Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rootes75 · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 12:47 pm Post subject: Identifying a year and model?

This is a bicycle that I have owned for many years, I bought it at a large agricultural auction and paid from memory £15.

It is a Raleigh bicycle, has a Sturmey Archer AW hub and a lovely sprung Brooks leather seat.

I have tried to identify it by the number stamped on the frame below the seat but it doesn't tie up with any that I can find on Google. The number stamped is 64955 (or possible 54955), there are no letters punched.

Anyone on the forum offer any help?

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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

I've only had a quick look at the following, and I'm sure you've seen this anyway, but it seems that SA hubs are/sometimes are dated - does anything show on yours?

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/dating.html

RJ
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Rootes75 · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 1:43 pm Post subject:

No Rick,

It is only stamped 'Sturmey Archer AW'.

I think the bicycle is pre-war but the number on the frame doesn't tie up with anything.
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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Ah, I'd guess at late 1930s judging by the gear selector. Was the white section on the tail end of the mudguard, added for cycling during a blackout?

No dates on the dynamo?

RJ
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Rootes75 · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:27 pm Post subject:

I have had a trawl through Google and found another site with a similar question, that bike has a 5 figure number starting with '54***' and no letters. It looks very similar and they are dating it to 1937.

I have also read that the white on the mudguard was added on bikes during the war.

Do you think the dynamo would be original or an add on in later life?
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Rootes75 · Posted: Fri May 01, 2020 7:13 pm Post subject:

I have found another number stamped on the underside of the frame, it reads 814699.

If that were the frame number acording to the Sheldon Brown website that would make year of manufacture as 1923??
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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 2:49 pm Post subject:

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4756 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
When BB say's the bottle dynamo would have been added later, we should bear in mind that "later" can also mean "at point of sale" my first Hercules didn't have dyno/hub (available as a rear, gear/lights hub or a front, lights only hub) so I had a rear wheel, bottle dynamo, fitted as new.
My later Holdsworth I had a front wheel, bottle dynamo, fitted from new
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Rootes75 · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2020 6:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks Chaps.

I have since pumped the tyres up (after finding a suitable old style adaptor!), and have taken it out for a spin.

Its actually quite a pleasant bike to ride but you certainly feel higher up than a modern bike.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.