Arthur Metcalfe's 1964 Tour of Britain Bike

[Old Ned]

While flicking through my Sporting Cyclist magazine collection I came across this photo of Arthur Metcalfe during his 1964 Tour of Britain winning ride. He is riding a very nice looking Raleigh which, to me at any rate, doesn't look much like the sort of bikes Raleigh was producing for the general market at that time. Chrome forks and stays, chrome lugs and fork crown and chrome panelled seat tube. There is a model name (?) on the top tube but I can't make it out. TBH, seeing a top rider on a Raleigh BITD was not a common sight. Back then, British riders (amateurs of course) tended to ride their own bikes generally with frames from local builders in their area, and seeing a top British rider on what was generally considered a mass-produced bike was unusual. 1964 was, I believe, well before Special Products Division so does any Raleigh specialist here have any idea what this frame is? Was it a prototype for an intended foray into the specialist lightweight market?

 

[Spokesmann]

May well be a Carlton/Worksop frame, the fork crown is a little different to the usual Raleigh thimbles...

 

[Old Ned]

May well be a Carlton/Worksop frame, the fork crown is a little different to the usual Raleigh thimbles...

That was one of my thoughts too. Are those Capella lugs?

 

[Spokesmann]

Hard to tell, could well be, look at the headset they appear to be more like the usual Open Birds mouth type.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

Possibly a Raleigh Record Tour of Britain frame set ?.The pictures I have show a half chrome fork and a half chrome rear triangle .Built with Rynolds 531 butted .Sold as a frame set only .Wrap over rear stays & the bands on the seat tube look right .

IMG_1469 by rebalrid, on Flickr

 

[Old Ned]

That certainly fits the bill! Thank you. I reckon it's definitely one of those. I've been wondering for years what is was! Perhaps the ToB tag was added after Arthur's win? What is the date of the advert?

 

[Jonny69]

Would I be wrong to say I'd expect to see slotted holes in the hubs in the 1960s, not round ones? I thought round holes were a 1950s thing.

 

[Old Ned]

Would I be wrong to say I'd expect to see slotted holes in the hubs in the 1960s, not round ones? I thought round holes were a 1950s thing.

Looks like an Airlite hub to me along with the British Hub Co. QR lever. I'm sure they were still in the Holdsworthy Aids book in '64.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

No date on my catolague . Frame set priced at £18 18s 6d .4 colours. Raleigh Racing Blue
Racing Green, Jet Black, or Equipe Red . Chrome work on all colours as standard
Drop outs Benelux or Campagnolo . An expensive frame set .Worksop built as Mike said.

Front cover. Defintely early 60's .Raleigh Torch style head badge I reckon .
Raleigh Catalogue by rebalrid, on Flickr

 

[John Wr]

Re:

I remember being at a race finish in Hull at a time after Arthur Metcalfe had won the ToB, still 1964, and thinking for the time it was unusual for a successful rider to be using a Raleigh frame. I was stood near him after the race and the frame he rode on that day was a metallic dark blue colour.
John.