Oddly the Canadian catalog illustration shows the bike sans hockey stick!
(The illustrator probably was not aware of the Canadian affinity for Hockey! )

Raleigh sold bikes all over the planet and specifications varied... due to their propensity to become damaged a lot of chain guards were removed and when I was a wee lad the chain guard was one of the first things to come of my bikes and I did this when they were brand new knowing that it would cause problems.

Gene told me that his bike never had a chain guard but maybe he meant that it had a chain guard just long enough for it to be captured on film...

(bump)

Congrats Sixty Fiver - that bike is in the right hands. Great story and great pics!

Thanks Sixty-Fiver, it was a wonderful story. This is truly the pinnacle of bicycle collecting: an interesting and original bike with an original story from the original owner located in your neighbourhood.

We all like patina but usually we know nothing of the history of the marks and scratches; we just know they have a story that will never be told. It is rare but very compelling when those marks do come to life.

Back was bugging me and I had a bunch of other stuff on my plate but tinkered away on the bike for a little bit... discovered the wheels are 26 by 1 3/8 and the nicer looking spokes make me think that the wheels may have been rebuilt although that was not mentioned.

The new back tyre is not lumpy and a new old trigger shifter is working a lot more crisply that the original... will have to find one of these as I'd like to keep the bike as original as possible.

Went for a another ride after I did the work and gave her another sip of oil to flush that hub... she is buttery smooth and has a pretty unbelievable ride which is all due to those plusher tyres and that B66 saddle.

Portland or Edmonton area you are talking about 65er...??

I don't see a chain guard in the sales brochure picture.....

I travel a bit... but Edmonton is home most of the time.

The advert (from '49) shows no chain guard but the picture I received shows the bike had one and the clip for it is still there... do not know if it was an addition or came stock on the '50 although a roadster version would have surely had one as a stock fitting.

It also could have been an optional item.

That's some good mojo!

Took the bike out for a leisurely 20 km today and the hub started to skip on me... stopped by the shop, checked everything, and pulled the indicator spindle to see that it was on the verge of breaking so replaced that and then all was good and smooth after that. It was also the wrong size so now the bike has a new spindle in the right length.

Checked the serial number against cuda's database and it has an unusual three digit xxxBD code which would make it a 1951 by that convention although it is a digit or two short so maybe it was built on a Friday and someone forgot to add a number.

Also met a fellow PM at the shop and another local Raleigh fiend who had been interested in buying this bike, albeit, because he really wanted the B66 saddle... which is pretty plush... and the ride quality is fabulous.

Added the mousetrap, pump, and a spare light that I have converted to run with an LED... makes the bike a little more utilitarin and although not shown here, swapped the B66 for a Wright's 3N which suits the road set up and my butt better and is closer to what the original saddle would have been.



I suspect that as it was not original, that B66 may have been installed at the shop and might be older than the bike as the more ornate cut outs are the same as those I have seen on saddles from the 30's.