Dunelt 5 Speed

[Oilit]

Here's a curiosity, or at least I've never seen one before. A Raleigh-built Dunelt with 5 speeds, a Hercules chain guard, a center stand with no markings and Schwinn "Spitfire" tires. Does anyone know who built the center stand and does anybody have an idea where the serial number might be? I've checked the bottom bracket and the top of the seat post, but no luck. From the general style, maybe late 60's?

 

[dnc1]

Have you checked the non gear side rear dropout, or the top of the bottom bracket for number?

 

[SirMike1983]

It is a Raleigh-made Dunelt with a Trygg type center stand. Looks mid to late 1960s to me. Raleigh called this a Sprite model, with 5 speed derailler instead of the S5 Sturmey internal gear hub. Three places to check for a serial in this era: on the top side of the lug near the seat post, on the back side of the seat tube, and on the rear drops. The 1960s were a transitional time for serial numbers and serial locations at Raleigh. I dont see one on the bottom bracket in these pictures, but that is a possibility too. Raleigh was messing with a lot of its conventions in the 60s.

By top of the seat lug, I mean the upward facing surface- Raleigh started putting them there in about 1970.

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

 

[juvela]

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Thanks for sharing this find!

Had not seen this pattern of tubular crown previously.

Red plastic "tyres" on the Allvit pulleys are another dating aid. Earlier Allvits had all metal pulleys. You could check the various iterations with their respective dates at VB. Model is called 1900.

Could the Trygg pattern propstand be made by Shuresta?

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[Oilit]

So I got this bike back out and took another look, (with my reading glasses) and the serial number is on top of the seat lug, but thanks to a light stamp and some crud, I can only read three numbers. I took a rag to the crud, but it's tenacious. There's a smear of something that looks like roofing tar on the front fender (visible in the 7th picture) and the spot on the seat lug may be the more of the same. According to Kurt Kaminer's Head Badge webpage (thanks @SirMike1983!) the top of the seat lug was used between 1970 and 1972 or 73, so that narrows it down. While I was looking, I also noticed that the front wheel has 32 spokes and the rear has 40, which Sheldon Brown said was used on the three speeds up until the early seventies.

 

[Oilit]

Sir Mike, you are also correct about the Trygg centerstand. There are some markings on the top clamp plate that I first thought were numbers, but on closer look, it actually spells "Trygg". Thanks @dnc1 and @SirMike1983 for the suggestions!

 

[Oilit]

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Thanks for sharing this find!

Had not seen this pattern of tubular crown previously.

Red plastic "tyres" on the Allvit pulleys are another dating aid. Earlier Allvits had all metal pulleys. You could check the various iterations with their respective dates at VB. Model is called 1900.

Could the Trygg pattern propstand be made by Shuresta?

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"VB" is VeloBase? I had not heard of that site before. Looks interesting!

 

[bulldog1935]

"VB" is VeloBase? I had not heard of that site before. Looks interesting!

Velobase is extremely useful for dating components and finding good photos

 

[Johnny spaghetti]

It is a 1968 or newer. as 3-SPEED bike English were falling out of popularity to open gear ten speeds the open gear 5-speed was offered to as an option choice to the Internal gear Strumey Archer S5 5-speed hub that is some what rare. Raleigh produced the 1967-70 or so Sprite 5-speed with the same open gear & IGH SA S5 hub option.

 

[Johnny spaghetti]