Does anyone have any background information on "high end" Dunelt lightweights c. 1962-65?
"High End" Dunelt is a bit of misnomer to be sure; we all associate the name with the mid-market 3-speeds.
This machine is rather different:
Dunelt badged (raised metal headbadge) Livery: Polychromatic Amber (that gold colour we associate with mid-range Hercules 3-speeds) with white and blue seat tube transfers and a white peak head, chromed rear triangle and fork ends. Very nice lugs (Nervex? but not ornate) which are chromed on the head. White cables and brake hoods. Lugs are picked out in white. Braze-ons: mudguard eyes, top tube brake cable eyes. Frame size: 22 1/2" centre to top Material: Reynolds 531 double-butted throughout incl. stays and forks. Gears/Cranks/Seat Post: Campagnolo Nouvo Record. Pedals: Campagnolo 1037. Brakes: Weinmann Vanquier 999 with red dot levers. Stem and Bars: Cinelli, 1A stem 100mm. Wheels: Fiamme red label 27" x 1 1/4" with Nouvo Record high flange hubs. Tyres: sew-ups. Saddle: looks like a Brooks B-15.
So not your boyhood Dunelt! Everything seems quite original. But still a puzzle. There appears to be no markings indicating Carlton-built as were the later Raleighs but the frame geometry, chromed head lugs and components makes this almost a prototype of the Raleigh "International" introduced, I think, in 1966. This Dunelt is believed to date to c. 1964 when Raleigh were making Dunelts. Raleigh were famous for test marketing new machines under their "lesser" brands; even the first “Chopper” was Rudge-badged. Was this mystery Dunelt one of these toes-in-the-water models?
P.C. Kohler Washington, DC USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/