Here's a photobucket link to 470 must-see, jaw-dropping photos of this incredible machine:

http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/supergymnast/1939%20Raleigh%20Gents%20Superbe%20Safety%20Tourist/

1939 Raleigh Gents Superbe Safety Tourist(model #49) NOS/Not Restored!
For Pleasure, Sport, and Transportation, The Raleigh is Known as the King of all Bicycles.

An incredibly rare and simply unheard of find. This is the real deal - from top to bottom, inside and out. It is the finest example of a complete, deluxe, fully equipped, all original & unrestored Raleigh bicycle.. and even perhaps of any bicycle I have ever seen. An important and valuable piece of history perfectly preserved. You will not find anything better than this. I've searched extensively and this simply can not be trumped. It's a true gem of elegance and excellence. Magnificence manifest in the ultimate expression of human-powered transportation. The 73 year old paint is deep and lustrous, the surprising lack of scratches a testament to the durability of the original workmanship. Every nut and bolt turns with the precision that comes from precisely machined tolerances and expensive materials. Since its formation in 1887, Raleigh was a manufacturer that put quality above any concern of cost. The Raleigh Bicycle was compared to the Rolls-Royce Motor Car, both companies famously striving to produce the best without sacrifice, and all of it's 52 years of technical innovation and knowledge is evident in this cycle. Ultra class and utility rolled up in one - A true Gentleman's bicycle representing the product of an independent company at its height of manufacturing ability. It shows everywhere you look and touch on this machine, from the quality of the chrome to the smoothness of the bearings. This is a fantastic vintage bicycle that is a joy to have.

PLEASE NOTE: I'm careful in making the distinction between "restored" and "unrestored". This bicycle I offer is without use or wear and is not restored. Its condition remains as it was when originally purchased. Nothing has been replaced, upgraded, repainted, re-chromed etc. I have merely serviced it mechanically, and lovingly cleaned it to reveal its original condition. The original and complete unused condition is what makes it valuable among many of its other historical features. In all my years and extensive experience with vintage Raleighs I have yet to see a similar bike anywhere. It may be true that a "similar" bike which has been expertly stripped down and completely restored (repainted, re-pin striped, re-chromed, replaced, etc.) has a value not much greater than $5-6,000. However, I am not, and have never been interested in such bikes. As the saying goes, "it's only original once".. and so I am tireless and diligent in my search for only those vintage British cycles which are complete and in exceptional all original condition.

This cycle was built in Nottingham England in 1938-39, exported to the U.S. and distributed by Raleigh Industries of America located on Commonwealth Ave in Boston, Massachusetts. Sold at Park Cycles in Brockton, Massachusetts. At that time Raleigh bicycles were sold exclusively by authorized Raleigh dealers, not department stores, and Raleigh stood behind their bikes as evident by the "Lifetime Guarantee" provided to every Raleigh owner. Things were quite different in the late 1930's. The Raleigh was new in the United States, and going against Schwinn and Columbia's heavy weight designs did not at first appeal to the American Market. Marketed as adult transportation and not a child's toy, the Raleigh opened up a whole new world of cycling pleasure for the United States.

Acquired from the original owners estate, this is a "wartime" 1939 Raleigh Gents Superbe Safety Tourist in NOS/Showroom Condition(catalog model #49). The original owner/purchaser of this bicycle kept very organized, thorough, and immaculate records of everything he bought. His grand-daughter is amidst the long process of going through his many collections, hundreds of boxes, and an entire house of his possessions. She's convinced that there is a receipt and handbook from the original sale, and assures me that she will contact me when she finds them. If they do turn up, I will be sure to forward them to the new owner. It's 73 years old and has never been used - 100% original in 1939 factory new condition(no exaggeration).. and when I found it there was a thin, consistent 73 year old "film of time" on all surfaces, which I have gently and lovingly cleaned. It was clear to me that the wheels, nor any other part had been removed or adjusted since its original assembly. The factory sticker is still on the headlamp glass. It was literally taken off a Raleigh dealers' floor and kept clean inside a warm, dry home its entire life.. obviously a perfect storm of the right conditions for preservation - the right humidity, temperature, lack of sunlight, etc. It was not moved around throughout the years, therefore never prone to the usual "storage wear" found on other vintage bicycles. The "spine" or raised line on the center of the original rubber brake pads where it makes contact with the rims is still present and pronounced! The brake pads, grips, tires, tubes, pedal blocks, and reflector housing smell like real rubber - and that's because they are. Also, this bicycle has miraculously never collected rust. The rich black enamel is as glassy and smooth on the inside of parts and underside of the mudguards as it is on the tops.

At the end of 1939 Raleigh halted production of bicycles and manufactured war munitions until the end of WWII in 1945. In 1939 Raleigh even reduced its production by 200,000 bicycles from the previous year. Keep in mind that although Raleigh may have produced a few thousand of this model, millions were overall later donated to the scrap drive to help supply the war effort, which was in desperate need of steel and rubber. At that time most citizens thought absolutely nothing of throwing their bikes into the pile as a helpful, selfless act of duty, leaving very few surviving Raleigh bicycles built up until the war. The few left after the war were used, abused, ridden, neglected, parted out, scrapped, etc... 73 years later we find only a handful that are ridable, and may or may not be complete or in original condition. To find one that is not only unridden, but has been lovingly stored all these years without incident is nothing short of miraculous. Being a higher end model in a catalog with about 40 other models to choose from, it's easy to deduce that there were only about 5000 -6000 of the Superbe Safety Tourist off the line in 1939. This model was Raleigh's most expensive high-end Tourist, featuring several innovations introduced that year - features exclusive to Raleigh which revolutionized the entire bicycle industry. Aside from being the very first year the Dynohub was exclusively offered in Raleigh's catalogs - it was also offered as "stock" equipment for the first time exclusively on it's Superbe Tourist models - which also debuted in 1939! An upgrade/option offered by dealers in 1939 from the 12 volt lighting system (GH12) was the 8 volt Dynohub (GH8) as seen on this model. The long trigger-shifter was also an upgrade from the standard quadrant shifter and cost more. The long trigger was positioned under the bar, and more common on the Lenton and Clubman models which had dropped bars.

The Superbe model was a deluxe variant of the Raleigh Sports. This was without a doubt the most deluxe stock model of all other Tourists, Roadsters and Sports models.

Listed here are the many original features of this 1939 Raleigh Gents Superbe Safety Tourist:

- 1939 Raleigh catalog Model No. 49

- Also included is a 32 page copy of the original 1939 Raleigh Catalog. This is staple-bound in booklet form with a color cover. (As mentioned above, if the receipt and handbook from the original sale do turn up, I will be sure to forward them to the new owner.)

- Serial number stamped at top of seat tube is AJ19152.

- Lighting powered by the working Raleigh Patent 8v. Dynohub with black Bakelite center-plate (1939/first year Dynohub was introduced/offered in Raleigh catalog).

In perfect working order. The DynoHub is a frictionless electro-magnetic generator which provides power to the the headlamp and tail light as you pedal. The chrome on this is perfect.

- Headlamp (working original bulb) Raleigh factory label is still on the headlamp glass. Glue is slightly yellowed but label is in great shape with text still crisp and legible. Chrome on bezel is perfect. Enamel paint on body is perfect. Mirrored reflector cup, bulb and glass are perfect. Bakelite dial switch is molded with the words 'England' 'Dynohub' and 'Patent'

- Rear lamp (working original bulb) Red dome lens and black enameled body. Flawless.

- Raleigh "Heron Logo" front head lamp bracket. Perfect chrome.

- The pristine original black lighting wires as they leave the headlamp are held together with a thick, still supple and elastic, original factory black rubber tube.

- All electrical wiring is in its original pliable, flawless condition.

- Dunlop War-Grade tires are strong with like new rubber. The raised text on tire walls reads: DUNLOP WAR GRADE... 26x1-3/8... To Fit Rim B.S. EA3 & F4... 33M...
Made Under D.R. C08... Patent License Strictly Limited... U.K. Reg. No. 823113... INFLATE HARD.

- Dunlop War-Grade tube are also strong with like new rubber. Schraeder brass valve stems and brass screw-on caps. They look like they just came out of the box. Tubes valves will still hold air but only for a couple of days. Regardless, they are original and very nice to have.

- Dunlop Westwood steel rims. Raleigh Chromium plated (with a very nice "center-dull" finish on spine). Straight and true. Stamped 'MADE IN ENGLAND' and 'DUNLOP 26x1-3/8 W.O.'

- Dunlop black celluloid(early version of plastic) frame pump/inflator is beautifully molded with 'DUNLOP' on handle and stamped 'DUNLOP MADE IN ENGLAND' on body. Also has a tiny registration number barely legible pressed into the celluloid on the handle directly below the 'DUNLOP' relief which reads 'Reg. No. 736552' Also has its good functioning original leather washer.

- Frame pump valve connector inflator hose has green woolen covering and leather gasket. In unused condition. The pump works like new with great pressure.

- Brooks Gents B66 leather saddle. Under carriage with black enameled springs and chrome hardware. Like new.

- Full "oil-bath" chain-case with all original parts in place. "Raleigh" transfer in gold cursive. Note: Full chain-cases were quite the rarity here in the States because of a high tariff on machines weighing more than 40lbs.

- Front and rear mudguards are flawless from end to end. No dents or scratches. Black enamel with gold and red lining. Beautiful detailed Raleigh crest transfer on rear Mudguard.

- 48 tooth heron-logo chain wheel(teeth are factory sharp and square - NO wear) It's without a scratch in unused condition. Has nice frosted/dulled steel finish.

- Cottered crank-arms are heavily chromed and each stamped with Raleigh and Heron symbol. Chromed cotter pins like new.

- Drivechain is like-new with the tiny name "PERRY" stamped on the links

- Sparkling "Staybrite Super Stainless Steel" spokes. Every spoke has a little 'R' stamped at the end where they connect to the hubs.

- John Bull rubber grips are incredibly well preserved. No wear. No cracks. Still dense and deep black. Firmly in place where the Raleigh factory left them. Stamped 'John Bull No. 29'

- Handlebar: "North Road" raised with roller levers. The Chromium plating on these is heavy and perfect.

- Front and rear rod brakes (chrome and black enamel in flawless condition). Brakes operate as they should. Original rubber brake pads have absolutely no wear as indicated by the raised center line on the pads 'face'.

- Toolbag black with white stitching. Leather straps, buckles and clasp also in wonderful condition.

- Two steel Raleigh bike tools. Each stamped with a circled 1425. These are in perfect shape, providing a multitude of functions for repair, removal and assembly.

- Paint: WOW - a deep, rich, high-gloss black referred to as "Stove Enamel", which meant the frame and painted parts were hand-dipped in black enamel then furnace-baked/cured creating an extremely tough durable finish. This is a quality of finish that has no equal. Heavy baked-enamel protects the steel beneath far more than normal wear and tear... and keeps on protecting this Raleigh long after ordinary bicycles have begun to rust. It is literally true that, in order to to chip Raleigh's enamel finish, you have to attack it with a cold chisel. There are several other parts on this bicycle that were hand dipped as well - including the rod brake assemblies, the headlamp housing, fully enclosed chain-case, mudguards, and several of the nuts, bolts, and clamps throughout, which conserved on chrome needed for the war.

- The elegant red and gold lining on the tubing is incredible - it's all there, unfaded and still bright like new. This was done by hand in the Raleigh factory.

- Gears: 3-speed 40-spoke AW Sturmey-Archer rear hub/gears (1939/first year AW was introduced/offered in Raleigh catalog). NOTE: Sturmey-Archer hubs made prior to 1940 do not follow the rule of "stamped dates".. rather, early hubs were either unstamped, as is the case here, or have only one number such as "7", which would denote a 1937 build.
Domed cap on indictor chain side of hub is coated with black Bakelite. Chromed steel hub is stamped 'Sturmey-Archer AW PATENT'

- Sturmey-Archer 3-speed handle bar trigger shifter (1939/first year introduced/offered in Raleigh catalog). Flawless condition. Marked with Pat # 498820 If you look on the "hubs" page of the the catalog at the beginning of my photo link, you'll see boxed out in the center of the page an introduction for the "New Handle Bar Trigger", offered as an upgrade option which cost more. It was not only the first year Raleigh introduced a "trigger shifter" in their catalog, it was also the first handle bar trigger shifter of its kind! Hence the Patent. This is one of the features that excited me about the bike when I first saw it - I knew what it was. This is what the original owner chose when purchasing the bike, which makes sense on a higher end model. Please take a look at that page.

- Sturmey-Archer steel gear cable wheel, fulcrum, and hardware are enameled black and flawless. Gear cable, it's black rubber coating, and indicator chain also perfect.

- Cloth gear-cable housing is still flexible and flawless. Still has original thin plastic/wax-like coating.

- Original cotton cloth rim/wheel liners with red stitching still securely clipped into place inside rims and are in wonderful condition. (images photo link)

- Lucas Prismatic rear mudguard reflector. Black rubber housing is still supple. Prismatic reflector is deep red and in wonderful condition.

- Frame and fork: Beautifully lugged brass-brazed British Steel tubing. The Raleigh Heron is stamped into the steel on the center of the fork crown right above the bolt hole for mudguard attachment (see photo link). A nice detail I've not seen before.

- Two original Raleigh cable clips on top tube secure the rear lamp wiring. Black enamel finish. Each stamped with 'Reg. No. 788514'

- Heavily chromium plated, its rust-proof shining parts stand out against the gold, red and deep lustrous black of the all-steel body. Heavy chrome protects the steel beneath far more than normal wear and tear... and keeps on protecting this Raleigh long after ordinary bicycles have begun to rust.

- Four inch pedals spin extremely well, with a smooth, heavy, well-oiled machine-like quality. Pedals have oil holes on the end-caps. The rubber blocks still have pronounced casting seams as if just cut from the mold - no wear. Steel axle tube, end plates, and caps have nice frosted/dulled steel finish. Not a single scratch.

- Transfers and head badge are in beautiful, fresh & colorful, original condition.

- Threaded metal flip-top oil ports on both the AW hub and Dynohub. A threaded metal oil port on the bottom bracket.

- Frame is 22" from center of bottom bracket to top of seat tube (this model was offered with 20", 22" & 24" frame).

- All assemblies are complete, undamaged, and in great working order. All original screws, nuts, bolts, clamps and clips are present, undamaged, and securely in their proper place.

There is nothing restored on this bicycle. The bearings in the bottom bracket, headset, front and rear hubs have been personally and carefully re-greased and all have been oiled as well. Everything is there, in original working condition. Everything operates beautifully.

Here also is a link to a wonderful film released in 1945 talking about the design and manufacture of bicycles. The film is set in the Raleigh Bicycle Factory which stood on Triumph Road in Nottingham, England. Although filmed immediately following WWII (six years after production of the the model I'm offering), Raleigh resumed production with the same manufacturing practices, giving us a good understanding as to why these bicycles are so durable. This film is filed in the (and property of) British Council Film Collection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaxRQh03BOw&feature=related

If you're into beautiful 1930's wartime machines when they were still hand-built by a reigning British Industrial manufacturer.. at a time when uncompromising utility, quality and class were king and bicycles were bicycles, then this one is definitely for you. This was made during the Golden Age of Raleigh and their bicycles. A very collectable piece of bicycle history perfectly preserved. Raleigh bicycles are of the highest quality ever manufactured, made to last 100 years, so this still has at least that long even if ridden. It's good to know that they are very easy to pedal, and have a very comfortable frame geometry, you move fast on these -- not clunkers by any means. A dignified and classy way to travel on a solid machine. And anyone can work on these simple and dependable bikes, they're pretty much indestructible. Internally geared transmission, full chain-case, and full fenders allow trouble free riding for all seasons in any weather. Such a joy to ride, makes my smile muscles hurt every time!

A vintage deluxe Raleigh 3-speed from this era in excellent to mint condition has become highly sought after and is getting nearly impossible to find. They are commonly referred to by many as dream bikes. The ultimate in human powered transportation, vintage Raleigh produced 3-speeds were built as durable utility bikes made of quality steel. They were ridden to work by the ladies and gentlemen who built them at the factory in Nottingham, England, and that sense of pride in ownership comes through. I can't say enough good things about them. With their lugged, high quality steel tubing, deep-rich-durable-luxurious-glossy paint, gold and red pin-striping, leather saddles, Dynohub lighting systems, internally geared hubs, stylish fenders, full chain-cases, beautiful heavy chrome everywhere, saddlebags, frame pumps, and the list goes on! They really are the Rolls Royce of Bicycles - at the top of the line and undeniably in a class all their own worldwide.

Again - here's a photobucket link to 470 jaw-dropping photos of this incredible machine.

http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/supergymnast/1939%20Raleigh%20Gents%20Superbe%20Safety%20Tourist/

**I post a lot of detailed pics because it drives me crazy when I'm looking at an ad that does not show an item well. I tried to take a photo of every part of this bike from many angles. Keep in mind that as nice as the pics are, they pale in comparison with the beauty, brilliance, and elegance of the bike first hand. I've been collecting only the best vintage Rudges, Raleighs, Lentons, and Superbes for several years now. Most of my bikes have hardly been ridden - and some, such as this one, never ridden at all. You will not be disappointed with this. I have rarely seen a more beautiful, elegant and well built bicycle. I don't have bicycles of this caliber/condition very often, but when I do they always go to very happy, satisfied new owners.

SHIPPING: Available for local pick up and I will also ship domestically and internationally. Shipping is in fact free, as I get very good deals with FedEx via my shipping company. Also, I spend several hours packing a bike properly to insure it is secure for safe arrival to you.

Serious inquiries only. This is beyond one in a million. Please contact me before buying. Also, if you are seriously interested and have any questions at all, contact me and I'll be happy to answer them as best I can. Also, please feel free to call me directly at 212-365-0652.

Thanks for looking and good luck!

Sincerely,

~Alex

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