I had long wanted a Raleigh Superbe in my size. Tall framed Raleigh bikes are hard to come by, especially in the Walmart infested part of the country I live in. We had a small Raleigh dealership here for a few years back in the early to mid 70's, but they were expensive bikes in comparison to the ones available at the department stores, so not many were sold in this area. I listed it as one of my dream bikes on a thread at Bike Forums. A generous member contacted me and offered one he had just picked up for what he paid for it along with the cost of shipping. The rest is history, I have my dream bike and ride it every chance I get. I am loath to leave it parked anywhere I can't keep an eye on it...it took over 20 years to find it!
12 comments:
Congratulations on your new ride! It looks like a real beauty. I found you through a comment you left at Hank and Me. I wanted to let you know about my Old Bike Blog (www.oldbikeblog.blogspot.com), which might be of interest to you, as well. I'll keep checking in--what sorts of things do you plan to blog about? Best, Thom
Hi Thom,
Thanks for stopping by.
I have a link to your blog, just haven't had the time to catch up on it.
My blog will probably evolve as time goes on. Right now I am concentrating on my favorite bikes, later on perhaps some information on the rides and rambles I take. Probably won't be much on advocacy or infrastructure...neither really exist where I live.
Aaron
Fabulous story, Aaron, thanks for sharing!
I see that you're new to blogspot, but I've added your blog to my reader account so I can keep up with your cycling adventures down the line.
Lissa of the Blue Bombshell
Hi Lissa!
Thanks for stopping by...more to come. The current collection of bikes numbers over 20 and most have stories ;-)
Make sure you keep us up to date on the Blue Bombshell.
Aaron
Cool ride! It looks just like the green bike my dad used to ride to work in the 70s ... I'll have to ask him for the details. I'm enjoying your blog and looking forward to finding out what happens to that red one on your latest post ... it's a beauty!
Hi tinarama,
Thanks for stopping by! My dad was a college professor and rode one similar to my Black Sports to work at the college in Marshall, MO...way back in the early 60's.
Aaron
What size frame does this bicycle have? 24"? Looks a nice example...
I'm in the process of stripping and restoring what I've only just discovered to be a 1950 Superbe Dawn Tourist. Unfortunately it has the 21" frame and may ultimately be too small for me to ride comfortably...
Hi rb,
Thanks for stopping by!
My Superbe is a 23" AFAIK the Sports/Superbe men's frames only came in 21" or 23". I normally ride a 25.5" road frame, so even the 23" is a tad on the short side.
Aaron
rb,
Forgot...they did make a 19.5" frame around 1976 for a couple of years in the Sports/Superbe. I wish they had made a 25"!
Aaron
Wow, I've dreamed of owning a Raleigh Superbe myself! I've imagined that she would be brown and that I would name her "Hot Chocolate." I also imagine that she would be lighter than Praline and that I would ride her on longer distance trips. I hope you enjoy your Superbe as much as I dream I will enjoy mine; )
High Bronze Bombshell,
Thanks for stopping by! Love your blog! I wouldn't bet on that a Superbe would weigh less than Praline, they are a pretty stout bike. But when riding along the highways and byways at a reasonable pace, weight is the least of my worries ;-)
Aaron
I recently bought what I think is a 1974 Raleigh Sports. It looks just like your bike except it has only 1 hand brake for the front wheel and a coaster brake. I'm 6'3" and am wondering if you know any tricks to get the handlebar to come loose. I have the original manual and I've followed it to a T and still am unable to get it loosened to even move it at all.
The instructions say loosen the expander bolt (the bolt at the top of the stem) 2 revolutions and then tap firmly but gently to release and allow the stem to move.
I went into a LBS and they wanted to charge me $10 just to adjust the height for me, even though I knew how to do it. Ridiculous. I was hoping they knew a trick and could just do me a solid and help me out.
Anyway, let me know if you have tried this on your Superbe and what worked/didn't work.
Thanks!
Erik in Washington, DC
Post a Comment