[CR] '47-'48 Raleigh catalog new on bulgier.net

The appropriately named Paul Raley (OK it's a bit of a stretch...) sent me a veritable plethora, a virtual cornucopia if you will (or won't), of cool old Raleigh catalogs and related materials.

The bummer is, now I have to do the scanning! I've gotten used to other people, notably Duane Kennard and Steve Kurt, doing the work and sending me the scans. Now I have a greater appreciation of the work that goes into it.

So far I've scanned just one, the '47-'48 catalog, and put it up at http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh47-48/ They're kinda big, let me know if you think they're too big, but I wanted the text to be clearly readable.

Most of y'all will probably want to go straight to pp18-19 for the Record Ace, http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh47-48/p18_RRA.jpg http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh47-48/p19_RRA.jpg but there's lots of other great stuff including a two-page glossary of cycling terms and a page on SA hubs.

The page on the Sports model, http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh47-48/p10_Sports.jpg was an eye-opener for me - the model I had come to equate with your standard upright-bar three-speed is shown with drop bars, and the stock setup was a flipflop fixed/free singlespeed with wingnuts! The SA 3-speed was an available option. The regular "English racer" (USA terminology only I'm sure) most of us know as the Sports is called the "Sports Light Roadster" here: http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh47-48/p15.jpg Though even it apparently came standard as a one-speed, as the SA 3-speed is listed as an extra-cost option.

Oops I guess that stuff about the Sports is off-topic; even though they were called "lightweights" in US bikeshops back in the day, they aren't really lightweights as defined in the CR charter, are they? Well, enjoy the Lenton Clubman and RRA anyway!

Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA