RE: [CR]1947 Raleigh Track Bike(?) on Ebay

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

In-Reply-To: <19C5E55F.08B16D5D.00211578@netscape.net>
From: "neil foddering" <neilfoddering@hotmail.com>
To: raleypc@netscape.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: RE: [CR]1947 Raleigh Track Bike(?) on Ebay
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 09:30:40 +0000


It looks like a 1930's RRA to me, too, and I agree that the chainset appears to be the one illustrated in the 1938 catalogue on the Silver Record and Golden Arrow models. It's certainly different from the one on my 1930's RRA, which is the same pattern as the one illustrated on the RRA in the catalogue.

The tubing might give a clue. For the RRA, the catalogue lists Reynolds High Manganese chain stays, seat stays and fork blades, with 22g Molybdenum (I would guess plain gauge 531(?) - it doesn't actually use this designation) tubing in the frame diamond. For the Silver Record, Chrome Molybdenum and high carbon tubing is specified, whilst for the lower specification Golden Arrow, the type of tubing is not specified. If this machine is indeed 531, as the vendor states, then I reckon it's most likely an RRA, despite the chainset. Unfortunately, the eBay page doesn't have a photo of a 531 decal on the frame, so we can't say whether it's marked as such, or whether it's conjecture on the vendor's part.

A couple more points:

first, it isn't a track model. I assume that the vendor believes this because it has fixed gears, but this was quite normal at that time for a clubman's or racing model. The bars are Lauterwasser touring pattern (as specified for the Golden Arrow), there are mudguard eyes, pump pegs and brake drillings, and forward facing dropouts;

second, there appears to be a decal (8th photo from the top) on which the second word appears to be "MODEL" so an email to the vendor might solve the riddle!

Neil Foddering


>From: raleypc@netscape.net
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]1947 Raleigh Track Bike(?) on Ebay
>Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 19:47:54 -0400
>
>Any ideas on this one?  I have doubts about the lister's description of the
>bikes pedagree....
>http://ebay.com/<blah>
>
>Sort of looks like a prewar RRA with the chrome fork and radial spoked
>front wheel.  But, the chainset would not be correct for an RRA, either pre
>or postwar.  A Raleigh Golden Arrow model perhaps?
>
>Paul Raley
>Leonardtown MD
>
>
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