Bicycling

Last edited Tue Oct 9, 2012, 03:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Raleigh is an English Bike Company (There use to be an American Bike Company named Raleigh, but it has been out of business for decades). In 1946, 95% of all imported Bikes into the US were Raleigh, and that continued till well into the 1960s. These were lightweight Chrome-Moly frame bicycles, most with three speed rear ends (as was mine).

My Raleigh was a hand me down, someone gave it to my father who gave it to me. Thus in the middle of the first ten speed craze I was riding a three speed that was at least ten years old when I received it. As a Teenager it was my major means of transportation. It was superior even to the first ten speeds my sister's picked up (My inferior to my older brothers Schwinn ten speed which had drop down handlebars and ten speed and a Chrome-Moly frame), but by then my Raleigh was ten years of hard use met it needed new parts and I could not afford it, so I put it away till I had the money to repair it. Never did do the repairs, for I had moved and been given a bus pass by my new High School and used it to get around instead of the bike (I believe the bike was later stolen, but my memory is hazy on that subject for I had not used it for a couple of years by the time it disappeared, it could have been just thrown away). I did ride it between my old home and new home via my father's work (Where he had arranged for me to do some yard work). I Still remember riding to the new house by bike and map and avoiding the main streets taking a side road that look good on a map, but ended up being a flight of stairs. That I had to climb UP.

Lousianna Avenue, Dormont, Pittsburgh Pa 15216



Then once I climb that set of Stairs, I had to climb another:"


Pain in the neck, but doable. I walked the bike up the stairs. The Raleigh was light enough to be toted, and good enough to take the abuse.

At that time Raleigh were still made in England, today they are made either in Taiwan of Vietnam. Releigh is still indepedent unlike Schwinn, Giant and even Cannondale, all owned by Dorel Company. Dorel Company, a Canadian Company that has its bikes made in Taiwan.

More on Raleigh:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Bicycle_Company

Raleigh Company cite:
http://www.raleighusa.com/

Dorel owns a lot of old bike companies name, but tend to make them all in the same factory to the same specs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorel_Industries

Read more on the decline of Schwinn bicycle, and how they shot themselves in the foot by first going overseas to buy cheaper bicycles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwinn

Schwinn still lives on as Waterford Bicycles, founded by the last member of the Schwinn family that truly understood bicycles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterford_Precision_Cycles

Yes, I remember my Raleigh, it was a great bike and I hate what has happened to the bike industry over the last 40 or so years. Schwinn is gone for all practical purposes, and that looks like the fate of Cannondale. Trek is still holding its own but I fear Raleigh is going the same route of Schwinn, becoming a marketer instead of a maker of bicycles and that can be fatal. On the other hand Raleigh seems to have retained control over what is sold under its name, so it may survive but for now it seems to retain its good name.