Re: [CR] Do the English love Raleighs?

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:52:13 -0800
From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@yahoo.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Do the English love Raleighs?


Jerry,

"I've no quibble with your comments save one. You can hardly give away an old Raleigh in England. I've heard on more than one occasion that they're considered junk over there with the possible exception of the Team bikes. They had so many other local quality builders that put mass-produced Raleighs to shame. Many of the Raleigh models we saw in the States seem to never have been sold in their country of origin. I'd say Carltons are more highly regarded over there as are all the London builders. Maybe our English friends can chime in on this but I've heard most club racers wouldn't be seen dead on a Raleigh."

George Allen Lexington, Ky USA

George-- they couldn't buy a quality Reynolds 531 tube Raleigh badged machine in the UK c. 1960-74! What we think of a Raleigh in this category were sold in the UK as Carltons. The only quality Raleigh bdaged 531 frameset in the early 1960s sold in the UK was the Record T.O.B. (Tour of Britain) which are rare indeed. And these were badged for any of the TI-owned marques, a lovely example recently on eBay as a Dunelt for example.

It wasn't until the SBDU (Specialist Bicycle Development Unit) was set up at Ilkeston in 1974 that Raleigh re-entered the high echelon racing cycle market in the UK and Europe. That product needs no introduction around here or should. The only British-made frameset to win the TdF was, of course, Ilkeston-built. When Ilkeston closed down in 1984, top-grade lightweights badged as Raleighs continued to be built at the Lenton, Nottingham works and the Carlton name was phased out in the UK market.

Raleigh Record Aces were certainly not distained on the time trial circuit either before the war or indeed after. In September 1956 Ray Booty set the record for 100 miles at 3h 28m 40s. On an RRA. And with an AC Sturmey-Archer hub gear. That record stood for 34 years. And of course we all know about Reg Harris and track cycling, all done on an RRA track bike. Cyril Peacock was another champion of the velodrome riding Nottingham iron.

Do the English love Raleighs? Probably not as much as we Americans whose first "real" bicycles were Raleighs and when having a real Raleigh "English Racer" was cooler than owning the Corgi 007 Aston Martin replica.

Peter Kohler Washington DC USA

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