# 1954 Raliegh 6 speed Touring Bicycle



## stingrayjoe (Nov 7, 2021)

Picked up today. I thought the gear train was unusual. Anyone have any knowledge of this bike? SA hub shell is dated 12 54 and signed “Alloy”.


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## 3-speeder (Nov 7, 2021)

Interesting shifter set up.  Perhaps a later conversion.  I have a 3 x 3 on my '62 Sports that was likely a dealer added upgrade.  Your 3 x 3 is is the same sort of set up,  equaling 9 speeds, but different brand of components.  You can see mine in the thread here:








						62? Raleigh Sports with 'Lenton' Dual Drive | Vintage Lightweight Bicycles
					

I picked up this Raleigh over the weekend. I'm really happy to have it. It has a 23" frame, beautiful paint scheme and a dual drive system that I haven't seen before. The Sturmey Archer hub is stamped 61 12  and it has three cogs attached and a Benelux dérailleur. I've found a 62 catalog that...




					thecabe.com
				




I love the blue pump.  Looks like Sir Walter on there.


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## juvela (Nov 7, 2021)

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the cycle's Simplex Prestige model 637 rear gear mech launched 1971 so it is a good deal later than it's host

the Maeda thumb shifter employed to operate it also did not launch until the 1970's

cycle may have previously been kitted with a Benelux system


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 7, 2021)

It looks like the pump and all the rest of the bike have been painted over.


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## 3-speeder (Nov 8, 2021)

With regard to dating the frame you can look for a serial number on the seat lug similar to this


The frame has been modified at the drive side dropout.  It appears that the fender brace eye hole has been moved up to the seat stay, likely to allow room for the inner cog.  Looks like a bulging weld there.  Perhaps this frame was originally a Sports Light Roadster Model #22 seen in this 1954 Canadian catalog image borrowed from Kurt Kaminers website The Headbadge:   https://www.kurtkaminer.com/1954raleighcat_can_08_lg.jpg
Website here:   https://www.kurtkaminer.com/bikecollection.html
Serial number chart here:  https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html


It appears to me to have similar frame angles.  Maybe the chainguard and mudguards are a later replacement, maybe even from a seventies bike that was originally blue.  Looks to match that tone used then.  Edit: However looking at the catalog page I now see that blue was a color offered for that bike. I'm not really an expert on this.  Perhaps @SirMike1983 could add more knowledge to help identify your frame.  If the wheelset is orignal then a hub stamped 54  12  would likely be on a '55 model year bike.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 9, 2021)

The numbers struck into the frame in that location are:
4O698
BK
What year doe this indicate?

Thank you, all.


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 9, 2021)

The bike has been modified in several ways. There's the overspray, but there's also the the addition of the Simplex to make hybrid gearing. There are a couple of ways you could achieve this, and they generally yield either 6 or 9 speeds, depending on whether you have two rear cogs or three. It looks like this bike is a 9 because it has three rear cogs, at least that's one picture is showing.

It looks like a 1954 frame to me. It's one of the later bikes that had fishmouth lugs. They converted a year or two later to the first-type cutaway lug. It looks like it has the correct braze-on pulley type for 1954. It looks like it may have the original upside-down window shifter as well.

What is more concerning to me is the alteration to the rear of the frame on the drive side. You see this in one of the pictures particularly well. The rear dropout has been filed down so the fender brace eyelet is missing, and it looks like a brazing or welding job was done to open the frame up to allow the triple cog set up. Then a new eyelet was attached to the seat stay.

Given the overspray, alteration to the frame, overall condition, smaller/standard frame, and the money you'd need to revive the bike, I would regard this as a parts bike.


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## Eric Amlie (Nov 11, 2021)

Interesting setup on the Simplex rear derailleur.
That is the setup that was used on the earlier Simplex Tour de France band spring derailleur, but I don't think it's correct for this one.


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## Schwinny (Nov 11, 2021)

I think over time, I've seen several of these set-ups haven't I?
I seem to remember a Brompton kit for the AW to add cogs, and another company I can't remember off hand. Then Benelux and Simplex with the derailleurs. There was a Cyclo (Benelux) derailleur on a 3spd Schwinn Continental I saw buried here in the CABE annals somewhere.
They are all very cool and elaborate.

To go to all the effort that has been spent on this bike with the frame and drive train, I'll bet this bike was at one time a coveted treasure for the owner. A lot of positive vibe with this bike, it was loved.
I can see what Juvela means by it possibly having a previous Benelux system on it. The guard mount was taken off and there are marks there like something was clamped there. That is where the clamp would have been for a Cyclo/Benelux and the marks are similar if not the same.
But from another angle it kind of looks like a completely different dropout was welded into place with that area being a separating point.... but the marks are post paint......


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 11, 2021)

I will take some close ups and post them tomorrow.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 12, 2021)

I cleaned up the pump and removed the overpaint. All is in good condition.

See close ups of chain stay and rear drop out.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 13, 2021)

Gave it a quick clean up today.


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## Schwinny (Nov 13, 2021)

I think you have a winner there.
The frame and rear right dropout were definitely rearranged to facilitate the set-up.
Those marks on the chain stay is what we were thinking could have been different setup at one time. It does look like a Benelux or similar clamp, but who knows.
This is an early depiction of the system but it went for many years.


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## Eric Amlie (Nov 13, 2021)

I think the bike is very cool.
I've long been fascinated by "hybrid" gearing, though I've never ridden one.
I have the "makings" for one, but haven't put it together yet.
I'm thinking I'll use a Huret Svelto derailleur on it.


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## sykerocker (Nov 19, 2021)

Usually, a period exact derailleur conversion to a Sturmey-archer hubs would be a Benelux derailleur, because the most common multi-freewheels at the time were also Benelux.  That's definitely a 70's conversion, I did the same to my commuter Raleigh Twenty back in the day, only using a Huret Allvit derailleur instead.  Also, a period exact conversion would be using a downtube shifter instead of a handlebar thumb shifter.  Back in the 70's, I have no memories of thumb shifters existing at all.  That could possibly be a regional shortcoming.


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