Sunday, January 11, 2015

A pair of 1951 Raleigh Sports

Of the Raleigh Sports I've owned over the years, three have been virtually identical, 1951 models - all Raleigh Sports "C" Tourists, or built to resemble such.

The Sports "C" Tourist was a "light" version of the Sports Tourist; essentially the same, sans Dyno-Luxe dry battery unit, Dynohub, and lighting peripherals.

I still own two - one Gent's Model 21, and one Ladies' Model 21L. The ladies' example is a virtually all-original bike from Massachusetts, save for the saddle and missing grips, while the gents' bike is a build up from a bare frame that came from New York - only the fenders, frame, and headset are original to it (the chaincase, while correct based on the parts sold off the bike by the previous owner, is not the one that this bike left the assembly line with, nor does it wear factory enamel).

The original parts to the gent's bike - not all of which was successfully won on eBay - indicated a Model 21; but its present incarnation is closer to that of the Sports Tourist, complete with an FG Dynofour hub. Perhaps the greatest artistic license was taken with the rims - a pair of ~1954 Westrick stainless rims.

The photos below depict the two bikes over various times in my ownership. I do not plan to part with either of them.















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