1957 Lenton (Raleigh) Gran Prix
1957 Raleigh Lenton Gran Prix
Raleigh made the Lenton collection of club-racer style bikes for fifteen years. Promoted by Britain’s greatest cyclist of the era (and Raleigh spokesman) Reg Harris, the Lenton was a popular ride.
Club racers like this one represent a great era in British cycling. Earlier road models, typically outfitted with 3-speed hubs, handled slowly and were great for touring, but not for racing. Later eras saw British bikes that were more specialized. You had racing bikes with stiff upright frame geometry or stretched out touring bikes like those found on the continent. Club racers like the Lenton could do it all.
Benelux rod shifter
Twist the rod to shift gears
The versatile design of the Gran Prix made the bike feel right at home, whether it was touring Welsh country lanes, negotiating its way through an American pack race or cruising a London time trial course.
This Reg Harris signature model has a lot of great bits. The frame was made from Reynolds 531 tubing. There’s frame pegs to hold the pump. Bluemels fenders. A Brooks saddle.
Reg Harris road model
Lenton frame detail
Benelux Mark 7 derailleur
The steel crank set features the Raleigh heron stamped into the chainrings, and of course there’s the Benelux rear derailleur. It has a plunger-style actuator operated by a pull chain and manages 4 gears in the back. The front shifting (with a 3-tooth gear difference) is handled by a Benelux rod operated front derailleur.
All in all a fine bike with a really long given name (The Raleigh Lenton (Marque III) Gran Prix Reg Harris Road Model).