Anyone love their Raleigh so much that they want to buy the company

[Mad Doug Biker]

would you ever get raleigh back to the good old days i doubt it

Maybe not, but what an adventure it would be trying!

 

[biggs682]

not saying they should not be saved , but could be an expensive white elephant

 

[Paul J]

Why buy a company that manufactures abroad? Why not buy a name that used to manufacture and has gone out of business like a phoenix rising from the ashes. You mentioned Carlton but I remember my dad having an old Norman Cycle and my cousin a Riley.

 

[compo]

I have a 20 odd year old Raleigh, one of the remaining few actually built in Nottingham. It is still going strong. It's only had new wheels, new transmission, new bottom bracket, new brake calipers and levers, new saddle, new pedals and a new headset. It's all original apart from that though.

 

[tyred]

I lived for a time on Raleigh Street in Nottingham. The story went that the first Raleigh factory had been located on the street and the company took its name from it. Any truth in that?

AFAIK, The original Raleigh bikes were produced in blacksmith's workshop in Raleigh street, c 1885. A rich industrialist called Frank Bowden (of Bowden cable fame) had health issues and was ordered to take up cycling by a Harley street specialist (where can I find a GP like that) and tried many different bikes but favoured the Raleigh produced machine. He wanted to meet the men who made it, and he found a small workshop producing about 3 bikes a week. He decided it was so good that it deserved to be sold to a wider audience and bought the company and built a huge purpose built factory, somewhere on the outskirts of Nottingham to mass produce it. He used the name Raleigh Cycle Works to maintain the link with the original company, and they very quickly became very successful and probably set the benchmark for quality in a mass produced bike for the next half century or so. They bought the patents/manufacturing rights to the Sturmey Archer hub gear in 1903. The Raleigh bikes were sold pretty much the world over with factories in the USA, Canada, Dublin , Australia amongst others (and wasn't Gazelle originally a Dutch sub-company of Raleigh or did I imagine reading that somewhere?).

 

[simon.r]

Most of the old Raleigh site (possibly not the original site, but the large Triumph Road site) is now occupied by the University Of Nottingham.

I went to a lecture there recently, given by Andrew Ritchie (founder of Brompton), where an academic from the uni spoke about the 'production of knowledge having replaced the production of bicycles' on the site

 

[Haitch]

AFAIK, The original Raleigh bikes were produced in blacksmith's workshop in Raleigh street, c 1885.

Thanks for that, tyred. Interesting information.

(and wasn't Gazelle originally a Dutch sub-company of Raleigh or did I imagine reading that somewhere.

According to Gazelle's site, the company began by importing bikes from England in 1892 (initially just the one) but it doesn't say what make.

 

[MarkF]

Norton Commando, twelve and a half grand for a bike producing only 78 BHP? That's Harley Davidson territory.

They're limiting themselves to a very small niche market.

Who in their right mind would buy a 78bhp £12.5k bike if it didn't have an iconic name/image like "Norton" on/with it?

Norton sold for millions and it really was just the name, "Raleigh", that business is worth a fortune.

 

[Chris S]

Looks like it will be bought by the Dutch:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/05/raleigh-sale-not-end-of-road

 

[tyred]

You have to wonder which direction they will take it, trade of the upmarket heritage, Brooks style, aim for the high end of the market or continue to market cheap shoot through catalogues.

 

[Rando]

You have to wonder which direction they will take it, trade of the upmarket heritage, Brooks style, aim for the high end of the market or continue to market cheap shoot through catalogues.

Farly cheap considering the spec.......but not exactly sh*t when compared to other brands that cost more with less kit.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/raleigh/avanti-carbon-race-2011-road-bike-ec028454#features

 

[Chromatic]

I have a 20 odd year old Raleigh, one of the remaining few actually built in Nottingham. It is still going strong. It's only had new wheels, new transmission, new bottom bracket, new brake calipers and levers, new saddle, new pedals and a new headset. It's all original apart from that though.

Your bike is Trigger's broom and ICMFP

 

[deanE]

If everyone chipped in, we could buy it and make bikes we want!

How much would it take? How many CycleChat members are there?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

How much would it take? How many CycleChat members are there?

Well, if people on here can afford fancy expensive bikes with all the trimmings, then.....

I think we are too late now anyway.

 

[compo]

I have a 20 odd year old Raleigh, one of the remaining few actually built in Nottingham. It is still going strong. It's only had new wheels, new transmission, new bottom bracket, new brake calipers and levers, new saddle, new pedals and a new headset. It's all original apart from that though.

Your bike is Trigger's broom and ICMFP

Sorry. My bike is Arkwright's broom. My fivers safe.