Classic & Vintage - who can ID this handsome Raleigh?

Age? Model? A Superbe? It looks as if it has a locking fork. And I've never seen a bike like this in green in the US--maybe Canadian?
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-RALEIGH-3-SPEED-BICYCLE-BROOKS-LEATHER-SEAT-/140473569184?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b4e08fa0#ht_500wt_1156

The question was asked and the hub date is 56. The fork locks but there is no key. Probably a Superbe, but maybe wiser minds will check in.

It's either a Sports or Superbe.

same as mine.
Mine is 1955, with 4 speed FG dynohub. No model name on it, other than 'the All Steel Bicycle".
Mine has 26" stainless Raleigh rims, not 28".
I think the Superbe is the 28" model, and the Sports has the hockey stick chainguard, not the full chaincase.
Mine also has the fork-lock, B83 triple rail saddle, same lights and the full lighting set like yours.

Buy it!176986176987

Superbe. Going to be a nice score for somebody.


Aaron :)

The question was asked and the hub date is 56. The fork locks but there is no key. Probably a Superbe, but maybe wiser minds will check in.
There's a fellow in England who can make you replacement keys -- just send him the number on the cylinder.

His name is David West and he charges £6 for cutting and a couple quid for the key itself.

JohnD, on my fork-lock there is no number to be seen, as far as I can tell... it has been mentioned here before that there are two types of barrels - I don't know which mine is.
Does anyone know how to find out the number if it's not visible - eg: knock the unlocked barrel out, or something similar?

thanks

it could be a sports. I had a 52 sports with a full chain case.

I wish, but I'm paring down my modest collection of three-speeds, not adding--can't help looking though!

I have a '48 Sports with a full chaincase--I think Neal pointed out that it's the "Sports Tourist" model. I've never heard of a Sports with a locking fork though so I'm assuming this is some kind of Superbe. And I love the color...still--no more bikes! I just bought a '71 Grand Prix for fun--selling some of the three-speeds to make room in my budget and my basement. But
same as mine.
Mine is 1955, with 4 speed FG dynohub. No model name on it, other than 'the All Steel Bicycle".
Mine has 26" stainless Raleigh rims, not 28".
I think the Superbe is the 28" model, and the Sports has the hockey stick chainguard, not the full chaincase.
Mine also has the fork-lock, B83 triple rail saddle, same lights and the full lighting set like yours.

Buy it!176986176987

That's not a Superbe. Superbe - prior to indicating a Dynohub-equipped Sports - was Raleigh's early-1950's nomenclature for an immidiately lesser model (which were decked out to start with) upgraded further with stainless rims, a Sturmey FG Dynofour hub, and a green finish instead of black; regardless of whether the bike was based on the 26" Sports or Dawn frames, or the 28" Tourist.

By 1956, the stainless rims were no longer available, and use of the Superbe name had been (temporarily) dropped.

For that matter, the closest Superbe to this example would have been the "Superbe Sports Tourist" - in other words, the Raleigh Sports Tourist upgraded with the Dynofour and stainless rims; not simply a "Superbe." The Superbe name didn't stand on its own until 1966.

That said, the '56 in the auction has neither the Dynofour (presumably) nor the stainless rims - but it does have the green finish once unique to the Superbe range. This would point to the Sports Tourist - except for the green Superbe paint; but there's an explanation for that too: When the Superbe lineup was dropped, the Sports Tourist gained a green finish - case in point:
http://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh57UK/page_05.jpg
http://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh57UK/

In short, it's a 1956 Raleigh Sports Tourist.

Now try explaining that gobbledygook to your buddies ;)

-Kurt

great! Not like that was confusing or anything..you're sure it's not a Superbe Sports Tourist International Club Roadster?