http://www.ebay.com/itm/1914-RALEIGH-MILITARY-MODEL-28-Frame-Rifle-Clips-Vintage-Antiqu...

Very Cool.

without Enfield or Enfield mount, as a means of local, healthy, free transportation while visiting the city.

Great bikes, and the quintessence of British industry. Raleigh manufactured EVERY part for their bicycles... every nut, bolt, "tyre", reflector, steel tube, all the paint, the leather seats... and, I assume, the rifle mounts pictured here.

Can't speak to the asking price, but such a rig would be fun, in addition to historically interesting.

Amazed fleabay hasn't censored him yet.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

Vintage Raleigh bikes actually are pretty neat numbers. Not so 25.00 at garage sales anymore, wither.

I have a '76 Raleigh in the restoration process. Raleigh owned most of the bicycle brands of the 50's ad 60's and built bicycles for American companies too. Dunelt, Hercules, Rudge, Phillips, some AMF and Huffys were English built products.
This is an interesting video from the post war period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaxRQh03BOw

not to mention the information.

Not only did Raleigh own multiple brands, they also controlled the manufacture of almost all their parts, including the terrific Sturmey Archer hubs, the Brooks saddle company, and on and on.

Consider that these weren't sporting bikes for the Brits; they were daily transport to and from the train station, and before that, from farm to town or town to town, predating the automobile. The first modern paved roads were arranged for cyclists, who tired of riding through horse manure.

Still have my Brooks saddle. used for years for commuting and country rides. It was just before the height of the modern bike madness, and as the American technology escalated with racing and mountain bikes, I realized my personal ride had come to resemble the vintage Brit workhorse.. save I still had exterior gearing. Now there are 7 speed hubs, so I could quite happy there, too.

As I have watched Brit movies and TV shows, it became apparent that, as you observed. they were really transportation. I'm looking at a new frame and ride this spring, and I'm wondering if I shouldn't go with a Classic. The new styles and models and 'ol folks' bikes are just too ugly to contemplate, y'know?

Good riding, too all.

Check out the belt drive stuff. REALLY cool. And priced to reflect that.

I bought a "fat bike" in the autumn. SWMBO nearly decapitated me. But I escaped with my life and bits intact.

I had to remove bugs from my teeth, I was smiling so much the first month of riding it. Imagine a rigid mountain bike, with motorcycle wheels and tires. What a blast.

buddies in a while. Have to get up to date....infact want a kiddy carrier to put a Chessie in for a ride. Also, to take the unwary woodchuck out on the county roads. Open carry away from paranoid city folks...could you post up a link to your new machine. since guns are undoubtedly carried, it would still be a firearms post, right?

Did you manage to hang on to a No. 1 for when you get it?