WHO likes Raleighs
- Thread starter KZ1000
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Oldy57, you have some beautiful bikes. I bet you turned some heads riding that on a tour. My 71 Sports gets a lot of attention. I rode it on a trail at river grade 2 weeks ago for an 18 mile round trip that really wore me out. You forgot to add "Really" in front of Heavy. Still a fun ride though. I would love to find an older one like yours.
Four bikes for free? I like that price, good find! I'd be inclined to convert the roller lever brakes over to period Sturmey Archer Drum brake hubs on the ladies loop frame though - The original Styrup brakes are useless if you need to drop anchor in a hurry...
It's a surprise to me that Raleigh shipped bikes out to the USA to be honest, especially the roadsters which are more designed for British torrential rain.
I only own two Raleigh bikes - depending on how you look at it; They manufactured under a slew of different brand names. The first is a scruffy '78 Chopper that I should probably get rid of, the other a near immaculate top of the range '62 Superbe with a 4spd dynohub, stainless steel westrick rims, steering lock, full chaincase & Dyno-luxe battery tube. I keep it dismantled & in storage as it's way to tall for me; I'd originally planned to use it as a parts donor for a smaller frame but decided that it was to good to break.
@ Oldy57
Your pair of Rudges are lovely. I had a 28" wheeled one of the same type which I sold on. Rudge chaincases are a pig when you get a rear puncture though!
It's a surprise to me that Raleigh shipped bikes out to the USA to be honest, especially the roadsters which are more designed for British torrential rain.
I only own two Raleigh bikes - depending on how you look at it; They manufactured under a slew of different brand names. The first is a scruffy '78 Chopper that I should probably get rid of, the other a near immaculate top of the range '62 Superbe with a 4spd dynohub, stainless steel westrick rims, steering lock, full chaincase & Dyno-luxe battery tube. I keep it dismantled & in storage as it's way to tall for me; I'd originally planned to use it as a parts donor for a smaller frame but decided that it was to good to break.
@ Oldy57
Your pair of Rudges are lovely. I had a 28" wheeled one of the same type which I sold on. Rudge chaincases are a pig when you get a rear puncture though!
Sorry for double posting, but I forgot to take a guess at the age of these bikes.
I'm 99% sure that the two ladies models are pre-WW2. The curve & mid-point lug on the 'upper' downtube (?) is very much in a 20's - 30's style, as is the humongous length of the head tube. Also they look to be 28" wheeled models - not at all common for women's push bikes after world war two (I assume the wheel size from the off-round tubing used on the rear triangle & straight dropouts, which is the same set up as the gent's 28" wheelers that I've had). They are likely to have had full enclosure chaincases when new.
The Gent's bikes look to be from the late 60's - mid seventies judging from the chainguard, brakes & graphics.
These are just my guesstimates based on bikes I've had; I'd be a bare faced liar if I cited myself as some sort of expert.
Hope this is of some help, & please let me know if I'm wrong about the ladies models being 28's!
I'm 99% sure that the two ladies models are pre-WW2. The curve & mid-point lug on the 'upper' downtube (?) is very much in a 20's - 30's style, as is the humongous length of the head tube. Also they look to be 28" wheeled models - not at all common for women's push bikes after world war two (I assume the wheel size from the off-round tubing used on the rear triangle & straight dropouts, which is the same set up as the gent's 28" wheelers that I've had). They are likely to have had full enclosure chaincases when new.
The Gent's bikes look to be from the late 60's - mid seventies judging from the chainguard, brakes & graphics.
These are just my guesstimates based on bikes I've had; I'd be a bare faced liar if I cited myself as some sort of expert.
Hope this is of some help, & please let me know if I'm wrong about the ladies models being 28's!
Thank you for the info, The girls Raleigh with the tan seat is 28", the other is 26" I looked up the #'s on the Raleigh serial # chart and it is telling me 1958 & 1961 The #'s are AF - 41097 and AD - 61298, they sure appear to be much older. Thanks also for the info on Raleigh Choppers, Mine was like none of them, I now believe it had the same size front and back tires, not chopper style. I had it in 1975
Cripes man, I was way off the mark there - I'm glad I put the disclaimer in that post now. They really do look an awful lot older than the frame numbers say they are though...
As for identifying the bike from your formative years, If I may take one last attempt: Is it a Raleigh Rodeo? These little fellows where kids bikes that had the same sized wheels front & rear, as well as a big old daft looking gear lever on the top tube. I'm afraid I'm out of ideas if it isn't one of these!
Picture copied from Musclebikes & musclecars website
Either way, it's not quite as pleasingly offensive on the eyes as the Chopper (in my personal view). If designing a bike to be outlandish & silly, you may as well go all out with it!
As for identifying the bike from your formative years, If I may take one last attempt: Is it a Raleigh Rodeo? These little fellows where kids bikes that had the same sized wheels front & rear, as well as a big old daft looking gear lever on the top tube. I'm afraid I'm out of ideas if it isn't one of these!
Picture copied from Musclebikes & musclecars website
Either way, it's not quite as pleasingly offensive on the eyes as the Chopper (in my personal view). If designing a bike to be outlandish & silly, you may as well go all out with it!
