1959 Raleigh Blue Streak
1959 Raleigh Bluestreak bicycle
Raleigh bicycles of Nottingham, England designed this bike as a tribute to the British Blue Streak ballistic missile.
Armed with Huret derailleurs that managed eight stages of propulsion (gears), the Blue Streak had quite a long range. A Brooks saddle stabilized the trajectory. Cold road warriors aboard this missile were shielded from water attack by the matching Bluemels fenders, and an integrated guidance system (the head lamp) delivered the Blue Streak to its target every time.
This is one in a long tradition of great theme bikes from Raleigh. It seems to me that whenever there is a Raleigh that’s meant to evoke a team or an idea or be a tribute to something else, they do it up right. A team bike built exactly like the ones that the team rides. Color and theme matching fenders, bells, racks, grips and saddles. A Raleigh “Rainier” bike with grips that look like a beer bottle cozy and fenders that match the striping on a Rainier can.
This Blue Streak looks fantastic.
Bluestreak front end
This bike was a real rocket
Not much of a gear range…
Raleigh fenders, painted to match
Raleigh and the Bluestreak program, the pride of England
Four D batteries in this one
The Blue Streak missile program ran in Britain and Australia from 1955 to 1972.
Raleigh bicycles have been made in Nottingham, England since 1887, and today we have a design team a little closer to home with Raleigh USA dreaming up bikes in our own backyard of Kent, Washington.