Help needed to date a 50-80 year old Raleigh bike.

[biggs682]

I am sure my lbs told me once that there were only a limited amount of key codes used on these barrels

 

[raleighnut]

I am sure my lbs told me once that there were only a limited amount of key codes used on these barrels

yep they weren't much of a security device, they just stopped 'scrotes' riding off on them.

 

[biggs682]

yep they weren't much of a security device, they just stopped 'scrotes' riding off on them.

Doubt they would as you could just pull a long wheelie

 

[ChrisEyles]

@SkipdiverJohn yes, the frame in the OPs pics does look very similar to my sports. Can't tell from the photos, but mine has a very slightly downward sloping top tube, which I thought was kind of unusual.

Have to say I far prefer the 26" wheel sports to the 28" wheel popular. Originally I was going to keep the popular as it was "nicer" and older (1937 Vs 1950something), but couldn't bring myself to sell the sports.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd quite happily own both 26" and 28" roadsters; old-school heavy 28's seem to just trundle along rolling over everything in their path without fuss but aren't so keen on changing direction, whereas 26's with less slack geometry feel far more nimble and involving to ride, but don't have quite the same feel of invincibility about them. It's horses for courses as always. For urban use I think the 26" light roadster has just the right mix of stability and comfort combined with being manoeuvrable.

 

[avecReynolds531]

Really enjoyed this thread - thanks.

Brand new to the world of vintage roadsters: I was kindly given an Elswick Light Roadster - spared from a demise at the tip & needing a lot of work. It's been identified as a 1960 frame with a 63 SA hub. Pin striped mudguards and deep burgundy paint are just lovely.

Sheldon Brown has written about his enthusiam for English 3 speed bikes: 'From the 1930's through the 1960's, English-made 3-speed bicycles were, in some respects, the ultimate in human-powered transportation.'

There's also a long running series at bike forums called 'For the love of English 3 speeds' which is currently at 897 pages long!

 

[biggs682]

@avecReynolds531 these older steel bikes get addictive and interesting .

Any pictures of your Elswick ?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'm a big fan of English 3-speeds with Sturmey hub gears myself. They make for extremely practical and sturdy bikes that require minimal maintenance and are a pleasure to ride in urban traffic because of the ability to change gear whilst waiting at traffic lights. Sheldon Brown's comments were spot on, and when I first read them some time back, I found myself agreeing with every word.
Your Elswick would certainly interest me, just like Mr Biggs. They made some pretty decent and possibly under-appreciated bikes, but maybe lacking the instant familiarity of Raleigh. They must have also been the largest scale manufacturer never to have been taken over by the TI/Raleigh empire.

 

[avecReynolds531]

Totally agree, the old bikes get addictive & interesting.

A few photos of the1960 Elswick Light Roadster - being kept elsewhere at the moment as I don't have any space.

...rear brake under the chain stays

love that handlebar

Miller (of Birmingham) dynamo & lights

bolted in seat stays

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Glad you saved that one, would be a shame to see it get scrapped. Interesting that you describe it as a light roadster though, because the rear triangle construction and rod brakes are typical of a heavy model roadster. However, the chainguard belongs in the "light" category! Are the wheels 26" or 28"?

My Raleigh is also a bit of an oddity. At first glance it looks like a traditional "heavy", with the rod brakes and fully enclosed chaincase - but it has 26 x 1 3/8" wheels and the fully-brazed frame is the same type as used on the Raleigh Sports light roadster. So it has the solid mechanical feel of a heavy, but the frame geometry gives it the handling of a light model....It weighs 40 lbs, which is heavy for a light roadster, but light for a heavy roadster.

.

 

[avecReynolds531]

Thanks SkipdiverJohn, that Raleigh is beautiful. Yes, the seat angle looks much more road bike than roadster (from what I've seen), and the mix of heavy and light in design and construction is interesting. I'm totally new to roadsters, so this is all learning.

I just have posted a thread on the Elswick - where to start with it - and hope to learn a lot more.

I didn't know anything about the bike and struggled to find any information: I was grateful to the marque enthusiast at V-CC, who identified the model & year and sent a scanned copy of the 1960 catalogue page. The wheels are 26 inch.

 

[avecReynolds531]

I'm a big fan of English 3-speeds with Sturmey hub gears myself. They make for extremely practical and sturdy bikes that require minimal maintenance and are a pleasure to ride in urban traffic because of the ability to change gear whilst waiting at traffic lights. Sheldon Brown's comments were spot on, and when I first read them some time back, I found myself agreeing with every word.
Your Elswick would certainly interest me, just like Mr Biggs. They made some pretty decent and possibly under-appreciated bikes, but maybe lacking the instant familiarity of Raleigh. They must have also been the largest scale manufacturer never to have been taken over by the TI/Raleigh empire.

Thanks, the many years of road bikes had kept me blind in ignorance. When I first read Sheldon's articles on 3 speeds, I couldn't believe it - but you realise how little you know & how narrow your cycling experience has been.
I appreciate your comments re Elswick design and output - I picked up the same view after reading Nigel Land's excellent history of Elswick & Hopper.
The nearly 900 pages of 3 speed admiration at bike forums will be my next stop.