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09-19-05, 01:55 PM
I was given a 26" Raleigh Colt bicycle in 1974 by a family friend. My dad took it to the local Raleigh dealer in Rockford, IL and had it made road ready so I could use it. The bike had been sitting in a Minnisota barn for years and the seat was rotted away to the springs, the fenders were rusted as well as the handle bars and grips. I didn't know much about Raleigh bikes at the time (being only 11 years old), the owner of the Raleigh store told my dad it was most likely made in the 40's. Eventually I went into the Navy in 1980 and once again the bike sat in my dad's garage until I brought it down to Florida in the mid 90's. I wanted to fix it up and use it in Florida since we have nice riding weather down here all year round. I didn't know about the date codes stamped on the rear Sturmey-Archer wheels at the time. I had the front and rear rims replaced with Sun-Tour rims from my local Raleigh dealer in West Palm Beach, Florida. I kept the old rims in my actic until I moved and then threw them out before finding out the manufacture date. The rear wheel was a single speed coaster brake type. The front rim had a oil fill port in it with a sort of cap that slid around the hub to seal the hole.
I've been checking the various different sites that give information about manufacture dates of Raleighs like Oldroads.com, but I'm still not sure of the age of my Raleigh. The serial number stamped on the bottom is # 0178416 and a letter that looks like a lopsided L is printed just to the right of the serial number.
Can anyone tell me what year my bike may have been made?, I've been thinking it may be 1951-52. What years were the Raleigh Colts actually built? I'm in the process of restoring my Colt as much as possible, but I won't be repainting it, I'm used to the faided maroon/red, at least that is still original.
I've been checking the various different sites that give information about manufacture dates of Raleighs like Oldroads.com, but I'm still not sure of the age of my Raleigh. The serial number stamped on the bottom is # 0178416 and a letter that looks like a lopsided L is printed just to the right of the serial number.
Can anyone tell me what year my bike may have been made?, I've been thinking it may be 1951-52. What years were the Raleigh Colts actually built? I'm in the process of restoring my Colt as much as possible, but I won't be repainting it, I'm used to the faided maroon/red, at least that is still original.