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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