Confused by Raleigh frame numbers

[Phil may]

I've had this old Raleigh sports knocking around for a while. I thought I should attempt to date it but I'm having trouble. It looks like a 50s-70s model but the frame number has no letter prefix/suffix

 

[Phil may]

Frame number is 53607

 

[raleighnut]

Raleigh changed their numbering 'system' many times, there will be a date on the SA hub though.

 

[Phil may]

Raleigh changed their numbering 'system' many times, there will be a date on the SA hub though.

No date on the hub that I can see.

 

[raleighnut]

No date on the hub that I can see.

The photo you've posted of the SA hub shows it's an AW, they're all dated with a 2 number date code in the logo/stamp at the diagonally opposite corner to the 'AW' type stamping

 

[raleighnut]

Although some are like this,



Raleigh owned Sturmey Archer (and Brooks) so where they stamped the year changed sometimes.

EDIT BTW that's a '54' hub

 

[Phil may]

Thanks. I'm familiar with the SA dating system but this hub has no date stamp of any sort. Just the 0 that is crossed out to make a sort of 8

 

[Illaveago]

I was wondering if you could get a rough idea from the style of head badge ?

 

[raleighnut]

I was wondering if you could get a rough idea from the style of head badge ?

Nah, that won't help, they were using that head badge until the mid 80s on the better frames,

 

[midlife]

I think the letter R being made of 3 lines in the badge makes it 1950's? The badge did change a bit over the years.

 

[Illaveago]

Nah, that won't help, they were using that head badge until the mid 80s on the better frames,

View attachment 466941

Ah ! There is a difference ! The OP is much flatter and not stamped or cast like yours.

 

[Phil may]

The head badge is brass too. I've been reading about undated SA hubs being made just before or during the war

 

[Phil may]

I believe the frame number should have a suffix or prefix but it doesn't which makes me wonder if it is pre war

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

What about other parts such as the wheel rims? Raleigh weren't mere bike assemblers, like manufacturers are today. Pretty much every part of a really old Raleigh will have been made in-house, from raw materials, at Nottingham. If you can find other Raleigh stamped components, they may be dated.
I've got a couple of 26" steel rims as recent as 1989 that are stamped Raleigh Nottingham!

 

[Illaveago]

There may be a date stamped into the back of the chainring .