1940s and 50s: Schwinn and Raleigh Quality

I took a couple of rides this weekend, despite the high heat and humidity here.

Friday evening, I rode this really nice 1958 Raleigh Sports 4-speed. The Raleigh really is a classic, conservative-looking bicycle that displays a high degree of quality. Black is a classic Raleigh color, and both the paint and graphics on this Sports are great.




We're in the long days of the year, though the days are now starting to shorten. We have plenty of daylight, and the slightly cooler air of evening is better than the high heat of the mid-afternoon.






The following evening, I took out this 1947 Schwinn Continental.

The Continental is probably the "coolest" bike that I own, particularly because it was a higher-end bike and is in such great condition. The blue paint is in excellent shape, and the silver, winged graphics are really impressive.



Schwinn went all-out on this bike: Cro-Mo frame, hand-brazed joints, aluminum parts, heavy-duty saddle, stainless fenders and rims, double-butted spokes, and monogram "AS" bolts. This bike was really a high-end piece when it was built in 1947 and it still is quite impressive.