Raleigh: The Great British Bicycle Company

[Canuk]

In 1965, Raleigh introduced the RSW 16, its long-awaited competitor to the hugely successful Moulton Bicycle. The new Raleigh shared several important features with the Moulton, including small wheels, an open frame and built-in luggage carrying capacity.


Late 1960s Raleigh RSW. The RSW was Raleigh's competitor to the fully suspended, and much more expensive Moulton Bicycle.


However, the RSW lacked the Moulton's suspension, which compensated for the bumpy ride that comes with small wheels.[24] Instead, Raleigh fitted the RSW with balloon tyres, which effectively smoothed the ride but at the cost of increased rolling resistance. Nevertheless, the RSW was pleasant to ride, and Raleigh's extensive retail network ensured its success.

The success of the RSW took sales away from the Moulton and put that maker into financial difficulties. Raleigh then bought out Moulton and produced both bikes until 1974. Raleigh also produced a sister model to the RSW, the 'Twenty', which was more successful and which remained in production well into the 1980s.

 

[Canuk]

Any RRA or Twenty owners on the forum?

 

[RobLoasby]

My brother has our dad’s 1948 red RRA. It featured in many of his touring articles for Cycling in the 60s and 70s, including one in North Wales where I rode it up Bwlch y Groes, and cooked the brakes descending down towards Bala. He wasn’t best pleased!

It had been upgraded to derailleur gears, and at one stage ran an early Sturmey/derailleur combi that he was asked by Raleigh to trial.

 

[Canuk]

My brother has our dad’s 1948 red RRA. It featured in many of his touring articles for Cycling in the 60s and 70s, including one in North Wales where I rode it up Bwlch y Groes, and cooked the brakes descending down towards Bala. He wasn’t best pleased!

It had been upgraded to derailleur gears, and at one stage ran an early Sturmey/derailleur combi that he was asked by Raleigh to trial.

Do you have any photos? There aren't many examples online.

 

[Canuk]

Raleigh had a long association with cycle sport. Most notable is the TI–Raleigh team of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1980 Joop Zoetemelk won the Tour de France on a Raleigh during which time Admiral Sports produced the jersey. In the mid-1980s the Raleigh team was co-sponsored by Panasonic. In 1984, riding Raleigh-badged bicycles, Team USA scored several impressive victories at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The company also supplied bicycles to the French Système U team in the late 1980s where Laurent Fignon lost the 1989 Tour de France to Greg LeMond by 8 seconds. The company's special products division made race frames, including those used by the Raleigh professional team of the 1970s. Presently Raleigh as a company owns the Diamondback Bike brand as well.

During the 1980s Raleigh also supported British professional teams, including Raleigh Banana and Raleigh Weinmann. Raleigh's most notable riders were Paul Sherwin, Malcolm Elliott, Mark Bell, Paul Watson, Jon Clay and Jeff Williams.[38] It also sponsored a mountain bike team in the early 1990s that also raced in road events.

 

[Canuk]

A very young Malcolm Elliott

 

[janus]

These are the great bikes. All along both professional and kids level, their going to be the best remembered and really stout if not very exciting right?

 

[Canuk]

1912 Raleigh (Green) with World War 1 Military attachments

 

[Canuk]

Europe exploded into war in August 1914 and the immediate effect of this was to give Raleigh sales a great boost. By September the government had ordered several thousand bicycles from Nottingham and a great many motorists had decided to return to the bicycle, the most economical means of transportation during the crisis. Inevitably the war brought some new problems, such as manpower. The Cycle Trader printed this report in October:

250 men from the Raleigh Cycle Works have either been called up or volunteered for active service, a result of which shows the patriotic spirit prevailing. The Messrs Bowden, the proprietors of the Raleigh Cycle Co, have always encouraged patriotism amongst their employees. The Company is making the same allowance as the War Office to all the dependents of all employees who have been called up.

But in spite of losing men, the company responded to the war situation by immediately bringing out some special new models. these included a constable’s bicycle which was fitted with specially strong tyres, was enamelled black all over and made rustproof and sold at £7 10/-.

There were also the ‘Scout’ and ‘Military’ models priced at £8 10/- and £6 19/- 6d respectively, both finished in khaki enamel. All these were in great demand and their durability was greatly praised. A member of the 10th Royal Hussars wrote to the company soon after the outbreak of war saying: "I am at the front and use a Raleigh every day for dispatch riding, sometimes over very long distances. The roads are very much cut up with heavy transport but the Raleigh ‘sticks it’ like a true Briton… I have been over the worst country out here, very often over fields, but my bicycle has never yet dodged its duty."

 

[Canuk]

These are the great bikes. All along both professional and kids level, their going to be the best remembered and really stout if not very exciting right?

Stout is about right for Raleigh bicycles if the fifties/Sixties