You are purchasing a vintage 1952 Raleigh Dawn Tourist 12L bicycle, an awesome fully loaded Raleigh built in December 1951 in England. This one comes in a classy black enamel spra-bonderized finish with red trim and gold lettering.  It features a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub (with trigger shifter) as well as a dynohub generator for the bullet headlamp and rear red light.  The lights look very, very cool.  This bike, like many Raleighs of that era, includes front and rear rod brakes, and they are functioning.  Other interesting features include a full gearcase, a bell, a rear rack with a spring clamp, and a frame pump.  Stock on this bike were the "D" fork blades and ribbed fenders.

This bicycle is in relatively good condition with a few points to note.  The paint is in nice shape for a bike of its age, but there are scratches on the chaincase, the fenders, and the frame - especially atop the seat tube where there is some corrosion.  Yellow decals on each side of the fork are peeling off.  The frame pump, which is not currently functioning, has lost most of its paint, though it would be an easy piece to repaint.  The chrome north road handlebars have worn and show very minor surface rust.  The wheels are rusting.  This Brooks saddle has retained its charm, and though it has seen some wear with age, it still makes for a handsome seat. The tires have been replaced and are in good shape.

This is an amazing piece of cycling history.  Anyone familiar with this era in Raleigh's legacy will recognize the timeless design and quality British steel construction that made Raleigh such a huge part of cycling.  A true collector's item.

Measurements:

Seat Tube: 21"

Wheels: 26 X 1 3/8

Specifications:

Brooks B.66L saddle

Rod Brakes with Fibrax pads

Sturmey Archer 3-speed trigger shifter

Raleigh rubber block pedals

Dyno generator front hub

Sturmey Archer 3-speed rear hub

Serial # 40044BE

Reference # 144621