Moreover as the epitome of bicycle mass production, Raleigh had little penetration of the discerning club market which always favoured small independent bespoke frame builders.

Raleighs Bike Boom Flagship: Raleigh Professionals Marks II-V, 1971-1981.

The frame geometry assures a lively and responsive performance.

The special configuration of the rear triangle gives added rigidity, a necessity for top competition.

Reynolds 531 double butted tubes throughout and completely Campagnolo equipped, including brakes.

Its trademark blue mink and silver paint, gold lug lining, lashings of lustrous chrome, characteristic fastback rear stays and all that much coveted Campagnolo componentry made it one of the most aesthetically pleasing and desired lightweights of the era and often a pipe dream machine for a generation of young cyclists on account of its very high cost.

For those fortunate enough to own one, then or now, it remains one of the most distinctive and pleasing of racing machines in appearance and ride.

This article examines the various marks and sub-variations of the Raleigh Professional Marks II-V which was Raleighs top of the line racing machine for the US market from 1971 onwards and post 1974 exceeded only by the Raleigh SBDU Ilkeston-built Team Professionals.

In production from 1971 to 1981 with no fewer than four marks or versions, the Professionals Marks II-IV were built by Carlton in Worksop rather than by Raleigh in Nottingham and were essentially rebadged variants of the Carlton Giro dItalia frame.

With a huge firm like Raleigh with a global market for which specialised products were developed, its essential to define terms so this article concerns itself solely with Carlton-built Raleigh Professionals for the US Market only c.

Carlton badged Professionals for the British market.

Even more than most Raleigh models of this era, dating and identifying Professionals can be a bit of a minefield especially if one falls into the brochure trap of trying to reconcile production machines with the blandishments of a paper brochure.

Humber Bicycle S Serial Number Especially

With Raleigh, its more meaningful to ascertain the serial number especially the letter prefix which determines the production year of the frame that may often bracket the brochure year.

Further, as RaleighCarlton got a bit inundated during the early 1970s Bike Boom in the U.S., there were production delays.

Hence, we find the Mark II Pro Limited Edition advertised in the 1970 brochure was, by production date serial numbers, actually built in 1971.

Worse, there were Mark II, III and Mark IVs all built the same year and Mark IIIs portrayed as Mark IVs in the 1972 catalogue, etc.

Founded in 1898 by Fred Hanstock in the village of Carlton, Nottinghamshire, Carlton Cycles moved to Worksop in 1934 and began to concentrate solely on lightweight club and racing cycles.

Under the slogan Hand Made Cycles at Mass Production Prices, Carlton established itself as a leader in the field with a wide range of specially designed frames for timetrialling, road racing, track, club and even cycle polo which were renown for their craftsmanship, finish and distinctive lugwork as well as their advanced design and engineering.

Moreover, it mostly sold complete machines with carefully selected components and fittings with a broad price range.

In 1939, Carlton was bought by the ODonovan family with D.R.

In 1958 his son, Gerald O Donovan, joined the firm and became Manager and Chief Designer two years later.

By the mid 1950s, British bicycle sales were in a prolonged slump concurrent with a marked increase in private car ownership aided by hire purchase schemes.

Although use of bicycles as basic transport diminished, the market for racing, sports and leisure machines remained hopeful with increased leisure time and intense interest in cycle racing especially the growth of mass start racing in Britain with the Tour of Britain, Tour of the South-West, London-Holyhead etc.

Humber Bicycle S Series Of Entry

Its last professional grade, custom order lightweight bicycle, the fabled Raleigh Record Ace, was out of production by 1954 and by the end of the decade its longstanding Lenton series of entry level sports machines with hub gears was nearing the end of its productive and profitable life.

Indeed, Raleigh was so wedded to the hub gear through its ownership of Sturmey-Archer that it was ill-served when the derailleur came to dominate sports and racing cycling.

Humber Bicycle Serial Numbers