Raleigh Road Ace dating

picked it up today serial number WL3000271 fairly early methinks and all 531C with a few Campag bits left

August 1983?

Shaun

how does the dating system work on these, I know the W is for Worksop normally but it's a Notts. bike just reused stamping machinery. but dates how does that work. but '83 was my guess

Raleigh carried on with the "W" LOL next letter is the month and the first number is the year (repeats every 10 years). the other numbers are consecutive and identify the frame.

Just going open a new page and look on the Carlton site and check......... ah!

http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/details/dating.htm

Shaun

I bought this primarilary for the saddle, xt chainset and f=r derailleurs. the rest maybe up for grabs I will post pics up tomorrow with a price. I don't normally break bikes up but I may make this an exception.

wiping the crud and removing flexi-spring cable housing from the bb shell, I've noticed in addition to the frame number a 'S' stamped more or less dead centre of the bbshell, does this mean anything or does it relate to the Suntour dropouts?

Oh and Exactly how rare are these of this vintage, I ask simply as I have to decide what to do with it paint or dare I say powdercoating. off to hide

joe careless":mfsdmfyf said:

wiping the crud and removing flexi-spring cable housing from the bb shell, I've noticed in addition to the frame number a 'S' stamped more or less dead centre of the bbshell, does this mean anything or does it relate to the Suntour dropouts?

Click to expand...

Hey there, I've often wondered what the extra character means on the BB of one of these Raleigh 80's-vintage frames. I've got 4 of them (531 or 531c frames with W serial numbers) and IIRC they each have a different character. I'll check and report back.

One of my frames started life as a Road Ace. I bought it in a very tatty condition as a frame only:



Being as the paint job was knackered I did this with it:



It won't be a fixie forever, just until I get bored and do something else with it.

I wouldn't say that it's a particularly rare frameset, but it is definitely a very good one. Worth effort and financial cost to make something of it.

S1m0nR":a7zrclc9 said:

joe careless":a7zrclc9 said:

wiping the crud and removing flexi-spring cable housing from the bb shell, I've noticed in addition to the frame number a 'S' stamped more or less dead centre of the bbshell, does this mean anything or does it relate to the Suntour dropouts?

Click to expand...

Hey there, I've often wondered what the extra character means on the BB of one of these Raleigh 80's-vintage frames. I've got 4 of them (531 or 531c frames with W serial numbers) and IIRC they each have a different character. I'll check and report back.

One of my frames started life as a Road Ace. I bought it in a very tatty condition as a frame only:

Being as the paint job was knackered I did this with it:

It won't be a fixie forever, just until I get bored and do something else with it.

I wouldn't say that it's a particularly rare frameset, but it is definitely a very good one. Worth effort and financial cost to make something of it.

Click to expand...

Like that 3-colour blue/white/orange scheme - has a whiff (not much of one, mind) of the Madison-Genesis team livery about it.

David

That looks amazing, it really suits the modern look. Those bar tapes look well comfy. It looks very similar frame (even the original colour) to a 82 raleigh competition 531 that i have