Thursday, April 20, 2023

1940 Raleigh Sports Model 35

 

Several months ago, I acquired a Raleigh Model 35 Sports from a fellow collector. I've spent a few weeks gradually cleaning up and setting up this bike for use. This was not a complete go-over, but more a finish-up and set-up for me. 


 

This bike has a Raleigh Sports frame and fenders, old-style Endrick rims, Sturmey AW hub with no date on it, and the old-style longer pull-back North Road bars with stem-mounted lamp bracket. 


 

 It does not appear to ever have had a chain case or chain guard. The spindle and cranks are lower profile than a regular Raleigh Sports, and a chain guard or chain case will not fit the drive train.

 The head badge is an old-style, colorful type.

 The 1940 Raleigh catalog appears to show this bike:

 

 The rear fender has a red-colored heron and gold striping.


The previous owner was able to re-use the original brake cable housings and solder up new cable cores, which is a great help for the braking system. Shifter is a Sturmey Archer quadrant.

The frame decals are an old-style, small "All Steel Bicycle" type.


I fitted the bicycle with an old Wright's Olympic #75 roadster saddle and a very old, brass Lucas bell, both of which go nicely with this traditional bicycle.


 

 

Overall, the bicycle is in excellent shape for its age. I still have a few tweaks to make to getting the bicycle fitted to me, but I think this one will be a lot of fun, and something a little bit unusual.

Specs:

Raleigh No. 35 Sports

-Wheels: Endrick, 26 x 1-3/8 (ISO 590mm)

-Frame: 23 inch sports-type

-Hubs: Raleigh Sports front, Sturmey AW rear

-Brakes: Raleigh double-ended cable type calipers, steel.

-Tires: [originally Dunlops] Michelin World Tour 26 x 1-3/8

-Tubes: Dunlops with screw-down Shrader vales.

-Saddle: [originally a mattress horse hair saddle] Wright's Olympic No. 75

-Pedals: Raleigh pattern with rubber blocks and metal spurs.

-Handlebars: North Road, with longer pullback than later types.

 


 


 

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