Most old bikes can be dated to within a few years by putting several clues together. No single clue is certain: wheels get swapped, parts get upgraded, and frame numbers can mislead. Start with the dated parts, then use the frame number and the bike's features to narrow it down.
1. Sturmey-Archer hub stamps
Most older Sturmey-Archer hubs have their model code, such as AW, stamped on the shell, along with the month and the last two digits of the year the hub was made (Sheldon Brown). Retro Raleighs calls this the easiest way to date a 3-speed, as long as the bike still has its original rear wheel.
- Clean the shell gently and look all the way round it. Stamps can be faint, and a torch held low helps.
- If the rear wheel has been replaced, the stamp dates the wheel, not the bike.
2. Shimano date codes (from 1976)
From 1976, Shimano parts carry a two-letter code. The first letter is the year and the second is the month, from A for January to L for December. The year letters ran from A in 1976 to Z in 2001, then started again at A in 2002, so use the part's design to decide which round it belongs to. For example, VI means September 1997 (Ebykr; Better Shifting).
- Ebykr lists crank arms, rear mechs and hub bodies as places to look. Front mechs don't always carry a code.
3. Raleigh frame numbers
Raleigh used several numbering systems over the years, and Retro Raleighs publishes year-by-year tables for them. Treat them as a rough guide: Retro Raleighs warns that many bikes have turned out to be much newer than their numbers suggest, because Raleigh reused older serial numbers in later years.
| Period | What the number looks like |
|---|---|
| 1888–1925 | Plain running numbers |
| 1925 to the Second World War | Numbers with letters added. Dating is approximate |
| After the war to 1955 | Numbers followed by a letter, with the count started again |
| 1955–1966 | Numbers with two letters |
| 1966–1973, top 531 frames | A year letter (A for 1966 through to H for 1973), then four numbers. Letters may cross over at the start and end of a year |
| 1974 into the 1980s, Worksop-built 531 and 753 frames | W, then a letter for the fortnight, then one digit for the year. The digit doesn't give the decade: a 4 could be 1974 or 1984 |
There are exceptions. Retro Raleighs notes that some top models of 1973 and 1974, such as Professionals, Internationals, Competitions and Record Aces, have numbers beginning with A, and advises using the colours, transfers and components to decide. Photograph the frame number before you clean or paint anything.
4. Features that narrow it down
| Clue | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Chrome-plated parts | Chrome was first used on bicycles in 1928 and offered by British makers, Raleigh among them, from 1930. Original chrome parts suggest 1930 or later (Online Bicycle Museum) |
| Raleigh heron head transfer | Introduced in 1908 (Online Bicycle Museum) |
| Raleigh lamp bracket | The heron lamp bracket replaced the 'R' bracket in September 1927 (Online Bicycle Museum) |
| The name on the head badge | Humber, Rudge, BSA, Phillips, Hercules, Sun and Carlton came under Raleigh between 1932 and the early 1960s. Each brand page in this guide gives the date and its source |
Head badges and dealer transfers
Two Hercules badges with different addresses, Britannia Wks, Birmingham and Nottingham, England, and a dealer's transfer from Sam Mellor of Wigan. Note exactly what yours says before you check the brand page or ask the group.
Photos: Garry Gregory.
5. Match it to a catalogue
Once you have a rough date, compare the bike with its model page here. Each page lists the years we've found the model in catalogues and the parts the catalogues give it, such as tubing, gears and brakes. Our years show when a model appears in a source, not exact production dates.
When you can't get any closer
- Ask in the Vintage Bicycles UK group, with photos of the frame number, the hub stamp, the head badge and the whole bike.
- Remember that owners often updated their bikes over the years. The Online Bicycle Museum points out that later parts are part of a bike's history too.
- For other British makers, such as Rudge-Whitworth, Sunbeam and Elswick Hopper, the Online Bicycle Museum's dating guide has frame number information.
- For older machines, the Online Bicycle Museum suggests the Veteran-Cycle Club, which helps its members identify bikes.
Sources
Checked 19 October 2026. Method tips without a source are our members' experience.
- Sheldon Brown: Sturmey-Archer hubs: date and model identification
- Retro Raleighs (sheldonbrown.com): How Old is Your Raleigh?
- Ebykr: How to date a vintage bicycle by its components
- Better Shifting: How can I determine a Shimano component manufacturing date?
- Online Bicycle Museum: Bicycle frame and serial number dating guide
- V-CC: Veteran-Cycle Club