Confused About My Grandfather’s Old Raleigh Bike – Need Help Identifying It

[samanthacooke]

Hey everyone,

I’m hoping someone here can help me out. My grandfather recently passed, and he left me his old Raleigh bike. I’ve always loved the look of classic bikes, but I’m pretty clueless when it comes to identifying or understanding their details.

This Raleigh has been well-loved over the years, and it looks like it could be from the ‘50s or ‘60s, but I’m not really sure. It has the classic Raleigh headbadge, a steel frame, and what looks like original components (or at least, they look old enough to be). I’m struggling to figure out the exact model and year of this bike, and whether it’s something special or more common. There Is a ( what I believe is a frame number) at the top of the seat tube, this number is 186352.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DCLane]

Welcome @samanthacooke

Having the frame number would help immensely here. This link shows you where it might be, usually underneath, by the seatpost or by the rear wheel - https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html

Once we've that it'd help, along with a photo showing the right-hand side rather than the left-hand as it'd show the gears. The wheel hub centre may also have a date code on.

However, it looks like a late 1940's/1950's Raleigh Clubman of one type or another - https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-clubmans-1946-1951.html

 

[biggs682]

Welcome @samanthacooke sorry to hear about your loss
What a cracking bike
Your grandad had great taste in bikes
Hope you enjoy using and just think of all the miles your grandad did on it
i also think its Raleigh Clubman of one sort or another
Whatever you do use it

 

[Gunk]

That is lovely, 1960’s as @DCLane has suggested, could be a clubman.

Just needs to be sympathetically restored

 

[Jameshow]

That is lovely, 1960’s as @DCLane has suggested, could be a clubman.

Just needs to be sympathetically restored

Gunk your the man....!👍

 

[Poacher]

Looks to be set up for continental riding - left-hand brake lever operates front brake and lamp bracket on left-hand side of fork.

 

[Anchorman]

1950’s -1960’s. Never seen drop bars as extreme as those. Are they Maes ?

 

[raleighnut]

Lovely bike

 

[Hover Fly]

1950’s -1960’s. Never seen drop bars as extreme as those. Are they Maes ?

Father had some like them, Pelisier, although in that era there was a bewildering variety of very similar, Bailey being another that comes to mind.