Ältere Raleigh Fahrräder

Bitte stellt keine Fragen per Email oder per Telefon zu alten Raleigh Fahrrädern. Alle Informationen, die wir besitzen stammen von Sheldon Brown und sind hier oder auf der Seite Altersbestimmung von Raleigh Fahrrädern hinterlegt.

Viele Jahrzehnte lang war in vielen Teilen der Erde das Raleigh "Sports" Drei-Gang-Fahrrad als das beste Transportmittel mit Muskelkraft betrachtet. Diese Fahrräder waren keine Spielzeuge und trotz des Modellnamens waren sie keine Sportgeräte. Sie waren schlicht ernsthafte Fahrzeuge. Im Großen und Ganzen haben die Männer und Frauen, die diese Fahrräder bauten, sie auch selbst als Haupttransportmittel gefahren.

Die meisten modernen Fahrräder sind als Blickfang im Verkaufsraum gebaut, um jemanden zum Kauf zu bewegen. Das war beim Raleigh Sports ganz anders. Sie waren als stabile und zuverlässige Transportmittel für die britische Öffentlichkeit zu einer Zeit, in der sich nur die Reichen und Schönen ein Automobil leisten konnten, gebaut. Diese Fahrräder waren auf 100 Jahre Nutzungsdauer ausgelegt, wenn man sie richtig pflegte.

Komplett aus Stahl ("The All Steel Bicycle")

Zeitgenössische Fahrräder besitzen viele Bauteile aus Aluminium, um Gewicht zu sparen, Haltbarkeit und Korrosionsschutz zu erreichen. Zeitgenössische billige Fahrräder, die mit Stahlfelgen, -kurbeln, -lenkern oder -bremsen ausgestattet sind, haben dies als Abkürzung im Produktionsprozess und um ein klein wenig Geld zu sparen. Stahlfelgen, -kurbeln usw. sind ein Zeichen von minderer Qualität und Zielen auf den kleinst möglichen Preis ab.

Von der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts bis weit in das 20. Jahrhundert hinein war das Wort Stahl in Großbritannien magisch. Großbritanniens Aufstieg zur führenden Supermacht während der industriellen Revolution basierte unter anderem auf seiner Stahlindustrie und die neuen Technologien, die damit möglich waren: Stahlschiffe, Stahlbrücken und natürlich Stahlfahrräder. Raleigh führt ursprünglich den Werbeslogan "The All Steel Bicycle" ein, um Ihre Produkte von den Wettbewerbern abzuheben, die zum Teil Gusseisen als schwerere und plumpere Technologie für einige kritische Komponenten einsetzten.

Das Mysterium Stahl führte dazu, dass die Britische Fahrradindustrie sich mit neuen Materialien wie Aluminium sehr schwer tat. Viele Britische Fahrradfahrer glaubten zum Teil bis in die 1960er Jahre hinein noch, dass beispielsweise Stahlfelgen den neuen AAluminiumfelgen überlegen seien. Aus heutiger Sicht erscheint das lächerlich. Wenn man jedoch alte Stahlfelgen von Dunlop in die Hand nimmt, erkennt man ein sehr respektables und gut gemachtes Produkt.

Die Tatsache, dass Raleigh Drei-Gang-Fahrräder aus Stahl hergestellt sind, sollten Dich nicht dazu verleiten, sie in irgendeiner Form als billig und geringwertig anzusehen. Sie waren das beste Nutzfahrrad, das man für Geld kaufen konnte.

Raleigh Drei-Gang-Fahrräder wurden etwa zum Jahrhundertwechsel vom 19. zum 20. Jahrhundert in den Markt eingeführt und erreichten ihren qualitativen Höhepunkt etwa in den 1950er Jahren. Sie wurden bis in die Mitte der 1970er Jahre weiter in Nottingham produziert, als sie dann durch den Glanz der 10-Gang-Fahrrad-Mode von der Baby-Boom Generation nicht mehr im Fokus des Kaufinteresses standen.

Die Raleigh Fabrik

Bei einem modernen Unternehmen läuft der Herstellungsprozess eines Fahrrads wie folgt ab. Sie bauen (wenn überhaupt) einen Rahmen. Sie kaufen Rohrsätze von einem Rahmenrohrhersteller, schneiden und schweißen sie zu einem Rahmen zusammen., lackieren ihn und bauen Bauteile von verschiedenen spezialisierten Komponentenherstellern ein. Tatsächlich machen mache wohlbekannte Marken noch nicht einmal das selbst. Sie lassen sich Fahrräder nach ihren Spezifikationen bauen und lassen ihren Namen darauf lackieren und lassen sie von verschiedenen Komponentenherstellern bestücken. In Wirklichkeit sind diese Firmen also Handelsunternehmen auch wenn sie als Hersteller bekannt sind.

Raleigh hat in seinen ruhmreichen Jahren (bis in die 1960er Jahre hinein) das absolute Gegenteil in ihrer riesigen Fabrik in Nottingham, die 40 Morgen umfasste und fast 7.000 Menschen beschäftigte, gemacht. Ein Raleigh Fahrrad bestand aus einem Raleigh Rahmen, der aus Raleigh Rohren hergestellt war, die mit Raleigh Muffen gelötet wurden. Dazu kamen ein Raleigh Innenlager, eine Raleigh Kurbel, Raleigh Pedale, ein Raleigh Steuersatz, ein Raleigh Lenker, ein Raleigh Vorbau, Raleigh Naben (Sturmey-Archer war ein Raleigh Tochterunternehmen), und sogar Raleigh Speichen. Alle diese Bauteile wurden auf dem gleichen Fabrikgelände hergestellt.

Die Sättel waren von Brooks - eine weitere Raleigh Tochter. Die Felgen und Reifen kamen von Dunlop. Dieses Unternehmen war eng mit Raleigh verbandelt.

Dieser hohe Integrationsgrad wurde in der Fahrradindustrie so nie wieder erreicht. Nur Schwinn kam dem zu seiner besten Zeit sehr nahe.

Werbung:

Altersbestimmung eines Raleigh Drei-Gang-Fahrrads

Falls Dein Fahrrad eine Sturmey-Archer Nabe (zwischen 1930 und etwa 1990) hat, sollte auf der Nabe das Produktionsjahr, das dem Herstellungsjahr des Fahrrads entsprechen sollte, verzeichnet sein. In den 1930er Jahren wurde nur eine Ziffer benutzt (z.B. "6" für 1936). Danach wurden zweistellige Datumswerte eingestanzt.

Für den Fall, das Du nicht sicher bist, dass das Hinterrad original ist, kannst Du mit folgender Tabelle, das ungefähre Herstellungsjahr bestimmen. Möglicherweise kann man anhand der Seriennummer des Rahmens ein Jahr bestimmen. Die weiter unten angegebenen Seriennummern sind nur fragmentarisch und dementsprechend lückenhaft. Manche Fahrräder sind wesentlich neuer als es die Seriennummer vermuten ließe.

Bitte keine Fragen per Email oder per Telefon zu alten Raleigh Fahrrädern. Alle Informationen, die wir besitzen, stammen von Sheldon Brown und sind hier oder auf der Seite Altersbestimmung von Raleigh Fahrrädern hinterlegt.

Änderung der Ausstattung über die Jahrzehnte (unfertige Auflistung)

In den folgenden Tabellen hat Sheldon Brown für Fahrräder, die er zur Wartung in der Werkstatt hatte, zusammengestellt wie diese ausgestattet waren, wenn er vermutete, dass sie im Originalzustand waren. Möglicherweise ist manche Ausstattung anachronistisch. Jedoch glaubte er, dass diese Informatioinen gut genug sind.

Im Allgemeinen kann man sagen, dass die Qualität der Fahrräder in den 1950ern ihren Höhepunkt erreicht hat und Anfang der 1960er Jahre deutlich nachließ, weil die Unternehmensleitung nach Wegen suchte, die Fahrräder billiger zu machen.

Die Tabelle fokussiert sich auf die "Sports" Linie der Marken Raleigh, Rudge und Humber. Die Luxusmodelle "Superbe" waren sehr ähnlich augestattet. Sie unterscheiden sich in den Sätteln, einer abschlißebaren Gabel und dem Einsatz eines Lichtsystems mit Dynohub Nabe. Dynohubs waren für die "Sports" Modelle als Option gegen Aufpreis erhältlich.

Am unteren Ende bei den Marken Dunelt, Phillips, Robin Hood, Triumph usw. wurden ähnliche Technologien eingesetzt. Sie waren jedoch durchweg mit Matratzensätteln und Endrick-Felgen ausgestattet. Ihnen fehlten die Anlötaufnahmen für Kettenschutz und die Schutzblechstreben waren geschraubt und nicht geschweißt. Die Bremszüge waren mit Zugklemmschraube gesichert.

Jahr	Bremsen	Kettenschutz Anlötaufnahme	Ausfallenden	Pedale	Spannrolle	Sattel	Speichen	Reifen
1945? Rudge-Whitworth	Raleigh gelötet	Kettenkasten		Raleigh Nottingham	Stahlgeklemmt	B73 große Aussparungen	32/40
	Dieses Modell war definitiv ein Kriegsmodell. Lenker, Kurbeln, Bremshebel, Gabelkrone und Züge waren schwarz lackiert. Chrom war strategisches Kriegsmaterial und war für Zivilisten nicht käuflich zu erwerben. Vorbau und Bremszangen waren verchromt. Das Fahrrad hat Endrick-Felgen. Die Lampenhalterung ist mit der Schraube der Vorbauklemmung statt im Steuersatz befestigt. Das Tretlagergehäuse hat einen geschraubten Öler.
1949 Ladys Sports	Raleigh gelötet Glattes schwarzes Gehäuse	Kettenkasten	Gepresst und geschlitzt	Raleigh Nottingham	Stahl geklemmt	B66	32/40
	Am Unterrohr das "The All Steel Bicycle" Logo (klein); Sitzrohr "Raleigh"; Felgen mit matter Mitte; Tretlageröler linke Seite, Verschluss Feder/Kugel.
1949	Raleigh gelötet Glattes schwarzes Gehäuse	Kettenkasten	Geschmiedet	Raleigh Nottingham	Stahl geklemmt	B66 mit langen Löchern	32/40	Dunlop Sports Reifen
	Sitzrohr vertikal: "RALEIGH The All Steel Bicycle", Oberrohr "Made in England" in Kursivschrift, Unterrohr: Keine Markierungen; Felgen mit matter Mitte; Lampenhalterung an der Schraube der Vorbauklemmung; Dynohub mit schwarzen Muttern und schwarzen Kabelklemmen; Schwarze Schrauben mit Sechskantkopf an Schutzblechaufnahme; Schwarz lackierte Aluminium Pumpe; Stahlsattelstütze, die am oberen Ende geschlossen ist.
1952	Raleigh gelötet	Kettenkasten	Geschnmiedet	Raleigh Nottingham	Angelötet	Brooks B66	32/40	Dunlop Sports
	Obwohl dieses Fahrrad an "Sports" Modell war, ist es recht luxuriös mit einem B66 Sattel, Kettenkasten, Dynohub Lichtanlage (vor und hiten) und einem Raleighj Indistries Fahrradständer ausgestattet
1952 Ladys Sports	Raleigh soldered Smooth black housing	Chaincase	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Clamp-on steel		32/40
	Dull-center rims; BB oiler left side, spring/ball cap; Grey rubber "bullet" grips.
1953	Raleigh soldered Smooth grey housing	Chaincase	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Brazed-on	B66	32/40
	Dull-center rims; BB oiler left side, spring/ball cap; Alloy AW hub; Red pinstripes on fenders
1954	Raleigh soldered	Chaincase brazeon	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Brazed-on		32/40
	Dull-center rims. Head lugs in simple curve.
1956	Raleigh soldered	Chaincase braze-on	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Brazed-on		32/40
	Dull-center rims; BB oiler right side, metal flip top.
1957	Raleigh soldered Ribbed white housing	Chaincase braze-on	Forged	Brazed-on	Brooks B66	32/40
	Sturmey Archer SW hub with date "57 2" and metal oiler, bottom bracket [metal] oiler right side, Brooks B66 saddle, front Dynohub
1960	Raleigh soldered	Chaincase braze-on	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Metal clamp-on	Brooks B66	32/40
	Plastic bullet grips. Front hub oiler spring/ball type.
1961	Raleigh soldered	Chaincase braze-on	Forged Raleigh Nottingham	Metal clamp-on	Brooks B72	32/40
	Re-buildable block pedals, don't say "Raleigh."
1962	Raleigh soldered White ribbed cables	Forged	Plastic one-piece clamp		32/40
	Old logo Large "RALEIGH" on down tube; "SPORTS" on seat tube in red, outlined with white.
1963	Raleigh soldered White ribbed cables	None	Stamped	Raleigh Nottingham	Plastic one-piece clamp		32/40
	Red bike with white fenders & chainguard.
1965	Raleigh soldered	None	Stamped	Raleigh Nottingham	Plastic	Brooks B72	32/40
	Shiny rims; old style decals on down tube.
	Raleigh bolted 2	Stamped	Oval, no balls	Plastic	Brooks B72	32/40	Dunlop Nylon Sprite Gumwall Airseal tubes
	No pump pegs; Sturmey-Archer Raleigh pattern rims.
1968 Lady's sports, Green	Raleigh bolted	Tabs for hockey stick	Stamped	Raleigh Nottingham original?	Plastic	Brooks B72	32/40
	"Sports" on down tube, new "Raleigh" on chainguard. Cotter nuts have red "R". No bottom bracket oiler.
1969	Raleigh bolted	None	Stamped	Oval, no balls	Plastic	Brooks B72	32/40	Dunlop Nylon Sprite Gumwall Airseal tubes
	Old-style type on down tube, new-style on chainguard. Front axle nuts and cotter nuts have red "R". No bottom bracket oiler.
1970 Lady's Rudge	Raleigh bolted Ribbed black housing 2	Stamped	Raleigh logo not serviceable with reflectors	Plastic	32/40	Dunlop Nylon Sprite 2 white lines
	Small logo on down tube; gold tape on seat tube. Shiny rims; Rear fender has 4 stays; red "R" nuts on cotters.
1973	Raleigh Self Adjusting	Stamped	Raleigh logo not serviceable		36
	Later, modern looking decals.
1976	Hex head centerbolt	Chainguard tabs Rear brake stops	Stamped	Raleigh logo not serviceable	Clamped on lower seat tube	Brooks mattress	Raleigh gumwall
1980 Lady's (Canada)	Weinmann Alloy	1 on down tube	Stamped	Raleigh logo not serviceable	Clamped on lower seat tube	Brooks B-72 (original?)	36	Raleigh "Red Dot" Gum Korea
	Coffee color w/bronze head tube, bronze panel on seat tube. Chainguard encircles chainring, bolted to tapped hole under bottom bracket. Frame features "Pletscher"-type plate bridges, but otherwise is a dead ringer for Nottingham production, including 2030 label. 25.8 mm seatpost. Slotted cable stops for rear brake. No white panel on rear fender. Red "R" front axle nuts & seatpost bolt, but not on the cotters. CPSC front reflector mount instead of lamp bracket.

Zeitachse über Raleight Drei-Gang-Fahrräder

1945 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Brakes Raleigh steel, with soldered cables Raleigh steel, with anchor bolts Self Adusting Hex head centerbolt. Chainguard Full Chaincase "Hockey stick" chainguard, but frames still have chaincase braze-ons. "Hockey stick" no braze-ons. "Hockey stick" chainguard, with braze-ons tabs on down tube and seat tube. Fork ends Squashed & slotted Forged, 3-dimensional design to fit round hole in fork blade. Stamped, to fit domed/slotted fork blade. Pedals Raligh-made rubber block pedals, completely rebuildable, with replaceable treads. Oval, no ball bearings Non-serviceable (Union?) with Raleigh logo, reflectors. Pulley Metal clamp-on Metal brazed on (gent's models) Metal clamp-on (lady's models) Metal clamp-on Plastic clamp-on Rear Hub Sturmey-Archer AW (optional TCW Tri-coaster brake) Sturmey-Archer SW Sturmey-Archer AW (optional TCW or S3C Tri-coaster brake) Spoking 32 front, 40 rear 36 spokes front and rear

Sturmey-Archer

Year Axle Nuts right Axle Washers Fulcrum sleeve Lubricator Trigger

1945? 1-piece black rectangular window 3-dimensional no plug black 1949 1-piece Metal Metal No window 3 or 4 speed 1952 1-piece Forged knurled Metal Metal Window 3 or 4 speed 1957 SW 1-piece Forged knurled Metal Metal 1960 1-piece Forged knurled Metal Plastic No window No plastic 1961 1-piece Forged knurled Plastic No window No plastic 1963 2-piece Metal Plastic Pressed-in LH ball cup. 1965 1-piece Plastic Plastic No window No plastic 1968 2-piece Plastic Plastic Transparent plastic 1969 2-piece Plastic Plastic No window No plastic 1970 2-piece Stamped Metal Plastic 1973 Plastic Transparent plastic cover 1976 Black plastic cover, body and trigger 1980 2-piece White plastic Black plastic plastic cover, body and trigger

Bauteile

Bremsen

   Old-style brake

   Older Raleigh-made brakes used special cables with moulded ends on both ends of the cables, as shown. These cables are no longer available.

   They were supplied in different configurations for front, gent's rear and lady's rear applications. The cable came with the adjusting barrel. To replace the cable assembly, you would unbolt the adjusting barrel from the caliper.

   These cables can often be revived by dripping oil into them and working them back and forth.

   Later Raleigh-made brakes used standard cables with conventional anchor bolts.  

Chainguard Braze-ons

   Older models had a braze-on with a tapped hole on the right chain stay, behind the chainwheel, to secure a full chaincase. For the U.S. market, the chaincase was not fitted after (1953?) to reduce weight, but the braze-on was continued until (?) even though the bikes came with a "hockey-stick" chainguard.

   Some later models had simple braze-ons on the seat tube and down tube to secure a "hockey-stick" chainguard.  

Ausfallenden

   Older models had forged front fork ends, which are 3-dimensional, and are round where they fit into the end of the fork blade. These fork ends are countersunk on the outer surface, to accommodate the old-style axle nuts which had a shoulder that fit through the washer. The shoulder provided secondary wheel retention.

   Later models had flat, stamped fork ends, fitted into domed and slotted fork blades.  

Pedale

   Older models had rubber block pedals made in the Raleigh factory in Nottingham. Raleigh was the last bicycle maker to make its own pedals. They were very high quality, and were completely rebuildable. Raleigh used to even offer replacement rubber blocks. They came in two lengths, the longer size coming on gents' bicycles, the shorter on ladys' models.

   In the late 1960s, as a cost-cutting move, Raleigh fitted horrible cheap pedals that had no ball bearings. The version used on 3-speeds had an oval rubber platform. Later models had pedals made by other companies, notably Union. Although these often featured the Raleigh logo, they were not the same quality as the Nottingham models.  

Spannrolle

   Older gent's models had a brazed-on fitting for a pulley, for the shift cable, on the underside of the seat lug.

   Later models had clamp-on pulleys, either metal or plastic, mounted on the seat tube.

   Older clamp-on pulleys used a two-piece clamp made of rigid steel. The two halves of the clamp hooked together opposite the clamp bolt. Pulleys (and triggers and fulcrum clamps of this era used special shoulder nuts which had a sleeve that fitted into on end of the clamp, and had a "D" shaped head to prevent the nut from turning as the screw was tightened.

   Later pulleys were plastic, and the clamp was a flexible steel band. These generally used a rectangular nut stamped out of sheet steel, a much less elegant (but certainly cheaper) nut.

   Latest models did not use pulleys, but ran housing all the way to the right chain stay.  

Sättel

   Top line Raleighs generally came with Brooks leather saddles. The standard Sports models came with the B-72. Early Sports models, and the deluxe Superbe models, came with the B-66, which is similar, but has two large coil springs at the rear.

   Later models came with mattress saddles.  

Speichen

   Older British bicycles in general used 32 spokes on the front wheel, 40 on the rear. The front would be laced cross 3, the rear, cross 4. This generally permitted the same length spokes to be used on both wheels.

   Later bicycles adopted the international standard 36/36 spoking, which made the front wheels heavier than necessary, and the rear wheels less strong than previously.  

Bereifung

   Raleigh used Dunlop tyres exclusively until [sometime in the late '60s]. Older models came with all-black tyres with a block tread. Later upper-end models (including the Sports) came with the Dunlop Sprite gum-wall, or, later, with the Nylon White Sprite, a blackwall with double white stripes running along the sidewall. Until the mid-60s, tyres used cotton canvas fabric. These tires were easily damaged by rim cuts if ridden underinflated. If the rubber became damaged so that moisture could get at the cotton carcass, the cotton would rot and the tyre would fail.

   In [sometime in the mid '60s] Dunlop switched to using Nylon cord instead of the cotton, and the tires became very much more reliable.

   Raleigh was by far Dunlop's largest market for bicycle tyres and tubes. In [sometime in the mid '60s] Raleigh and Dunlop got in a disagreement about pricing for the new model year. Each company thought it was indespensible to the other. Dunlop called Raleigh's bluff, and said, in effect, "We don't really need the bicycle tyre business anymore, there's lots more money in car and motorcycle tyres. If you won't pay the prices we ask, we'll just get out of the cycle tyre business." ...and they did!

   This caused a crisis in cycling circles, because Dunlop tyres were, at the time, the absolute pre-eminent brand, and none of their competitors was able to make a product that was nearly as good. Cyclists got very good at installing "boots" to prolong the life of their damaged Dunlops, since even a damaged Dunlop was better than anything else you could buy.

   This situation continued for several years, until the Japanese learned to make tyres that were even better than the old Dunlops.  

Tubes

   Raleighs of the 50's and 60's came with Dunlop Airseal tubes, a premium grade inner tube with a fully-threaded valve stem and a knurled valve-retaining nut. The original valve caps were metal, and included a two prong valve wrench on the exposed end.

   The valve caps often had a short length of rubber tubing covering the valve wrench. This was to protect the inner tube from being punctured by the cap while it was rolled up, before it was installed on a bicycle. 

Muttern an der Hinterachse

   Sturmey-Archer right-side axle nuts have a long, cylindrical projection, with a curved lip for the indicator chain. The cylindrical part had two viewing holes to facilitate visual checking of the cable adjustment. Some time in the 1960's, they changed to a two-piece system, with a plain hex nut (the same as on the left side) and a separate cylindrical nut, knurled on the outer end. Sometime in the 1970's, they went back to the one-piece design.

   Hubs with 2-piece indicator spindles, such as the AM, AC, ASC, FC, FM, FW and SW used a one-piece right nut, but without the viewing holes. These hubs used a special left nut that resembled the conventional right nut, but which lacked the rounded interior lip for the chain. These nuts were designed to protect the left end of the two-piece indicator spindle, and to allow visual adjustment by observing the position of the left end of the spindle against the end of the axle. A common cause of malfunction of these hubs is that people get the left and right nuts reversed, so the indicator chain hangs up on the sharp edge of the nut that belongs on the left.

Muttern an der Vorderachse

   Older Raleighs, those with forged front drop outs, used a special axle nut with a narrow rounded section toward the hub. This rounded section fit through the axle washer, and into a recess of the forged drop out, to provide positive front wheel retention.

   Later Raleighs used conventional nuts, and provided a shoulder on the outer face of the cone for wheel retention. The stamped dropouts had a keyhole shaped axle opening, and the shoulder on the cone fit into the round part of the opening. Some years used plain hex nuts with separate flat washers, other years used track nuts, domed and decorated with a red "R" on the end.  

Unterlegschieben der Hinterachse

   Older Sturmey-Archer hubs used beautifully made forged serrated washers between the axle nut and the fork end. These older washers are easily identified by the knurled edges. These were used in conjunction with separate, stamped anti-rotation washers, which should go on the inside of the fork end.

   Intermediate models used cheaper, stamped serrated washers.

   Later (and current) models use rather nice forged combination serrated/anti-rotation washers.  

Krafen des Zuganschlags (Fulcrum Sleeve)

   Sturmey-Archer's term for the clamp-on cable housing stop usually mounted on the top tube was "fulcrum." The fulcrum clamp held a separate sleeve which served as the socket for the cable. This was a sort of ferrule, with a flange on one end to keep it from sliding through the fulcrum clamp. It was slotted to facilitate cable installation, and had a flat side which rested against the frame tube. Earlier fulcrum sleeves were metal, later versions are plastic. This was one of the first Sturmey-Archer parts where plastic replaced metal.

   The metal ones last forever, but the plastic ones are easily crushed and ruined.

Schmiervorrichtung

   Until fairly recently, all Sturmey-Archer hubs were designed for oil lubrication. An oil cap, or, in Sturmey-Archer terminology, a "lubricator" was set into the hub shell. The actual cap assembly screwed into a threaded hole in the shell.

   Earlier versions uses a hinged metal cap, but this was replaced in the late '50s or '60s by a plastic cap with a captive plug. This was one case where the plastic part was an improvement over the metal one, because they made a better seal, preventing the oil from dripping out.

   Tip:
   Installing a plastic lubricator into a hub can be quite tricky if you don't have the special tool. The special tool is a dull pencil, poked into the open lubricator. This will let you turn the lubricator to get it started into the threads.

Schalthebel

   There have been several different shift controls over the years:

       The oldest design is the quadrant shifter, a very simple top-tube mounted lever with a spring-loaded pin that fitted into different holes along its side, according to the gear selected. Moving the lever to the right pulled the pin out of the hole, and allowed the lever to move. These are mostly seen on bikes from the '30s and earlier.
       The basic trigger. These triggers had a metal band running in each direction around the handlebar, connected by a short screw and special nut below the handlebar.
       The window-type trigger had a small round hole in the top plate, through which, depending on the gear selected, you could read the letters: "H" (High) "N" (Normal) "L" (Low) and "B" (Base) The more common variety is marked "3 or 4" speed.
       Later basic trigger, in 3-speed or 4-speed versions. These, and later models, had the handlebar clamp running only from the upper surface of the trigger, around the handlebar. The screw that secured it to the handlebar ran through the body of the trigger.
       No window trigger with clear plastic cover.
       No window trigger with opaque cover and plastic tip on the lever.
       An alternate option in the '60s was a twist-grip shifter (though I've never seen one of these on a Raleigh Sports.) These worked very poorly.
       During the wheelie bike craze in the 1960s, very large top-tube shifters were made, designed to look like the gear shift of a sports car.

Farben

   There are three common colors for older Raleighs:

       Black.
       "Bronze Green" a dark metallic green.
       "Coffee" a dark metallic brown.

Datumsbestimmung nach Seriennummer

It may also be possible to date your bicycle from its frame number which on early models is usually located underneath the seat lug, under the saddle. This only applies to a genuine Raleigh, not to other makes. The list below will help with dating your Raleigh bicycle from the frame numbers, but is not a definitive list, it simply notes occasional frame numbers that coincide with certain years of manufacture. I do not vouch for the accuracy of this information.

Note that the serial number information below is fragmentary and incomplete, and many bikes have proven to be much newer than the serial numbers would suggest. It appears that Raleigh recycled many of the older serial numbers in later years, so there are lots of bikes from the 60s and 70s that have serial numbers that would suggest much greater age. Do not write or phone me to ask the age or value of an old Raleigh. All of the information I have on that is on this Web page or sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/dating.html Do Not write me with any questions about serial numbers, and do not include the serial number of your bike in any email you send me!

Raleigh Fahrräder 1888-1925

From frame number located under saddle

Prior to 1925, genuine Raleighs (not necessarily brand names made by Raleigh) had a straightforward numerical frame number. Early years have been estimated by the Company. 1888 1500 1900 69868 1913 427829 1889 3200 1901 77342 1914 482851 1890 5200 1902 89622 1915 517198 1891 7600 1903 102954 1916 545198 1892 10500 1904 112673 1917 569737 1893 13900 1905 129228 1918 592473 1894 19100 1906 154917 1919 621678 1895 25300 1907 183073 1920 654502 1896 32100 1908 215650 1921 688291 1897 39913 1909 249081 1922 738447 1898 45981 1910 285669 1923 809184 1899 54032 1911 328748 1924 899465 1900 65152 1912 375693 1925 998077

Raleigh Fahrräder von 1925 bis zum zweiten Weltkrieg

Between 1925 and the cessation of cycle production during the Second World War, letters prefixed or suffixed the running frame number although no indication is given of the starting point of the numbers. They seem to reflect only the number of machines produced whilst each letter was in use. All dating would therefore be approximate. 1925 A1 1930 G94785 1935 W71147 1925 B34181 1933 L84682 1936 W93161 1926/27 B56536 1934 T93945 1937 Y184552 1929 E15693 1934 U14540

Raleigh Fahrräder nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg bis etwa 1966

After the war, Raleigh began adding letters after the running number series which restarted when a new letter was used. 1947 437689 P 1953 367369 T 1948 556894 P 1954 566722 T 1949 695051 P 1955 747951 T 1951 151179 T 1956 852312 T 1952 236530 T 1957 872584 T

A new numbering system was introduced in 1955, though this ran concurrently with the old one for two years. The new system involved a second running letter, added to the first, which began at the start of the alphabet. 1956 23839 A 1961 13126 AF 1957 27227 AB 1965/6 40814 FD 1958 17910 AD 1966 64521 FE 1960 27273 AE

The material above was gathered from the Nottinghamshire Archives by Jim Burton

Siehe auch

• English 3-Speeds
• Retro Raleighs
• Raleigh Parts Threading/Interchangeability
• Three-Speed Parts from Harris Cyclery
• Sturmey-Archer Hubs
• Sturmey-Archer Brochures 1935-38
• You'll need a fast connection for this.
• Sturmey-Archer 1902-1952
• Evolution of the Raleigh Sports
• The Raleigh Twenty
• New! Sturmey-Archer Heritage Site
• Martin Hanczyc's roadster pages.
• Tony Hadland's Sturmey-Archer Pages
• Tony Hadland on the history of Raleigh

Quelle

Dieser Artikel basiert auf dem Artikel Older Raleigh Bicycles von der Website Sheldon Browns. Originalautor des Artikels ist Sheldon Brown.

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