rcschafer

Picked this up off of the local Craigslist a while back and finally got around to getting it running. Pretty beat up but I liked the look of it. Still needs a bit of work - fork legs needs to be aligned, pedal spindles are bent, tweaking cable routing, installing mudguards, that kind of thing.



I'm having trouble determining a timeframe for the bike - no serial number and the decals don't match any of the listings on the Headbadge nor any picture I can find via Google Images. Has anyone seen this decal style before? I've attached a closeup of the 'Raleigh' decal from the seat tube as well.



Some highlights for me: GB Randonneur bars with Velo-Orange elk hide wrap, ridiculously long Huret shifters and the wraparound seat stays.

nlerner

I haven't seen that style of decal before, but the parts and some of the features seem to scream early-mid 1960s to me (and there's a real gap in the catalog archives from those years).

Gasbag

Here is a link to another , not exactly like yours: Kent?s Old Raleigh Sports | Old Ten Speed Gallery

I agree nlerner on the approximate date.

dweenk

I bought 2 Raleighs from a guy who haunts estate sales in a very affluent area of our non-affluent region. One was a step-thru Sports that looks more like a Superbe (rack, locking fork, etc.). And a Belgian license plate.

The other was a Raleigh Royale ten speed with Huret derailleurs, braze-ons for a chain guard, decal head badge, wing nuts on the wheels, BSA fork, internally routed light wiring, and stainless steel fenders. It also has a Belgian license plate.

I wonder if yours was built for a different market.

rcschafer

Thanks, yeah was looking at that one too. Puzzling that his has a serial number on the BB but mine doesn't. Here's a (supposedly) '68 but again, not quite the same:



If I could find one matching decal scheme I'd be happy!

Gasbag

Look at post #24, you will be happy https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...d-dynohub.html

Also https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...years-ago.html

rcschafer

Ha, it is an exact match! Too bad it's the same bike, I forgot I had posted about this one when I first got it.

The theories are proliferating: '73 model, Canadian market version with older decals, early/mid-60s...

Gasbag

I might as well throw out my own theory, or at least a possibility. American Machine and Foundery, AMF, became involved with the bicycle industry in the early 1950s. They produced bicycles domestically and also imported bicycles, often second and third tier models. AMF, like the OE manufacturers, would partner with department stores to sell bicycles, often badged as a house brand but not always. Sometimes we see AMF imported bikes that are notably different than the ones offered through the OE dealerships. So, the possibility that AMF spec'ed your bike to be sold through a department store is a possibility

I have a 1962 Hercules 10 speed that is a much higher end bike than the average Hercules and it is an AMF bike. I cannot find any information at all about it. This what encourages me to look into figuring out the odd ones such as yours and mine.

T-Mar

FWIW, the Huret Allvit rear derailleur shown on the original set of pictures, was the version manufactured from 1969-1975. The longer version of the shift levers seen on the bicycle was also introduced at the same time. Assuming they were OEM, this period overlaps with that when Raleigh was applying serial numbers at the top, back of the seat tube, so I'd check there if you haven't already done so.

rcschafer

Thanks for the feedback everyone... I think I'll call it "early 60s, maybe 70s mumble mumble" if anyone asks and not worry about it too much otherwise. Took the bike out in direct sunlight yesterday and rotated it all over the place looking for the serial number in all recommended spots but still no dice Found a bearing-size indentation at the very front of the lower headset race that might explain some tweaky steering on the initial ride; I'll get that replaced when I have the fork legs straightened.

[MENTION=20650]T-Mar[/MENTION] the rear der on the bike when I got it was a "Schwinn-Approved" GT-100 (must weigh close to a pound.) I got the current set of shifters from eBay, don't remember what was on it originally but it might have been some cheapo thumbshifters on the cruiser bars.

T-Mar

OK, I was just by the pictures in your previous post on the bicycle.

rcschafer

Yeah that first bike in the post was a different bike (probably where I got the idea to source those particular shifters.) Sorry about the confusion.