doing this, it was finding a can of amber shellac. I’d paid a grand total of $6.00 for the grips. When I finally found the shellac, I paid almost $14 for a one-quart can at Menard’s. I have enough shellac now to last the rest of my life.

It’s a great look, I think, and I took a 15 mile ride on Sunday to try things out. I didn’t notice any real difference in the texture or comfort of the grips as a result of the shellac, so that’s a good thing.

Now I’m looking at pictures of bikes with burlap twine that’s been wound around various parts of the bike and then shellacked. Perhaps because I have this huge can of shellac hanging around, I’m pretty tempted to use it up. We’ll see if I go completely bonkers. In the case of bicycle adornments, sometimes less is more.

I will say that the natural next step is going to be adding a Brooks B-67 honey colored saddle.

The B-66 is the usual choice. It was one of the two usual choices for Raleigh bikes of this era. It fits on a straight seat post. But it lacks adjustability. And that’s something I think is really necessary with most Brooks saddles. At least for me, the Brooks saddle is the most comfortable thing around, but only if you can get it set up at exactly the correct tilt. I prefer a two-bolt seat post, so I’ve got one on order. I’ll make sure that it fits okay, then order a B-67, which fits on modern style seat posts.



Once that’s done, about the only other thing I am considering is to find, or build, some kind of saddle bag support. As seen in this photo, my saddle bag is almost hanging down to the rear mud guard (or fender), and the leather straps are starting to strain a bit.

1960s Murray slimline tank bike

One of my recent projects was the "rejuvenation" of a circa 1962 Murray slimline tank bike. This is what is known as a "middleweight" bike, popularized during the late 1950s and through the 1960s (and a bit beyond). It has narrower tires (26" x 1.75") than the older balloon tire coaster brake bikes. And the "tank" feature below the top bar is narrower than in the previous decades, more slimline.

I found this in a trash pile about 15 years ago and couldn't resist. Tough to guess the model with no markings remaining, but it could be either a Jet Star, a Sonic Flite, a Meteor Flite...lots of similar models with different names.

This is a new hobby to me, in most respects. As a kid I learned to work on my own bikes, and I was comfortable doing so. Later in life, I started riding coaster brake bikes, and learned how to work on them pretty well. But as an older adult, I was intimidated by the idea of working on my bikes of the "new" generation. I still don't know as much as I'd like about overhauling and working on my road bike or my hybrid.

But working on older bikes has gained my interest. I'm becoming one of those people who enjoys the tinkering on a bike as an enjoyment in itself. It's not just the final project, it's the fun of getting all the parts off of it, getting them cleaned up, cleaning off the dirt and rust, repacking bearings that I like. Once I get to the end of the project, there's a bit of a letdown. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with all these bikes.

So, back to the Murray: I didn't "restore" it with authentic old parts, but chose to mix and match some new parts in order to keep it looking appropriate, but very rideable. I think I'm more influenced by the "rat rod" bike people than the vintage bike restoration people. I like to take an old heap and get it rideable again, regardless of what it takes to get there.

It was a tough decision on whether to repaint or not, but I ended up loving the faded patina of the old paint. Lots of bare spots, lots of fading, but a cool old bike. I haven't done a (proper) spray painting of a bike yet, so that's still a lesson to come.

One of the issues I'm facing in fixing up these old bikes is that I'd like to save money by not buying new or replacement parts. I'd prefer to make due with what I have around. But I don't have that many bikes or old parts that I can often find anything. So I end up buying new parts, and that gets expensive.

The fenders were really banged up. But I thought I'd be able to get them to look pretty good. Get the worst of the dents out, and just let it look rough but useful. Unfortunately the paint was about gone, the dents were worst than I thought, and I wasn't planning a repaint. And new fenders are pretty cheap. So I abandoned the idea of using the original fenders.



Now the original Murray would have had a plastic headlight assembly that mounts to the front of the tank, sticking out past the head tube. This bike was missing that, and replacements are rare and expensive.

In addition to stripping off every nut and bolt, I replaced the head bearings, including cups and cones. I found the bottom bracket in reasonably good condition, so I just repacked the bearings in fresh grease. The spokes were completely trashed on the front wheel, and the cost of a new wheel was less than the replacement spokes.

Ultimately, I ended up replacing the fenders, the front wheel, the tires, tubes, rim strips, the handlebars, the pedals, the grips, the seat post and the seat. The seat was an old one that I already had, but it uses a different type of seat post, so I had to change it out.

And all of that adds up to quite a bit. Most of these parts can be purchased online from large online bicycle supplies companies, but you have to factor in shipping costs on everything you buy. A $5 part might cost another $5 to ship. So I try to save up until I have a number of items to buy at one time. Then I try to buy as much as possible from one vendor to save on shipping.

When I read on the various bike restoration web forums, I have to imagine that most of these hobbyists are building these old bikes for fun and to have something to do. There's no way most of these projects can ever be sold for enough to cover the expenses alone.

Here's how things ended up. I've wanted a nice looking 1960s coaster brake bike with tank for a long time, so I'm glad I finally got this project out of the weeds and into the basement.

Upgrading the DL-1 brake pads

On my first test ride of the DL-1 I quickly saw that the rod brakes were going to have to be kept pretty carefully adjusted, or look into some alternate ideas. There was no stopping power during that test ride, and when I coasted into the driveway I was applying my Fred Flintstone brakes -- dragging my feet to stop!

I experimented over the first few weeks. I sanded the brake pads a bit to get the hardened rubber out of the way. I moved the pads a bit closer to the rim. Still, I found myself slowing to a crawl whenever the bike trail crossed a street, in case I needed to make some drastic move.

I then learned about Kool Stops salmon brake pads designed as replacements for rod brake bikes. The price, at $30.00, seemed pretty high, but I'm pleased to say that I've reached a point where I can stop the bike pretty reliably. The toughest job was getting the old brake pads out of their holders. The new ones slid in pretty easily, and I just used a pair of pliers to cinch them in.

I've also gotten more adept at positioning the brakes close enough to the rim that you can get good leverage and more stopping power. One trick that seems to be working for me is to leave the rod adjustment nut loose, get the brakes where I want them, then slightly pull up on the entire brake just a tiny bit before tightening the nut. This seems to keep the brake levers in the tightest position, so that you don't encounter a lot of slack when you begin applying the brake.

I haven't ridden the bike in the rain, or in wet conditions since changing the brake pads, and I probably won't, unless accidental. Regardless of what you do to get the brakes finely tuned, I think that moisture on the rim will always be a problem when braking.

Small Adjustments to the DL-1 and Adding New Schwalbe Delta Cruiser Cremes

After I got my DL-1 I was happy to find that it was in really good shape. It had been well taken care of. I don't know if there was a long-time owner of it who rode it and maintained it regularly, or whether it was simply stored in a good place for many years. Or perhaps it was carefully cleaned and fixed up prior to it being sold to me.

There were a few things that I needed to do to make it into a rideable bike for me, and two of those things can tell you a lot about a bike's condition.

First, I needed to raise and adjust the saddle, and second, I needed to raise the handlebars. An old bike that has been abused or left out in the weather will usually give you problems with both of these things. Seat posts and stems are, in my experience, the two things that get corroded and tend to seize up on a bike. Sometimes there is almost nothing you can do to resolve this problem. But I was able to raise the saddle easily, and I did this to test ride it, so I knew it was good before I bought the bike.

I was less sure about moving the handlebars. For one thing, this bike has rod brakes, and without any experience with these, I wasn't sure what I was going to get into when I tried to adjust them.

To raise the handlebars on an English Roadster you need to loosen the nuts that connect the rods from the handlebars to the brakes. That's a pretty simple matter, assuming the nuts are not corroded, stripped or rounded off. Mine were fine. I find that a 9mm wrench fits them, though I am pretty sure that they are really a Whitworth standard measurement, and I don't have Whitworth wrenches.

The next step in raising the handlebars is to loosen the stem bolt a bit, at least a quarter-inch or so, then tap it with a hammer (I use a wooden block between the bolt and hammer to prevent marring the surface). This allows the expander wedge to drop down, but still stay connected to the stem bolt. Doing this frees the stem, and allows the handlebars to be moved up. I raised mine as far as I could until I found that the connection for the rod brakes became unstable. I'd really like the bars a little higher still, but any higher and I find that the rods wobble a bit.
I already had a Millbrook saddle bag from another bike, but I knew that it was going to get moved over to the DL-1, and I like how it looks, and I appreciate having a good amount of space for carrying things. This bike is a bit finicky, so I like to have an assortment of tools and repair items with me when I ride it. I've had to make quite a few adjustments while on a ride.

I had hoped that the tires that were on the bike would work out, but knowing the brand to be the very cheapest tires you can buy, I was not optimistic. My suspicions were borne out a few weeks ago when I had my first flat tire while on the trail. It was going to be a long walk no matter what I did, but I was hopeful that I could fix the tire on the spot. The flat was on my back wheel, and knowing the difficulty of removing the wheel, I had already decided to use a patch and try to maneuver the tube out of the tire without removing the wheel from the bike.
Surprisingly, that part of the process went quite well. And I was able to find the hole in the tube rather easily. But what I had not tested at home (and there's certainly a lesson to be learned here) was the authentic, vintage aluminum frame pump which I have on the bike. I had played with it enough to know that it could push air, but I had not actually tested it on a tire. It was a total failure for me.

I was lucky enough that my brother lived close by and came with his pickup and rescued me.

I decided then and there that I wanted to change the tires and tubes to something new. I had been noticing a lot of people with vintage bikes using the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser creme colored tires, and they seem to be well respected. So I made the switch, and I love the new look of the bike. It does make me think about how good a new fully-sprung, honey colored Brooks saddle would look (the one on the bike is the original B-72).

My 1974 Raleigh Tourist DL-1

I went through a busy time without posting any new stories. It's easy to do. You let a week go by, then another.

I was riding quite a bit, as much as you can in the St. Louis area during winter. I had a better January than February. And now, with snow on the ground and more coming, my rides have ground to a halt.

This year I've finally had some time to put into an old interest, vintage bikes. I decided I would just jump in and try to do a "build" on an old tank style bike from the 60s. And as that got going, I got interested again in old Raleigh bikes. I had posted a picture a year or so ago of a Raleigh Tourist DL-1 that I liked the looks of. As I began learning more about Raleigh three-speed bikes, I learned that there were various models over the years, and I learned more about their differences.

It was the DL-1 that totally won me over. So I watched Craigslist and eventually one came up for sale from a private collector in St. Charles. I jumped at the chance and bought the bike before I even really understood that much about it. I had been reading about them, but had never even seen another bike with rod-operated brakes.

So the past two months I've been learning first-hand about this bike. Mine doesn't have a name yet, but I'm searching for one. I want a man's first name that is both iconic and readily identifiable as British. I've learned how to adjust the rod brakes, how to change and replace the tires, raise the handlebars, adjust the Sturmey Archer internal gears and much more. Just learning to take off the back wheel was a big project the first time.

Doing many maintenance and upgrades will require removing the rear wheel. I found the gearing a bit too hard for my riding style, so I decided to swap the 18 tooth rear cog for a 22 tooth. To do so requires the following:

1. remove brake pads from rear brakes


2. remove gear indicator spindle


3. loosen and remove indicator nut and axle nuts


4. remove fender (mudguard) stays from axle


5. remove chain tensioners


6. remove chain from cog


7. remove rear wheel


8. remove washer from right side of axle


9. remove circlip


10. remove old cog and replace with new 22 tooth cog

Now, reverse the entire procedure. However, the larger cog means that the chain will no longer fit, so I needed to add two links to the chain. Centering the wheel takes some time, and adjusting the position of the wheel in the dropouts requires some care. Once in position, tighten the chain tensioners to hold it in position, then replace hardware and tighten the axle nuts.

Also, after putting the brake pads back in, it's necessary to adjust the position of the brake pads to the rim with care, loosening the adjustment bolts and moving things by hand, then retightening. Finally, having removed the internal gear hub indicator spindle, replace it and then adjust the tension of the cable by loosening the small knurled locknut, adjusting the cable tension, then tightening the locknut to keep the cable in its place.

I also discovered that Raleigh bikes of this era (and earlier) have different, and sometimes proprietary, bolt and nut sizes. I had a stripped backstay bolt -- it's a bolt that goes through my chain guard, then holds the rear triangle frame together. A small bolt goes through here and tightens into a threaded bushing. As it turns out, this was fairly difficult to replace. The bolt was a 1/4" diameter with a 26 TPI thread, which is an older British cycling standard. I found a bolt that would work through www.britishfasteners.com for a small price. They require a minimum $5.00 order, so I bought several sizes and multiples to get to that minimum. The bolt worked fine, though a bit longer than the original.