# Raleigh The Gazelle



## hojo_10_19

*Raleigh The Gazelle Pictures Uploaded*

Howdy.

I recently found a Raleigh "The Gazelle." And am having trouble dating it/finding anything out about it.

So far what I have read suggests The Gazelle was produced between 1938-1943 when the name was changed to RobinHood. Despite this being commonly discussed as the dates of production I have also seen references to 1960s The Gazelle. To add confusion I know that Raleigh liscenced the Gazelle manufacturer in the Netherlands to make raleigh bikes (that had names other than "the gazelle"). 

Here is what I know about the bike. It is black and originally had a gold pinstripe on the fenders.

It says "Sports Model" "Made in England" and "Gazelle" in gold print on different parts of the bike. The front badge says "The Gazelle, Nottingham England," it also has decals saying "Guaranteed English Lightweight" "High tensile steel tubing" and then has a 3rd decal which is red and mostly missing that has an address including "Main st" on it. On the front fork it has small insignia with Raleigh written on it.

It has a serial number on the left side on the tube under the seat stem that is "7 08 00" then below that "0L"

The rear hub that I got with it is an AW made in July 1960. The bicycle does not have original handlebars or crank cog, though the pedals with cotters appear to be old.

I am currently taking it apart and re-greasing parts. I am considering painting it (it has mild rust on part), but it is in pretty good condition that if it turns out to be from the 1940s I might not repaint.

If anyone has any leads on this bike I'd appreciate it! I am trying to get pictures up and will probably be able to by tonight.


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## crank

Don't paint it...wax it up with black shoe polish and buff. You'll be amazed how that old English paint shines up. Love to see pics


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## hojo_10_19

okay, it is dissassembled right now, took picture to show frame, headbadge, couple decals, the serial number, and then a picture of the fenders, seat, and handlebars (don't think they are original) that it came with.


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## hojo_10_19




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## SirMike1983

Nice oddball bicycle. The older Raleigh products were of wonderful quality. Clean it up and ride it-- they make great riders.


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## Aporky

*Raleigh-Gazelle*



SirMike1983 said:


> Nice oddball bicycle. The older Raleigh products were of wonderful quality. Clean it up and ride it-- they make great riders.



Found recently 2 documents that show's that raleigh made already in 1902
Raleigh-Gazelle will send them to Scott


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## Debora68

I think entry level racing bike. Reynolds 531 main tubes plain gauge only. Quick Release Hubs. Same sport geometry as nearly all Raleigh bikes. 700c wheels and/or tubular tires (Super Course TT). Upgraded gearing. Low-end Brooks Leather Saddle (B5N or B15)


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## elisabeth

*Gazelle.*

I have a 1959 red Gazelle with the same Nottingham decal... Quite tricky to find any specific information on them  Nonetheless, it's a beautiful little bike! Will be interested to see if you turn up anything. 

I know the soft grips aren't original, and it seems my top tube has a bit of a curve that yours doesn't. Here's mine:


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## djolly

*Raleigh gazelle*

I just found one of these bikes .what yr is it..nice old bike, how much are they worth? I will send some picks tommorow..time to clean it up and put it on the market..I have a stingray from the 70's and a bunch of parts also


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## sharpeyes

*Raleigh Gazelle*

I know your post was quite awhile back. I hope you are still following this thread.
If you still have the Raleigh Gazelle, I would really appreciate some photos of the decals. I have one of these bicycles and I'm trying to restore it. The paint (blue) is decent but the downtube decals are shot. Any information will be greatly appreciated.


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## DonPedro

*Raliegh Gazelle 1956*

I have recently purchased a Raleigh Gazelle which sat in a barn in NJ for many years - in excellent condition. I've been through the same scrutiny on the internet and is also confused. The official records states that RI sold the Gazelle 1938 through WWII and thereafter renamed them Robin Hood.

My Gazelle looks more like a 1950'ies products and the Sturmey Archer AW hub reads 56  - 4  ie. April 1956. The gear trigger is also identified as a product of 1953-1956 (3 gear with H-N-L window - letters opside down). 

Serial number is 10144 OL which also indicates a 50'ies bike. The small space between the letters O and L has exactly the same "dent or scratch" as shown on your photo - most likely from the tool used - our bikes could have come from the same batch. 

Anyway - what a great bike. Everything original - had the bottom brackets fixed but apart from that all was in perfect working condition after a bit of oiling. Living on Manhattan the problem is now not to have it stolen - that's a challenge !!

But, if anyone can explain why I have a RI Gazelle made in Nottingham UK in 1956 if the records show that RI stopped the production of this line in 1945 +/- I would be very happy to hear from you.

Thanks - have a great day


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## ronk

*Info*

I am currently trying to date an old Gazelle that I have.  Looking at where your seat post mounts it appears that the rear tubes that run down to the rear wheel are welded on.  On the earlier models, they are nut and bolt.  If you have a chance search for my name or previous listing as there is a link to an old brochure from 1938 +/- which may or may not help.  Also, check the rear reflector for a date or patent number which may be traceable.

ronk


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## Andrew Gorman

Here's my 1938 Gazelle.  It began life as a safety  roadster, but I added the Lauterwasser bars and rigged the rod brakes to work with cables.  It has bolt on seatstays, but the Sports Model from the same period had an "all welded frame".  A very fun bike I think.  The Gazelle badges are very faded decals, and I think the 1938-1943 models all had decals, and had their own set of serial numbers.  The SA trigger shifter was introduced before WWII, but it had a longer trigger,  mounted under the handlebars instead of on top and was used on the sportier models.  Raleigh did build more Gazelles in the 1950's with the standard Raleigh serial numbers, why I cannot say.  Gazelle has been a very popular Dutch bike maker for over 100 years.
Here is the 1938 catalog:
http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_cat_us38.html
And my bike:
http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g72/gormanao/1938%20Raleigh%20Gazelle/?action=view&current=boyracer.jpg
And a good thread at bikeforums.net on a 1939 with the prewar trigger shifter:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/596461-1939-Raleigh-Gazelle


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## iandunham

I've recently found a Gazelle "Sports Model" also. This one seems as though it's been ridden since it was made, though. 

Pretty serious rust on the genders, although there is a remnant of a blue pinstripe. The crank is the original "RIN," the grips are Schwinn from the 60s/70s, there's a Japanese rack on the back.

The wheels are original, although the front wheel is a Dunlop, and the rear wheel is a Raleigh. The pedals and seat are Schwinn. One of the brake levers is a Dia-Compe, the other is original. The rear brake caliper (is that what it's called?) isn't original either - although it bears a striking resemblance to the front which has "Made in England" stamped into it. The Sturmey-Archer hub is original, with a switcher that says "Speedy Switch."

I really doubt this is from before the 1950s, but I don't really understand how to read the serial number stamped below the seat post.

Although these pictures are of the bike when I bought it, I spent part of Sunday taking it apart and cleaning it. The chain was filthy, as were most of the moving parts. I've taken all the non-original hardware off - the water bottle holder, bell, and weird buzzer thing on the left handlebar (didn't work anyhow, looks like a small tazer or something).

I'm contemplating painting just the fenders as they're pretty seriously rusty - BUT - if this would detract from its "authenticity," I don't want to. Is there a product that I can keep the rust from causing further damage? Also, someone in a previous post suggested show polish to enhance the paint - is there something better than that to make the paint look more appealing?


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## Lawrence Ruskin

The bend on the top tube is called a ''camel back''.

 CCM, Canada's top bike manufacturer used this design for a bunch of years.


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## danny7147

I really hate not having an input on this... but here's a little article I found that may make you go "Oh wow!!!"...

http://genetics.mgh.harvard.edu/hanczyc/1961rudgechrome.html

What's interesting, is that it's a 1961 Raleigh bike (although not a Gazelle) that seems to date from 1961, and has the serial number 89728 OL which is bloody similar to yours


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## iandunham

Check this out:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-ALLCHR...K_Collectables_Bicycle_RL&hash=item53ec81fc6d

All chrome Raleigh Superbe.

Anyhow, the Gazelle I'm trying to restore - I ended up applying some "rust converter" on the really rusty spots on the fenders, which turns the rust into a sort of flat, black enamel. Lucky for me, that was the color of the bike anyhow.

In terms of protecting/enhancing the paint, I used car wax, which really did the trick!

I'll post pictures as soon as it's all back together.


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## sailorbenjamin

Interesting bike, Ian.  
I picked up a Raleigh Dawn last fall.  Not a Gazelle but likely headed for the Holland market.  It has hubs labeled 64 and 65 but they might not be original.  Some of these came with plain rod brakes and got converted at the dealer or later.  Let's see, my serial number is wn160615b.  I'm thinking the bike was made in Nottingham but I'm told the serial number is more in the Dutch format and on the seat tube, Dutch style.
I had a 70s Raleigh Grand Prix that said "made by Gazelle" on it.  Nice craftsmanship.


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## iandunham

Nice! I'm jealous of the paint on the rear fender that's still in tact. Also, I noticed when washing/waxing my frame, the decals started coming off - what a drag!

Anyhow, I also like the crank on yours, too. The Raleigh logo is pretty cool looking there.

I picked up a Superbe last weekend at an auction here in Ithaca. It's in surprisingly good shape, olive green. Alas, it's a women's bike.


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## spoker

*61 huffy/raliegh*

i have a 61 huffy/raliegh sportsman,candy red with chrome fenders,3 speed coaster dated 61-12,serial number is13126af,down tube has the english steel decal and a huffy,dunlop rims,generator lights and a little odomiter on front fork ran by a L shaped piece of spoke,1789 miles,nice take apart pedals with amber dots,any differance between this and a reular raliegh? AJ


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## SirMike1983

Late to the party again, somewhat, but I will say that Raleigh produced numerous models under numerous badges that are not seen in the US. Stuff like the "Dawn" and "Sports C" (etc) turn up in Commonwealth countries, but not often in the US. It seems Raleigh was fundamentally conservative with these bicycles, mixing mostly standard early 20th century features about on them. They mostly revolved around the Sports geometry, but some did use the DL-1 type frame. But basically, they would throw on rod brakes, or mix in a full chain case, etc. If you set out to collect every model roadster, you could spend a long time just because of the bewildering number of variations over the years. In the US riders/collectors usually talk about how they have a "Sports" or a DL-1, but many people underestimate the sheer variations that existed beyond your common Sports (DL-23) and the Tourist/DL1. The build quality is often great too.


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## kurtp13

*Just got a Raleigh built Gazelle*

I have a bike similar to Elizabeth's with a 'Camelback' top tube.  The serial number is stamped on the side of seat lug.  It's 10674 N OL with the N below the number and the OL below that.  It's black in color and the rear fender has a white bottom section similar to Elizabeth's red one.  HAs anyone identified this model run?


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## bulldog1935

kurtp13 said:


> I have a bike similar to Elizabeth's with a 'Camelback' top tube.  The serial number is stamped on the side of seat lug.  It's 10674 N OL with the N below the number and the OL below that.  It's black in color and the rear fender has a white bottom section similar to Elizabeth's red one.  HAs anyone identified this model run?






> Convention #2 (1948-195?
> 4-5 digits followed by two letters (or, for the 28"-wheel models, two letters followed by 4-5 digits). e.g.: "12345AB," or "AB12345." Serial "rolls over" when numerals are used up - without rhyme or reason relating to month or year - in the same fashion as an odometer. This convention might have been used in 1947 as well, however, we have not found any Raleigh examples from 1947 so far that exhibit this serial system.



http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html

I would guess early postwar bike - OL is probably an unknown date code, and N is made in Nottingham.


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## photogravity

bulldog1935 said:


> http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html
> 
> I would guess early postwar bike - OL is probably an unknown date code, and N is made in Nottingham.




If it's the camelback as mentioned, it appears they didn't come into being until the mid- to late-50's. I have one that I need to finish putting together. I'm not sure of the year, but it's an interesting old bicycle.


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## bulldog1935

I was trying to make sense of the serial number - I of course bow to your hands-on knowledge - cause I don't have that.  
Regards.


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