1926 Raleigh Catalogue - Miniature Consumer Catalogue

 

Arriving earlier this week is this very interesting, very old Raleigh mini catalogue from around 1926. This catalogue is about 100 years old and gives a glimpse into the old-style, traditional bicycles of that period. 

The 1920s were a conservative period for Raleigh and Sturmey Archer. The companies built tried-and-true designs, such as the Model K hub and the various rod brake roadsters. These bicycles pre-date the more "modern" sporting and light roadster bikes we think of today. Raleigh and Sturmey Archer were more innovative in the 1930s, with the arrival of more cable brake models such as the "Sports" series, and newer hubs such as the AW and AB series. 

 

We also must not forget the terrible toll taken by the First World War, known in those days as "The Great War". The horrors of that war were still fresh in British memory in 1926. It is estimated that between 880,000 and 890,000 British servicemen were killed, with over 1.6 million wounded in a little over four years of fighting. This is not to mention the additional killed and wounded from the wider British empire and dominions.

After such trauma, the 1920s were both a conservative time for Raleigh and Sturmey Archer, and a more optimistic one generally in Britain, as it emerged from the horrors of war. Unfortunately, this optimism was wiped out by the great depression and the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

 

Raleigh's return to the United States was also still several years away. I've written previously about early "modern" lightweight bikes and an early Raleigh USA sales brochure dating to about 1934. Raleigh was basically conservative (or "bearish" in stock market speak) on the US market. They had a tough go of things in the 1890s and did not want to re-visit their failure in the US market. Eventually Raleigh enthusiast Hamilton Osgood, of Boston, Massachusetts, would push Raleigh to return to the US market in the 1930s.

Overall, this 1926 catalogue gives us a glimpse of Raleigh in the post-WW1 era - a fundamentally conservative time for Raleigh, before the innovations and upheavals of the 1930s. 

A pdf of this 1926 catalogue can be downloaded from the Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange, HERE. 

A pdf of the 1934 Raleigh sales brochure can also be found at the CABE, see HERE. 

 

Another Option in 26 x 1 3/8 (650A / 590mm) Rims - Van Schothorst

 I'm always hunting for good quality wheel parts for old three speed bikes. Good wheels breathe life into an old bike, whether vintage, upgraded, or modified. I prefer to use vintage parts that are generally consistent with the presentation of a vintage bike. I like an old-style rim that fits with the period in which the bike was made, even if the rim itself is not quite that old.

I wrote previously about Alesa aluminum rims in the 26 x 1 3/8 (590mm "650A") size. Those aluminum rims are a vintage item, Made in Belgium. They have roughly an Endrick rim width, but with a center ridge similar to a Westrick/Raleigh pattern rim. Interestingly, Weinmann made a very similar rim in the USA for a number of years. I have a set of those as well, and they are similar to the Alesa but a little more heavy-duty. Both are 36 hole rims and would look reasonably at home on a vintage three speed bike. 

This week, I received another vintage 26 x 1 3/8 set of rims: Van Schothorst steel rims. These rims are also 36 hole types. These VS rims are fairly heavy-duty and pretty well finished. There aren't any rough spots or seams on the outside that would catch your brake pads. Interestingly, they are the opposite of the Alesa/Weinmann rims: they are roughly of a Westrick/Raleigh rim's width, but without the center ridge. They're wider than a traditional Endrick rim.

 

VS Rims - the insides are coated with a non-slip paint

These rims are made in Holland, which makes sense given the large number of utility bikes available in that country. I don't know how widely available these rims are in the USA or Britain today, but apparently old stocks of them do occasionally show up. 

 

Rim information clearly presented - I like this feature of the VS rim

These rims won't solve the perennial problem of "I need a new rim with 32 holes in front and 40 holes in back", which tends to plague older English-made bikes. But if you have 36-hole hubs available, they are an option to build up a nice wheel set for an English bike. They also could be used to convert a Schwinn or other American-made three speed to the more common 650A/590mm tire size, down from the less common 597mm or 599mm size. 

Westrick/Raleigh pattern width, but without the center ridge

 

A short guide to these various replacement rims:

•  If you're looking for lightness, the Alesa, Weinmann, or Sun CR18 is better than the VS.
• If you're looking to maintain the width of your Westrick/Raleigh rims, the VS is better than the Alesa/Weinmann.
• If you're looking for durability, the VS is the heavier-built rim.
• If you're looking for better braking, the Weinmann, Alesa, or Sun is better.
• If you need 32h or 40h new rims, the Sun CR18 is the best option. 
• If you need 32h or 40h dead stock rims, original Raleighs are your best bet. 

Handling Imperfections, New and Old

The 1940 New World project continues. Every project has its challenges, sometimes through years or use, shipping damage, or even manufacturing defects.

Let's take a look at a manufacturing defect inherent on these pre-1945 New World bikes. These bikes have wire fender braces, which was typical for that time. Less typically, the braces are mounting by drilling and screwing through them rather than holding them in brackets. This represents a mixture of English style (wire braces) and American style (drilling and riveting the braces) construction.

At the factory, it appears that the process was very simple - shape the wire brace, then stamp it where it needed to be flat. No extra material seems to have been added to the spine where it would be drilled for the rivet. The result is a weak spot where the rivet hole was placed.

 

An old break... Which Still Should be Fixed

Above you can see what happens to these braces. When this particular brace was drilled, the hole was a little off-center, leaving very little metal on one side. When the rivet was stamped into place, it cracked the thin side of the hole. This particular brace was carefully removed from the fender without any harm, so this break seems to have existed since 1940, when the bike was assembled. 

The basic solution here will be to either weld or braze the crack back together. A more permanent solution would be to weld or braze additional metal around this area to strengthen the brace. The solution will probably require a fair amount of grinding and shaping the joint, then some re-drilling of the hole (hopefully more on-center this time). These braces are notorious for cracking or totally breaking right around this rivet hole. 

Schwinn ultimately (and wisely) replaced this style of brace with their heavy-duty type fender braces shortly after WWII ended. The later braces are much, much stronger than the pre-1945 types. Although the wire braces is simple, and in some ways elegant, the later braces are much more practical.  The higher-end Continental of the late 1940s used wire braces that were held in place by brackets (no drilling of the wire), which worked much better.

Wire bracket-wire braces on a 1947 Continental

 

The decision whether to fix an old imperfection is a judgment call. Sometimes these imperfections are just cosmetic, so nothing need be done (or should be done, for sake of originality). 

The decision is usually a bit clearer with new injuries to the bike. 

Cracks - not terrible, but should be fixed just the same...

The above photo shows cracks from stress and shipping damage. These pre-1945 New World fenders use slotted-and riveted brackets. A slot is cut in the fender, the bracket is inserted and then riveted into place. Later New Worlds used external brackets riveted to the surface, without cutting the fender. Again, the later solution is the more robust even if not quite as elegant and low-profile. 

In this case, we can see the origins... the bottom of the bike box broke open and the bike was delivered upside down, with all the weight resting on the top of the fender. The box was open as you see below. The mechanized delivery systems can be rough on these old bikes... I'm just lucky the entire bike arrived without anything major missing from it.

A Worrying Sight on Arrival...

 

In this case, the cracks can be brazed or welded and smoothed. If these cracks were not near the bracket or in a weight-bearing area, they could be mended using sheet metal perpendicular to the crack, and JB Weld epoxy.

My approach to these newer imperfections is to fix them, even if cosmetic. I don't mind "honest wear" or something that came with the bike when it was made, but I have a dislike for shipping damage, abuse, or neglect injuries to the bike. All of this kind of work goes into refurbishing an old bike, particularly an 85+ year old machine such as this one.