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The Meteor bicycle Made in England ?

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Old 09-07-18, 01:57 PM
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moffat
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The Meteor bicycle Made in England ? Updated with pics











Hello. Other than saving this from the trash I don't know anything about it. It says Meteor Made in England and on the downtube Guaranteed Genuine English Lightweight The Meteor. Seems to have lots of accessories. Curious about what it may be worth. I'm in the Boulder Colorado area if that matters. Thanks

Last edited by moffat; 09-09-18 at 06:33 PM. Reason: Adding pictures title
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Old 09-07-18, 02:22 PM
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It won't let me post pictures.
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Old 09-07-18, 02:28 PM
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-----

The system requires new members to make ten posts before they are allowed to post images or URL's.

One workaround is to upload images to a host site and then post the URL here in slighltly munged form to get past the censor.

Readers unable to give information on your bike without images.


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Old 09-09-18, 06:00 PM
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moffat
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Originally Posted by juvela
-----

The system requires new members to make ten posts before they are allowed to post images or URL's.

One workaround is to upload images to a host site and then post the URL here in slighltly munged form to get past the censor.

Readers unable to give information on your bike without images.


-----
Thanks! I think I've gotten it updated
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Old 09-10-18, 05:14 PM
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Now updated with pictures
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Old 09-10-18, 07:06 PM
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Depends on your location. Looks like a relabeled Raleigh. I see a fair amount of rust. Very, very, location specific. Around here, $50.
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Old 09-10-18, 07:31 PM
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Hello again moffat,

Good to see you were able to get the photos squared away.

Yes, the bicycle certainly looks to date from the 1950's.

If you would like to learn a specific year there will be a date visible on the barrel of the rear hub in the form of a two digit number.

Most it might bring as it sits is about forty dollars.

There were also quality machines produced under this nameplate at this epoch.

Researching the name can be confusing as there were unrelated Meteor bicycles from manufacturers in the U.S. and other nations.

France and Germany produced unrelated bicycles with the Meteore nameplate.

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Old 09-10-18, 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by wrk101
Depends on your location. Looks like a relabeled Raleigh. I see a fair amount of rust. Very, very, location specific. Around here, $50.
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Meteor was one of the many independent British badges swallowed up by Raleigh.

Have never known a specific date for the acquisition; doubtless others will post about it.

The Rover Co. produced cycles under the Meteor name in the early years of the last century.

Here are some images of a mid-1960's Carlton Franco Suisse badged as Meteor. It belongs to a collector friend.









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Old 09-11-18, 01:27 PM
  #9  
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The shifter looks to be one used from around 1960 to 1966.
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Old 09-12-18, 03:18 PM
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METEOR - WEST COAST CYCLE SUPPLY Co. (c. 1961-63)

Since Raleigh Industries of America already had a west coast distributor, shops outside its dealer network were now cut-off from buying Carltons through WCCSC. It was one of the few regions in the country where the demand and number of dealers overtaxed the existing arrangement so in a perfect example of TI "branding", a solution was quickly found. One of TI's long dormant marques was the Meteor brand, originally made by Starley & Sutton of Coventry and dating to the late 1880s. It was arranged for WCCSC to import Carltons badged as Meteors, but otherwise identical to the stock machines sold as Carltons. As with Raleigh initially, the model used would be the Franco-Suisse and it was decalled as such and sold as a complete machine with Campagnolo components.
...if I had to guess, my guess would be this is a Raleigh built 3 speed that was imported on the West Coast during this WCCSC time period. So sometime in the early-mid 60's.
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Old 09-12-18, 04:40 PM
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Shifter, brake cable ends (and corresponding brakes), and downtube shift cable routing would suggest mid-late 60s, wouldn't it?

Looks a lot like a re-branded Raleigh Sports. Sheet metal looks decent -- devoid of those little rust pits that make lots of the Sports bike fenders look like they've been peppered with bird shotand seemingly free of dents and twists, if not paint flaws. Looks like $30 - $50 unless someone needs a Metor branded TI bike.

Almost forgot--looks like the saddle could use some work.

Forgot too: it's the larger frame which makes it a bit more rare and perhaps more desireable
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Old 09-12-18, 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
...if I had to guess, my guess would be this is a Raleigh built 3 speed that was imported on the West Coast during this WCCSC time period. So sometime in the early-mid 60's.

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Old 09-12-18, 08:52 PM
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The lightweight decal the seat tube dates it late 50's to mid 60's which would make it a early BBC/Raleigh bike . Fairly nice frame for a 3 speed with fairly good paint for age but pretty rough shape and not a huge market worth $75 or so if everything works.
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Old 04-10-20, 03:46 PM
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The headbadge comes from of Rigby Bicycles from Manchester UK. Think it was 2 brothers ex servicemen that started the company. They had a line called Master Meteor, their parts were more Brampton/Hercules ie stem, pedals etc. Hubs/gearing Sturmey.

As someone has stated, probably eaten up by Pac Man Raleigh in the 60's, the parts on this look all Raleigh. There is a smidgeon of info on this company if you googlr Manchester UK & Rigby bicycles.

Nice desirable 23" frame, hope you fixed her up.
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Old 04-10-20, 06:24 PM
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images posted in message #8 above disappeared as host has folded tent

this is a machine belonging to a collector friend -






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Old 04-16-20, 07:36 PM
  #16  
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Love the vintage palette
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Old 07-21-21, 05:03 PM
  #17  
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I just got this Royce Union badged Rigby Bros bike. Rear hub has date of 57 . It's in pretty bad shape but i like that it may be the only one around so I want to restore it.

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Old 07-21-21, 06:54 PM
  #18  
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Hello mitchito -

suggestion -

even though Rigby Bros. mentioned earlier in this thread you would get more response about your bicycle if you began a new thread on it over in the regular C&V forum

advert of 1936 -



mention of Rigby Bros. in relation to British cycling champion and framebuilder J.E. Sibbit -

https://www.classiclightweights.co.u...rs/sibbit-j-e/

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Last edited by juvela; 07-21-21 at 08:01 PM. Reason: addition
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