raleighroadster

raleighroadster

wahoonc

Or the paint peeled off? Or the bike was made for the export market?

Aaron

JohnDThompson 

It's my understanding that the white panel on Raleigh rear fenders was a WWII visibility aid, at a time when use of lights was severely restricted because of air raids.

Lacking the white panel, the bike may be pre-WWII production. Are there any other clues to when it was built?

BigChief 

Looks like a late 40s Sports Tourist. It would have had the white blaze. It was mandated by British law in 1934. Might be painted over.

wahoonc

1934-1955 was when the law was in force. Raleigh continued to do the white tail for quite a while after that, it became a sort of trademark. It was not always done on export models to some countries.

Aaron

Slowride79

BigChief 

I didn't know that regulation was repealed in 1955. Raleigh kept painting them that way for the US up until the very late 70s. I've always liked them. It's one of those rare instances where government regulation produced something useful and good looking.

T-Mar

Canadian bicycles were also marketed with a white end on the rear mudguard prior to World War II. CCM catalogues show and mention this safety feature as early as 1936. It was law, at least in Ontario, where CCM were manufactured. Racing models which came without mudguards had the seat stays painted white. The white stays were discontinued after the war but white ends on rear mudguards were retained through 1972. When I started cycling seriously in the 1960s, many older cyclists referred to this feature as a "deer's tail" or "doe's tail".

Often, it's easier and less expensive for a company to make all their bicycles to the most strict standard imposed by any of the countries in which they market their product. Multiple standards are confusing for workers and leads to the possibility of non-compliant product being inadvertently shipped. The increased cost of a stricter standard is often offest by increased manufacturing efficiency and simpler logistics. Consequently, even after domestic regulations are relaxed, some manufacturers may maintain stricter requirements to comply with export market legislation.

Road Fan

Judging by the ornamentation on that chaincase (BTW: DO NOT repaint that! it's fantastic!) I would not be surprised if was pre-1935. Take a look at the rear hub markings, to get a good clue.

BigChief 

Here's this bike in the 1948 catalog. This is a really nice bike. Wish I would have found it. It seems likely that the rear mudguard was repainted or replaced. That ugly 70s reflector needs to go!!

BigChief 

I can't make out the trigger shifter in the picture. Looks like it might be a window 3 or 4 speed. The first reference for that shifter was from this ad in December 1949. If that is a window 3 or 4 speed, that would place the bike forward to around 1950. Pretty sure the seat tube transfer with the model name on this bike was changed by 1951 to the model name on the down tube.


the older style

raleighroadster

raleighroadster

raleighroadster

non-fixie 

BigChief 

Ah, that's the transitional shifter before the window shifter. It has the improved internal spring, but no window. I'm confident this bike dates to before 1950. Interesting that the seat tube transfer says Raleigh Sports in the same font as they used in the early 50s instead of Sports Tourist like the full chaincase model in the 1948 catalog. I think we can narrow it down to 1948- 1949. I'm looking forward to hearing what the date stamp on the hub is.

raleighroadster