| just got a 1953 raleigh,has the dynohub and it looks like it has a battery pack also on the downpost,,is it suppose to have both,also the front fork has a built in locking assy is that common?am going to tear it apart and clean it up.also has a brooks b66 saddle,do you know if thats original?thanks by: 71.112.173.224 |
| You evidently are the fortunate owner of a 1953 Raleigh Superbe. Yes to your dynohub and locking fork question. It is my guess that the battery pack was probably added as an accessory by someone other than the original owner.I Believe that the Brooks saddle is original. Good luck with your Raleigh. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy my 1966 Superbe. Ed. by: 152.163.100.198 |
| A tip - Much frustration 'tearing apart' the forks from the frame is avoided if you lock the lock - pick it if you don't have the key - Nat by: 155.144.251.120 |
| Corrections: in the early fifties, the locking fork was an option on several Raleighs, not just Superbes. If it's green, it's a Superbe. If it is any other color, it isn't (although the very last Superbes built in the late 70s and 80s were available in Coffee, I think). I have a black '52 Raleigh Sports with locking fork, and it is all original. I also have three Superbes, 1950, 1959 and 1961, all in Raleigh Green. Later Superbes were Bronze Green, a metallic color used on Sports and other Raleighs, but I prefer the old, non-metallic Raleigh Green, which looks like a vintage British lawn mower color. Or a prewar Blower Bentley. Or maybe a wheelbarrow. Anyhow, it looks very fine on a bicycle, accented with gold lining and decals. Also, the battery pack was used on all Superbes in the 50s as well as some other Raleighs. Known as a Dry Battery Unit, or DBU, it contained rechargeable cells that kicked in when the bicycle stopped moving, so you were not sitting in darkness at a traffic light, for example. Once you started moving again, the batteries switched off and you were on Dynohub power. The casing should say "DBU" someplace. Raleigh three and four speed bicycles built in the fifties were the very finest of the breed, beautifully made to last a lifetime. They are a bit heavy, especially with dynohubs, carriers, and so on, but for riding around town, they are just ideal. Does yours have an enclosed gearcase and rod brakes? Three or four-speed hub? And of course, a leather Brooks saddle? Enjoy this machine! Geoff by: 216.153.152.113 |
| Corrections: in the early fifties, the locking fork was an option on several Raleighs, not just Superbes. If it's green, it's a Superbe. If it is any other color, it isn't (although the very last Superbes built in the late 70s and 80s were available in Coffee, I think). I have a black '52 Raleigh Sports with locking fork, and it is all original. I also have three Superbes, 1950, 1959 and 1961, all in Raleigh Green. Later Superbes were Bronze Green, a metallic color used on Sports and other Raleighs, but I prefer the old, non-metallic Raleigh Green, which looks like a vintage British lawn mower color. Or a prewar Blower Bentley. Or maybe a wheelbarrow. Anyhow, it looks very fine on a bicycle, accented with gold lining and decals. Also, the battery pack was used on all Superbes in the 50s as well as some other Raleighs. Known as a Dry Battery Unit, or DBU, it contained rechargeable cells that kicked in when the bicycle stopped moving, so you were not sitting in darkness at a traffic light, for example. Once you started moving again, the batteries switched off and you were on Dynohub power. The casing should say "DBU" someplace. Raleigh three and four speed bicycles built in the fifties were the very finest of the breed, beautifully made to last a lifetime. They are a bit heavy, especially with dynohubs, carriers, and so on, but for riding around town, they are just ideal. Does yours have an enclosed gearcase and rod brakes? Three or four-speed hub? And of course, a leather Brooks saddle? Enjoy this machine! Geoff by: 216.153.152.113 |
| One exception Geoff...I've got a 1958-59 Superbe in a gun metal grey with chromed fork tips and locking fork. The deals are completely different than any others I've seen by: 206.47.145.31 |
| I meant the decals are different. It also had EA1 rims on it...bizarre. by: 70.51.139.81 |
| i also have a '53 with the dynohub, I'm lookin for the light and how to connect it all. -paul by: 68.91.26.223 |
| I don't know if this thread is still active, but .. The DBU did hold three cells, they were standard D cell batteries and the bicycle light will have a three way switch to swap between battery, dynamo and off. Geoff is more likely to be describing the FSU (filter switching unit) which had three accumulators and these were charged by the dynamo to priovide a standlight when the bike was stationery. I'm in the process of trying to get a local manufacturer to make me a few DBU/FSU outer cases so I can restore my 57 Rudge. Is there anyone else who would be interested in buying one from me at cost? by: 86.142.255.206 |
| Hey Kurt (and others who might be interested), I have just listed a 1976 Raleigh Sprite on eBay for a friend of mine. Item number 7191715744. I'm not real knowledgeable about these bikes but this seems like a nice bike. by: 24.230.68.58 |
| A three spedd Sprite with 27" wheels! VERY nice! I have the same machine with a 5-speed derailleur... in the process of cleanup, etc. Have been pondering converting it to three-speed but thought that would have been sans precedent. Now I know... they actually were made that way! Best of luck with the auction. A nice machine! Cheers! Larry "Boneman" Bone by: 193.38.171.31 |
| Hello Gordon - sorry for the delay - power is still out down here, and the computer is hooked up to the generator. Thanks for the heads up there. Those 25" frames are a tad too big for me - my max is 24". By the way, take a look at the '77 Raleigh catelouge under the Sprite page - the three speed variant is listed there. Looks to me like you have an early '77 there with a '76 dated hub. The pre-76 models would have had the conventional hockey-stick chainguard (and I believe the 3 speed Sprite debuted in '77). Take care, -Kurt by: 152.163.100.198 |
| $225 for a pair!!! Item 6571712486...does the low bid invalidate the "Buy it Now"? by: 70.51.138.27 |
| No not until the reserve is met by: 68.188.46.181 |
| ahhhh...local pickup only. Anyone here from Ohio? by: 70.51.138.27 |
| Have just restored a Raleigh Tourist Roadster, rod brakes, and my first encounter with these - does anyone have a good website for information on the care and feeding of rod brakes ? Thanks, TL 415 309-8025 by: 4.243.230.94 |
| Most info you might need can be had right here--these guys really know rod brakes!I have the mantance book scaned if you need it--not a lot of info--general stuff mostly---sam by: 68.91.252.235 |
| http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Antique-1945-Raleigh-Bicycle-England-Bike-NR_W0QQitemZ6572074582QQcategoryZ420QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem by: 68.91.252.235 |