1929 Raleigh Modele Superbe X Frame (Green)

The success of the Raleigh bicycle has led to many attempts at imitation. Buyers should not only look for the trade mark and the special Raleigh features to which reference has already been made, but particularly for the Raleigh lamp bracket illustrated herewith. This design has been registered. This form of lamp bracket is used on every Raleigh manufactured from 1st September 1927, and may not be used on any other bicycle.

– 1928 Raleigh Sales Catalogue, Page 6

So now you know how to tell, at a glance, whether a Raleigh is pre or post-1928! The company, like all the manufacturers of well-built expensive machines, was beset by the problem of counterfeit copies. The Raleigh Modele Superbe X Frame was one of the world’s top bicycles. New cyclists did not always understand why some machines were more expensive, and thought they would save money if they bought a cheap bicycle. Then, as now, however, the top machines were always the best investment; cheap bicycles fell apart after only a little use. The problem for the top manufacturers was that poor quality bicycles gave the industry as a whole a bad name, and if a counterfeit bicycle had a Raleigh badge, the company would suffer even if it was obviously a forgery.

All the top manufacturers kept ahead of forgeries by making all their components themselves rather than using proprietary parts, and each manufacturer used unique designs for their components. Presumably the distinctive Raleigh ‘R’ lamp bracket, used until 1927, was too easy to copy. As you can see, the ‘Heron’ bracket was a much more complicated affair.

Below, I have illustrated the 1927, 1928 and 1929 Raleigh Surperbe X Frame, identical except for the lamp bracket and the fitting of electric lights for the first time on the 1929 model.