B.S.A. Bicycle - how old and how popular?

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OK thanks will have a look when I get home am I looking for numbers or letters, sorry if that sounds like a silly question are codes online or shall I post back here thanks
 
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This one is clearly a Raleigh.
Nothing remotely like an original BSA, apart from the tin cover on the fork crown, (actually chrome plated brass)

Keith
 
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Thanks, found the code it's March 1961 as to it not being a bsa all badges / transfers say bsa and the crank has the letters BSA as part of it thanks for all the help
 
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Manufactured by Raleigh several years after the demise of BSA. It will have 26 tpi Raleigh threads in head and bottom bracket. Just one of many names used by Raleigh.
A matter of opinion whether a badge denotes manufacturer. Badge engineering was always common in the cycle trade.

Keith
 
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From Wikipedia
Expansion and mergers
While bicycle production had steadily risen through the mid-1950s, the British market began to decline with the increasing affordability and popularity of the motor car. For much of the postwar era, British bicycle manufacturers had largely competed with each other in both the home and export markets, but 1956 saw the formation of the British Cycle Corporation by the Tube Investments Group which already owned Phillips, Hercules, Armstrong, and Norman. In 1957, Raleigh bought the BSA Cycles Ltd., BSA's bicycle division, which gave them exclusive use of the former brand names New Hudson and Sunbeam. Raleigh also already owned the Robin Hood brand, and Three Spires with Triumph (cycles) also at their disposal.
From Wikipedia
BSA had itself acquired Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd. only five years previously. Ti added the Sun bicycle company to their stable in 1958, and with two "super groups" now controlling a large portion of the market, it was perhaps inevitable that in 1960, Tube Investments acquired Raleigh and merged the British Cycle Corporation with Raleigh to form TI–Raleigh, which now had 75% of the UK market. TI–Raleigh then acquired Carlton Cycles in Worksop, England that same year, at the time one of the largest semi-custom lightweight makers in the UK. Ti Raleigh gave total control of its cycle division to Raleigh and soon set about marketing many of the acquired names as budget ranges, though with Raleigh frames. The old British Cycle Corporation factory at Handsworth continued to produce non Raleigh branded product well into the 1970s, with Raleigh branded models built in the main plant at Nottingham. However, the Sun branded bicycles were made in the Carlton factory at Worksop, England.
 
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BSA did not take over Triumph Cycles, this is an often repeated mistake. The motor cycle division took on Triumph motor cycles.

Carlton were making only about 5000 bikes/frames a year, which shows how small the market was. Most of these were for the lower end of the market.

Keith
 
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Great to have the history, my wife is looking forward riding it, I will post a photo when it's finished thanks again Martin
 
Hello Martin,
My first bike during WW2 was a BSA with BSA 3 speed, by late 40's my first decent bike was a BSA Gold Column. From 1954 t0 1967 I was retailing Raleigh, BSA, and others. By the mid 50's Raleigh were making better bikes than the original BSA.
Your bike look as if it will clean up well.

Keith
 
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