I call any rider, lady or otherwise, who can afford a top grade bicycle a foolish person if she or he does not go to the best price they can afford, for it is ever so much the cheapest in the long run.
It was only the other day I sold a machine for a good price that had saved me £45 in bus fares, and is likely to run for years yet.
The chiefest reason I cycle so regularly is for economy’s sake, and a first-class bicycle is a rare money-saver.
– F.J. Urry, Esq, Bicycling News, 17th October, 1906
1908 Special Raleigh for Ladies
Model No 12
24″ Frame
28″ Wheels
A Raleigh Lady’s bicycle that has survived in such good condition from the SUFFRAGETTE ERA is a rare beast in the 21st century.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Ladies bought bicycles because, for the first time, they were able to.
Cycling provided their first taste of emancipation.
If you are interested in antiques and styles of the early Edwardian era, or social history of this fascinating time, using a bicycle of the era for your regular commutes is a wonderful way to ‘time travel.’
Top quality machines of the day, such as this Raleigh, are still as usable now as they were then. They were built to last.
They were not cheap bikes in 1908. So they are not cheap bikes now. But they were a good investment then …and now.
I found this wonderful survivor in long-term dry storage, where it had been for forty years. We’ve serviced it and fitted new period style tyres and inner tubes.
Cosmetically it is 100% original, with its transfers (decals) intact.
(We never repaint glorious original bikes: that would be the same as repainting a faded painting!)
It’s ready for you to jump on and ride, and experience all the exhilarations of 1908 cycling.
