1946 Raleigh model

[FICHT 150]

I bought this old ladies Raleigh to get a few parts for other bikes around the place. The rear hub appears to be a replacement, the front hub is a Dynohub with the Bakelite side plate, dated 12 of 1946. The rims are 26” rod brake version Dunlops, and the bike has a full chaincase with a bunch of blackout parts installed. The spokes are stainless steel. I’d be willing to bet the bike is, in fact, an early 1947 model. No fork lock.

There is no “Sports” or “Tourist” nomenclature on the bike. I’m curious as to what model this bike is?

I’m am loath to dispose of bike parts this old, but, this old girl is rough. The Dynohub and the headlamp will end up on one on my bikes, the chaincase will be sold (it is complete, surprisingly) and the black bits I’ll hang on to.

Does anyone know if the spokes interchange between the 26” rod brake rims, and the 26” caliper brake rims? Those stainless spokes are in fantastic shape, and would look good in either old steel caliper rims, or, Sun Ringle 26” alloy rims-I have both on hand.

Pics, or it didn’t happen.

Ted

 

[SirMike1983]

It's a fairly early post-war Model 12L Dawn Tourist. I think you're right that it's a bike from the first couple months of 1947. The Dawn series began life as shrunk-down roadsters with bolt-up stays, rod brakes, and 26 x 1 3/8 Westwood wheels. I came across one shown here.

At some point fairly soon after WWII, they changed to a Sports-style frame with braze-up stays. The Dawn Safety gave way to the Dawn Tourist name. Most of the post-war Dawn Tourists had 26 x 1 3/8 Westrick rims and rod brakes but some still had Westwood rims until the stock of rims was used up. The Dawn Tourist had a more conservative finish without much in the way of decals, but instead having longer pinstripes.

If the rims and hubs are good, I'd leave the wheels intact. They're a fairly unusual set in the US. Westricks are more common in the 26 x 1 3/8 size. The way I see it, I can always buy new stainless spokes (I like Sapim or DT Swiss) for a new wheel set if I really need them. But I can't always find a good, vintage set of intact wheels.

Neat find. Unfortunately, girls' bikes usually end up parted out because the demand just isn't there for them. The ideal solution is to get more ladies to ride old bikes, but that's a larger task...

The 1947 catalogue shows Westrick rims but I think yours is one of the bikes where they were still using up Westwoods. It looks like yours has an all-weather rubber roadster saddle. It looks like a period correct substitute to me.

 

[juvela]

-----

saddle top may be a rubber & fabric laminate

here is s brochure from a french concern which produced such saddles -

-----

 

[SirMike1983]

It's a synthetic all-weather saddle. Looks to be a Bates #7 (Made by Dunlop). If you wanted to just leave the bike out in the rain without worrying about a rain cover for your leather saddle, the synthetic Dunlop/Bates was an option. From their 1939 catalogue:

Dunlop claimed the saddle was "waterproof" and that it required no break-in time. They also claimed it would not sag. I still like a broken-in Brooks (with or without the rain cover).

 

[FICHT 150]

It is a Bates B7. It is well past its best use by date. And, indeed, this bike was left out in the rain, many times.

The Westwoods are pretty scaly, IF I was going to use them, I’d dismantle them completely, and work on them with a pee wee grinder with Scotch Brite pads cut to fit. I have to want a set of those wheels, bad, to do that. Labor intense. I likely have enough rod brake bikes on hand.

We can’t save them all. This bike was daily transportation for a female ranger who worked at Yellowstone park, where she was employed. Her nephew ended up with it, he might have dreamed about getting it road worthy, but, it wouldn’t be an amateur project. I’d guess he is in his eighties in age, now. From what I can see, it received some maintenance, it has replacement tires and tubes on both wheels, and the rear hub has no date on it, and a plastic hub oiler. It looks newer than the rest of the bike. But, that maintenance wasn’t recently.
It seems stainless steel spokes were available.

It was worth the $20 I paid for it.

Ted

 

[FICHT 150]

Second thoughts about the rear wheel being a replacement. It has blackout components that match the others on the bike, and the left side has cuts to remove it (threaded) instead of being pressed on, like later hubs. So, likely original.
Not stamped with a date, anywhere. The tubes, a Schwinns and a Huffy, both hold air. The tires were Carlisle, and nearly fossilized.
The rims are rough, if I needed them they might be a long winter project, but, they will go in the shed for someday.

Maybe.

Ted

 

[SirMike1983]

Threaded, no date would be right for 1946 or very early 47. Probably original.