Peter Kohler's "On the Drops" is the definitive text on Raleigh's flagship bicycle, the Raleigh Record Ace. I refer those interested in Raleigh's best club bicycle to Kohler's highly detailed website. Suffice it to say that the Raleigh Record Ace Moderne pictured here is the rarest of the post-war Raleigh lightweights, and as such completes my collection of RRAs featured on the Cycleworks. In contrast to my pristine 1939 model, and the all-original 1951 machine, my Moderne enjoyed a long and challenging life in England before I brought it to the states a few years ago in rather shabby condition. The quality of the surviving paint was so poor that ninety-five percent of collectors would surely have blasted the original finish for a respray. I am grateful to my friend Charlie Dixon for another of his masterful efforts to save the existing paint and preserve it for decades to come. Unlike my 1939 and 1951 bicycles, the Moderne has been upgraded to a Chater-Lea crank and pedals, alloy bars and GB girder stem. The Moderne was the last high end production lightweight offered by Raleigh built with the option of derailleur or hub gears, and the Sturmey-Archer three speed hub on my bike reflects the conservative taste of the original owner.
The Raleigh Record Ace Moderne was an expensive bicycle, in production for only two years. As Raleigh's last traditional club machine, it represents the passing of one of the most colorful eras in British cycling history. I imagine few examples survive in Great Britain, and even fewer in the states.
The Raleigh Record Ace Moderne was an expensive bicycle, in production for only two years. As Raleigh's last traditional club machine, it represents the passing of one of the most colorful eras in British cycling history. I imagine few examples survive in Great Britain, and even fewer in the states.
1958 Raleigh Record Ace Moderne ©Daniel Dahlquist