I actually rode her into work the first day I had her. Had to mount my MiNewt headlight on for early morning riding in the Pacific NW. Doesn't quite match though. I need to find another Elite headlight for this one...
charles
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Pictures - Brown Raleigh Twenty
.. finally, here they are.
Side view. I put the Brooks saddle on to test ride her around a bit. I found a Pletscher rack at Recycled Cycles. The stays are a bit long, so the back of the rack is higher than the front. I just fixed that today.
Friends forever!!
Ouch! There are a few scratches, but for the most part, she's in great shape.
I don't need to hunt around for a pump on this one.
I think this one is a couple years older than the green one. The fenders are frame colored with white on the back one. The reflector on this one looks a bit older too.
Head on...
I actually rode her into work the first day I had her. Had to mount my MiNewt headlight on for early morning riding in the Pacific NW. Doesn't quite match though. I need to find another Elite headlight for this one...
charles
I actually rode her into work the first day I had her. Had to mount my MiNewt headlight on for early morning riding in the Pacific NW. Doesn't quite match though. I need to find another Elite headlight for this one...
charles
Hi Charles,
ReplyDeleteI would think they are very close to the same age, check the rear hub dates. (Stamped near the AW logo should be numbers like 72 4 which would indicate 4th month 1972.)
Interesting the difference in the fenders, I always thought that was an indication of an earlier bike, but yours have the later decals ~1977 is when the R logo on the seat post appeared.
You can still get a Pletscher rack for the 20" wheel. Check with Thor USA.
Good Looking bikes!
Aaron
Hey Aaron,
ReplyDeleteGood point on the hub dating. I haven't had a chacne to even look with this crazy job of mine. I wish I could make money working on snazzy little bikes like these!
I think this bike has undergone a little work, despite it looking stock. The stem (which is usually attached to the brake block bolt by a wire to prevent it from coming out too far) is free to pull out all the way. The pedals look to be not original. They may have replaced fenders??
You seem to have a pretty good handle on a time-line for these based on decal and ornamentation. Have you posted it somewhere?
I actually modified the rack I found for free. Nothing a drill press and hacksaw couldn't take care of in short order... :-)
charles
The pedals appear to be replacements, the stem not being attached at the brake bolt means at some point someone took the stem completely out or the brakes completely off for some reason. My bike has the wire disconnected too, so I could sneak the stem a 1/2" higher.
ReplyDeleteMost of the information I have on decals and stuff is just gleaned from a variety of sites on the net and just being observant. As well as being a huge fan of the Raleigh bikes and British bikes in general.
I believe we have 8 vintage Raleighs and two modern ones. And at least 3 more vintage British bikes. The British really were the king of cycle production up until the 1970's when the bike boom hit.
Aaron