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Alex Moulton offered his revolutionary Moulton bicycle to Raleigh and they rejected it. Alex left good and mad at the Raleigh board of directors. So Voilla, he went out and got a building and tooling and made the bike and went off to the Earls Court Show and unveiled the bike. It was a huge, huge success. It stole the show. He stopped the decline and created new markets and it was really something. Then everybody got into small wheel bikes that copied the concept only they were shot down versions that cost less to make. Enter Raleigh who came in with their R.S.W. 16 that used 16 x 2 all white Dunlop tires that were balloonish and that (was supposed to) compensated for Raleigh's lack of a Moulton like suspension unit. Moulton's had suspension, Raleigh's did not. Raleigh had the non folding and then a folding version of the R.S.W. 16. Colors were Bronze- Green, flamboyant (candy) Carmine Red. Then the Raleigh R.S.W. 14 with 14 inch wheels. Then up to the Raleigh 20 with the 20 inch wheels. A 24 inch wheel version too.
Everybody else (who was still around) got in on the game too. Daws and another brand that escapes me at the moment. I think it was Royal Enfield and their "Revelation" that was better than the Raleigh counterpart.
If you watch the old British T.V. Show: "The Prisioner" with actor Patrick MaGooan you'll see The Raleigh R.S.W. 16 bikes in unique colors and the bikes had canopees over them! Quite a special set of props made especially for the show. The whole "village" set had these bikes being ridden all over in the show. Magooan in an interview calls them: "Stupid or silly little bicycles" (but personally..... I think they are bitchin cool as all hell please excuse my language) The British bicycle market was in a deep dive and I think that Moulton's actions saved Raleigh. Then............ after this Raleigh did some deal with Moulton and a Raleigh made copy of the Moulton was made by Raleigh but then in typical Raleigh fashion, they stopped making the bike. Moulton came back after an absence and today a Moulton bike is the coolest thing on two wheels but they are very expensive like $2,000.00! The new bikes are called Alex Moultons. Alex Moulton is a genius and well loved and respected. I have the old Cycling magazine articles with cyclist John Woodburn riding the bike.
All the Raleigh made small wheel bikes are very heavy. Well, when I say this I am referring to the R.S.W 16'S and the Raleigh 20's One wit described the Raleigh R.S.W. 16 as like" "Waltzing in Gum boots"
Also the Wisp was a R.S.W. 16 bike with a motor on it. It vibrated badly. All part of the swinging 60's. A mini bike to go with mini skirts.
I call the R.S.W. 16 the "idiot sister" to the real star of the show............ The Raleigh Chopper. The Raleigh Chopper took the British market by storm. The Chopper and the R.S.W 16 share some few common parts.
Raleigh made the Chopper in a Mk 1 and a Mk 2 ans then just very recently came out with a new version the MK 3 .
The Raleigh Chopper is hugely sucessful and popular and as a collector of Raleigh's as a money aspect of this..........I wish I limited my collecting to just the Choppers. It would have paid off better money wise. I was into the Rod brake Roadsters and therefore the bulk of the parts inventory was these.
Be sure to see: "Sheldon Brown's Raleigh Twenty page"
The Raleigh Twenty is very popular with old models going up in value.
Sheldon teaches us how to: Hop up your Raleigh 20!
All of this was very big thing. Very popular. Very magical. To those of you who are old enough to remember this stuff and not just catch it on the re- run it was quite a wild party. Wasn't it??
by: 69.245.78.110
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RE:RE:RE:MISC: Raleigh Twenty .vs. Raleigh RSW
posted by Chris on 2/19/2007 at 7:37:17 PM
Dawes. Dawes is spelled with an e.
by: 69.245.78.110
RE:RE:RE:RE:MISC: Raleigh Twenty .vs. Raleigh RSW
posted by Chris on 2/19/2007 at 7:48:11 PM
The Raleigh R.S.W. 16's had tartan bags on the rear racks. Very cool 60's magic. I encountered a very old lady in Windsor, Ontario Canada in a bike shop and she snapped at me in this nasty, tone. "No! It's not for sale."
I remember her. You kinda would have to have- a been there!
I dug in my heels and stubbornly decided to collect them.......... all! and wound up with quite a large number of these various bikes in all their varrying versions.
Mad about everything Raleigh.
Shipping these insanely heavy bikes over from England too. Yes the delightful madness.. It all comes back to me. I told this one shop owner how I loved the R.S.W. 16's. He had them around in the shop and wanted to dispose of them at top, top dollar prices and he already had my money.
by: 69.245.78.110
RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:MISC: Raleigh Twenty .vs. Raleigh RSW
posted by Chris on 2/19/2007 at 7:51:48 PM
I advise you to buy a Raleigh 20 and then visit Sheldon Brown's page. That is a ridable, enjoyable bike.
Forgive me, but to be honest, The R.S.W. 16 is just wonderful to look at. Not really practical to ride a R.S.W. 16. They are too heavy. If you have the money, buy a new Alex Moulton.
by: 69.245.78.110
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