Help for identification Raleigh RRA ???

I recently bought on the bay a vintage racer that I have tentatively identified as a Raleigh Record Ace (RRA) Modèrne (by comparing the pictures reported at http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bi ... ohler.html

Could someone give me a confirmation about my putative identification including some info on the Raleigh Record Ace (RRA) Modèrne.

Thank you in advance

C.

The lugs look the same. Other bits like the saddle and mudguards look later.Chainset set could be a replacment
What are the gears? Bars and stem look period. Nice bike a quite rare.
Should clean well.
Have you seen this one.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikerangertw/894613323/

Hi bagpuss

Thank you for your comments. I agree with you that saddle and mudguards appear to be quite evident replacements. While for the saddle I will probably replace it with a classic leather saddle (I have a nice middlemore), I think to maintain the current mudguards.

Thank you for the link you have added, I am indeed looking for the appropriate decals, since they are missing in my bike. Do you think that the decals displayed on the pictures of your link are the right choice for the RRA moderne ?

I have found other pictures on the web (attached) showing similar decals and also similar (if not identical) chanset and calipers.

Finally I would like to ask you opinion about respraying Vs cleaning. The frame has many rust spots all over, especially on the rear dropouts.

PS I include a further picture showing the rear derailleur and down tube shifter, that appear to be the original ones.

Bye for now

C.

To start a link to pictures of what can be done with a refurb.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 004485250/
The chap who did the refurb did it all at home. Hard to tell them apart.
I ended up buying the restored RRA and owned it for about 3 years before selling it to another member of this forum.If the paint and decals are gone,restoring it is fine in mho.I have seen another Moderne on e bay a couple of years ago.Try doing a completed listing search for it.I think it still had the decals on it . Enjoy the project. I will add more thoughts later.

Assuming the bike has still the original colour, looking more carefully at the shape ot the lugwork and studying the Raleigh catalogs (found on the web), I am now considering the possibility that my bike is NOT a Raleigh RRA Moderne but rather a Raleigh Lenton Marque III (possibly 195 or a Lenton Grand Prix. the single chainset and the brake would depone in favour of the first hypotesis.

Only in the 1958 catalog is reported that the Lenton Marque III was available in the finish: Black enamel, white head, red guards, inflator and tape. (this would point out that the guards are original ???).

Thank you for the help

C.

Here is a link to my flickr Raleigh Set. All the 1940's/50 belong to a Vcc member who i knew for awhile.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 675787816/

Many have close ups of lug work, in your frames time span.Hope it many help.

At the end I cannot understand if the bike is a Lenton Marque III or a RRA moderne or even a Lenton Grand Prix.
May be the frames were identical .... who can say ....???
May be I will go on the RRA side, or Grand prix, being the decals for these models still available, whilst I cannot find the decals for the Marque III.

Has someone more insight on the question about the frames of the 3 Raleigh Sport Models of 1957-1958 ... ???

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