THE IRISH X FRAME
“The duties of the Force demand more than a mere ‘push-bike’ – supreme strength, easy running and unfailing reliability, in short the new Raleigh ‘Police Model.
Note the specially constructed steel ‘X’ frame. This added strength will meet the demand of the hardest service it is possible to give to a bicycle. But throughout it will maintain its flexibility. Bearings are specially hardened and accurately ground to ensure silken running. Raleigh brakes are a revelation in their smoothness and efficiency, while Raleigh chrome plating and special rust-proof enamelling make the All Steel bicycle ideal for all-weather riding.
No matter how much you pay, money cannot buy a better bicycle – the Raleigh is the standard by which all bicycles are judged.”
– The Irish Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd, 35 Lower Abbey St, Dublin
1936/1937 Raleigh Irish X Frame
(Irish Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd)
All-weather Mudguards
Sturmey-Archer ‘Model K6’ 3-speed gear
Brooks B33 leather saddle
26″ Frame
28″ Wheels
(Now sold)
This Raleigh Irish X Frame is an older restoration, and the paintwork and chrome are still in good condition. It is fitted with ‘All-weather’ mudguards, which was an option that a customer could order when they bought their Raleigh. The frame number is not easy to read so I’ve dated it by the ‘K6’ hub. It comes from an old-time collector and has been in storage for some decades. It’s in good mechanical condition, and once the tyres are pumped up it will be ready to ride.
THE RALEIGH ‘IRISH’ X FRAME POLICE MODEL
The special X formation used gives it the additional strength exactly where it is needed, and the machine readily stands up to the hardest of hard going.
According to the book ‘The Story of the Raleigh Cycle’, the Irish government launched its ‘Industrial Programme’ in the thirties to encourage firms to employ local labour. So Raleigh formed the Irish Raleigh Cycle Co Ltd in October, 1936 – ‘though its factory was only really an assembly plant and did not actually manufacture bicycles. The factory became operational early in 1937 and an average of 1000 machines per week were put together there until the outbreak of the Second World War.’ The factory resumed production after the war.
The Modele Superbe X Frame had been the star of Raleigh catalogues, but was ‘demoted’ from its pole position after 1932. As a result of the Great Depression, cycle companies now needed to focus on cheaply-produced machines. The X Frame was no longer promoted in Britain, though it was advertised in some years’ catalogues as either the ‘Service Model’, ‘Police Model’ or the ‘Irish X Frame.’
This example has three-speed gears, which was an option on the Irish X Frame and the Police models. It was built in Nottingham, and either assembled there or in the Raleigh factory at 35 Lower Abbey St, Dublin. To quote the Irish Raleigh Cycle Co advertisement:
“The Irish X Frame model, as its name implies, has been specially designed for use on the reputably bad roads often to be found in Ireland, or where the ground to be continually traversed is of a broken and exceedingly rough nature, thereby necessitating a frame of somewhat more substantial and stronger character than is usual.”
1936 RALEIGH CATALOGUE
