What can you tell me about this old Raleigh?

[Tsundere]

All I know about it is it's a Raleigh and that it was bought sometime before 1980.
I intend to restore the bike and would really appreciate any info, help or advice you may be able to give me. I only ever owned a chopper, a grifter, a handful of road racers, BMX's and MTB's from the late 70's through to the early 90's, plus a couple of hybrids from the late 2000's, nothing at all from this era whatever that era might be, and I've never attempted such an ambitious project before.

It looks fairly complete and original.

Primarily I'd love to know the model/year, but also anything else you might have in relation to this bike, its frame, components and accessories etc.

 

[jim haseltine]

Considerably older than 1980 I'd have thought, going by the brakes and the quadrant gear change. Some pieces look out of sorts with the bike - to my eyes the stem looks to be too modern and the bottle dynamo although old doesn't marry up with the front light - I'd suspect that a dynohub wheel was replaced at some point.

 

[Mark Manley]

It looks like a Sports or Superb, I believe the Sports had 26" wheels and the Superb 28", they were made almost unchanged from the 1920s to the 1980s and were the most popular bikes in the world for much of that time.
The top tube mounted gear changer suggests pre-war but the frame number should tell you exactly which year it was made in, many parts are still available second hand or new old stock so a refurbishment should be easy enough and not too expensive.

 

[keithglos]

The frame looks pre war. If it has an octagonal headset then after 1948.
If the back wheel is original then the SA hub will have a date.
Keith

 

[Tsundere]

Thanks for the info lads, fascinating that it could be either very old or perhaps not that old at all.