Raleighs - Comparing Sports Lugs from the 1940s and 50s

Raleigh made a number of subtle changes to their famed Sports bikes in the 1940s and 50s. This included improved front fork ends, frame-brazed pulley bosses, more modern frame graphics, improved dynohub systems, rubber rather than cloth-covered brake cables, improved shifters, and more ornate frame lugs. 

I've talked earlier about the subtle evolution of front forks, so let us take a closer look at frame lugs. In this case, I'm comparing a 1947 Sports frame and a 1958 Sports frame.

 

Plain lug (1947)

The 1947 Sports lugs are the old lugs, which are quite plain and are described variously as "fish tail" or "fish mouth" (depending on which side you are looking at) lugs. This are traditional lugs that are very functional and understated. They go perfectly with the old-style graphics and paint schemes of these bikes.

Plain lug (1947)

The seat cluster lug of the old style is particularly plain, and has a very substantial appearance. It is straight-cut and extends fairly deeply into the top tube. It certainly is built for durability before style. A separate, clamp-on Sturmey Archer pulley is used for the shifter cable.

Old-Style (1947) Seat Cluster Lug

 

In the early 1950s, the old-style seat cluster lug gained a directly-mount boss so the pulley wheel could be mounted to the frame without a clamp. It is a hybrid of the pulley boss shown below on the later 1950s bike, but with the old-style lug of the late 1940s bike. These are transitional lugs because they combine the direct-mount pulley with the old style seat lug.

 

 

During the 1950s, Raleigh changed the lugs to be somewhat more ornate. The lugs are not as ornate as those found on the Clubman, but the Sports bikes did get a bit of embellishment. These lugs go nicely with the more ornate frame graphics of the later 1950s. 

Later 50s Lug (1958 Raleigh Sports)

 

The later 1950s seat lug is very different from the old-type. It has a deep cutaway with an ornate hook pattern. It also has a pulley boss mounted to the underside of the lug. A special pulley axle/stud is used to mount directly to the lug boss. 

Later 1950s Ornate Lug with Pulley Boss (1958 Sports Bike)

 

 

Bottom brackets also change a bit. In this case, the oiler port moved and settled on a more user-friendly, flip-cap type top. The spring-ball oiler does seal a bit better, but it is notoriously more difficult to use with a common oil bottle today. At the time, there was a thin-tip, needle oiler meant to go with this spring-ball oiler, though I don't have one in my tool bin. I prefer the flip-cap type for adding oil. The bottom bracket lug shape was largely the same, plain type. 

 

Late 1940s bottom bracket (1947)

 

Later 1950s Bottom Bracket (1958)

 

These kinds of changes show the subtle evolution of the Sports-style Raleigh frame. It's not that one is better than the other. Rather, they form a nice variety in the bikes from a collector and historical standpoint. Both of the bikes used in these examples, a 1947 Model 35 Sports and a 1958 Sports, ride beautifully and are representative of their particular eras of Raleigh history. I enjoy both. 

 

1947 Raleigh Model 35, and Saddle Position Talk

 

I took out the 1947 Raleigh Model 35 for a ride this week. The 1949 Schwinn had a successful, first "real" ride, so I changed it up later in the week and went with the Raleigh. The Model 35 was Raleigh's pre-war and early post-war "budget" version of the popular Raleigh Sports. The Model 35 came with minimal extras but still offered the great performance and handling of the Sports.

 Riding them back-to-back gives an appreciation that the Raleigh and the Schwinn handle differently. The Schwinn has a more relaxed, cruiser-like feel, versus the sportier and crisper handling of the Raleigh. The Raleigh is also lighter, owing to the brazed frame, and lack of chain guard and kickstand. Both are well-made, durable bikes. 

 

The Raleigh Sports family of bikes is probably the most "well-rounded" and versatile of all the vintage utility bikes.  It's stable enough to be comfortable in traffic, durable enough to be a commuter or grocery-getter, low-maintenance enough to be a daily rider, agile enough to handle narrow roads, and light enough to give lively performance when pushed. If you are limited to "just one" vintage bike of this style, the post-war Raleigh Sports and similar would be my suggestion. I know the rod brake roadsters and club bikes are also excellent machines, but nothing serves as the "jack of all trades" like the Sports family of bikes.

 

Some Talk About Saddle Position

I also have put up a new page with my notes on saddle position, including excerpts from an old Raleigh manual for how to set up a saddle. The basic lesson is use the manual as a "starting place" and then adapt the saddle position for what works for you. Don't be wedded to the manual if you need to fiddle with the saddle position to be comfortable. More on that discussion HERE. 

1949 Schwinn New World

 

The opalescent blue Schwinn New World is well along. It performed nicely during its first full-length ride. I added an Origin8 brass bell and did some very small adjustments on the brakes after the ride. But everything worked nicely and smoothly. It should be a good rider.

The paint is opalescent blue, which is a common color on Continentals from the late 1940s, but is very unusual on a New World. It was an added-cost option for the New World. The frame graphics are also in excellent shape.