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Nevermind...found... front fender & other parts for a green 1950s Raleigh Supurbe w/ 28" wheels
- Thread starter Tyberius
- Start date
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KingSized HD
Wore out three sets of tires already!
Possibly a Superbe Dawn Tourist:
‘48 catalog image
Here’s a website that may help with dating it: http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_catdata.html
@SirMike1983 has all the knowledge about Raleigh’s.
‘48 catalog image
Here’s a website that may help with dating it: http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_catdata.html
@SirMike1983 has all the knowledge about Raleigh’s.
Tyberius
Look Ma, No Hands!
Thank you King, wish the gal came with it too. One of thing I notice about my bike is that my rear fender is domed - no flutes (guttering? - not sure of the term). The Brits made great bikes but they were lousy record keepers, still trying to decode the frame number (DF 52533) - there seems to be a lot of conflicting and muddy information about what they mean. That website is a great resource - thanks again.
KingSized HD
Wore out three sets of tires already!
Here’s my wife‘s 1953. She needs a front fender too
Wish I had the guys bike to match.
Wish I had the guys bike to match.
SirMike1983
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
That's a really nice find. This is a Tourist series bike (Model 1 "Popular", 2 "Tourist", or 3 "Superbe Tourist"). Those bikes would be the 28 inch wheel frames with the bolt-up seat stays and high bottom bracket with longer cranks. This series of bikes could be ordered with a number of "upgrades", and the extra equipment usually denoted whether it was a DL1, DL2, or DL3. The DL3 was the most deluxe; the DL2 middle; and DL1 lowest. The most deluxe bikes had FG four-speed hubs with Dynos; dry battery unit; mud flap at the bottom of front fender; full chain case; lights; pump; and bag. You could find any combination of these features, depending on where in the "Tourist" line your bike fell. These bikes had round-profile, smooth fenders. The more deluxe bikes tend to appear in "Suprebe Green" (like this bike) whereas the DL1 and DL2 tended to appear in plain black. I think yours is a Model 3 Superbe Tourist, but in a smaller frame configuration that was not seen in all markets, as the catalogs vary in whether they list the presence of that frame size.
Interestingly, some catalogs show only a large "24 inch frame" men's model, while others show a 22 inch frame. The catalog page above shows only the large size, but your bike is the smaller size. Perhaps the smaller size was only available in some markets (the Irish catalog has it, and apparently some came to the U.S. as well).
The Dawn series is a different bike. The Dawn is a rod brake version of the 26 inch wheel Raleigh Sports. The Dawn series frames generally have braze-up seat stays; lower bottom bracket; and the rain gutter Sports-type fenders. The frame angle is tighter than the Tourist series.
Determining the year of the bike is really a matter of looking at the features and hub imprints. The rear hub should have a date. 1950s on this bike is certainly a possibility. Going by frame serial number is tougher. I date the bikes usually by features; decals; and hub dates.
You'll have to keep an eye on eBay for a front fender, and may have to pay shipping to get one from England. The early, Superbe Green fenders from the 1960s and earlier in this size are hard to find in the U.S. The vast majority of rod brake roadsters in the U.S. today are black, plainer Raleigh DL1 models from the late 1960s through early 1980s.
Interestingly, some catalogs show only a large "24 inch frame" men's model, while others show a 22 inch frame. The catalog page above shows only the large size, but your bike is the smaller size. Perhaps the smaller size was only available in some markets (the Irish catalog has it, and apparently some came to the U.S. as well).
The Dawn series is a different bike. The Dawn is a rod brake version of the 26 inch wheel Raleigh Sports. The Dawn series frames generally have braze-up seat stays; lower bottom bracket; and the rain gutter Sports-type fenders. The frame angle is tighter than the Tourist series.
Determining the year of the bike is really a matter of looking at the features and hub imprints. The rear hub should have a date. 1950s on this bike is certainly a possibility. Going by frame serial number is tougher. I date the bikes usually by features; decals; and hub dates.
You'll have to keep an eye on eBay for a front fender, and may have to pay shipping to get one from England. The early, Superbe Green fenders from the 1960s and earlier in this size are hard to find in the U.S. The vast majority of rod brake roadsters in the U.S. today are black, plainer Raleigh DL1 models from the late 1960s through early 1980s.
Tyberius
Look Ma, No Hands!
Sir Mike- thanks! I understand you're the authority on these. You're absolutely right, its a 22" frame with 28" wheels. I'm so excited to have it and begin the renovations. As of this afternoon, I may...MAY have found the very last new old stock front fender out there -complete with green and gold pinstriping. It is on it's way and we'll see in 4-28 days.
My ride has, somewhat inexplicably, a three speed Sturmey Dynohub. Upon closer inspection it's a 57 date stamped into it.
It's dizzing the number of iterations / models one could get, compounded by the fact the design didn't change much over 20 years. I remember seeing a "Top Gear" episode once about how one could order some hateful Leyland car in about a dozen trim packages depending on one's percieved status - I guess you didn't want to accidentally outshine your boss with a tricked out DL3 Raleigh.
My ride has, somewhat inexplicably, a three speed Sturmey Dynohub. Upon closer inspection it's a 57 date stamped into it.
It's dizzing the number of iterations / models one could get, compounded by the fact the design didn't change much over 20 years. I remember seeing a "Top Gear" episode once about how one could order some hateful Leyland car in about a dozen trim packages depending on one's percieved status - I guess you didn't want to accidentally outshine your boss with a tricked out DL3 Raleigh.
Tyberius
Look Ma, No Hands!
Its here! Its here! The replacement front fender for the Superbe finally got here from Canada. Not exactly "new old stock" as described but beggars can't be choosers and the price was right. The slight beat-upness I think will go well with the bike. I about had a stroke when I saw the package - just bubble-wrap and a mailing label but somehow got here without being folded in half or crunched. Anyway, I think I've sourced everything else - grips, rear tail light. The only thing that it looks like I'll have to make or MacGuiver is the rubber cap to the battery tube...unless someone knows something...
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