Dear fellow retro bikers, I thought I would add a few comments regarding the 40th Anniversary TI Raleigh replica . Irt first came to my attention on the Classic Rendezvous website . To gauge how accurate it was I looked at the Raleigh webpage which can only tell my glasses wearing eyes so much. The gentleman from Newcastle's YouTube video highlighted the sloping top tube which I had not noticed first time round but which I could see upon revisiting the Raleigh web page and looking at the first side on picture. Also the geometry chart features a sloping top tube so it is my guess Raleigh and their Taiwanese partners manufactured these frames intentionally this way . Raleigh did not mention the tube sloped but you can see it.
The frame was constructed and painted in Taiwan . The frame's lugs and fork crown are Taiwanese Long Chen Items readily available. looking at the rear drop outs they look to be laser cut out of a constant thickness of material not like the commonly used Campagnolo 1010 forged drop outs and are very crudely finished. Front fork ends have "lawyers lips" attached which the Ti Raleigh team mechanics would have had no time for and would have received the grinder/file treatment. On the top tube the divers helmet cable guides are a nod to authenticity .
Originally Raleigh used European sourced frame building material such as Reynolds, Prugnat, RGF , Cinelli and Campagnolo . Most of these makers are gone or no longer make frame building components . The outlay cost (design and moulding development ) for a casting house to make replicas of the original lugs fork crown and BB shell would have been excessive for a relatively small 250 frame production run.
Originalshinkicker has forgotten more about Raleigh SBDU than I will ever know , I can only give my opinion regarding companies attempts to make replicas. Something is lost when design and manufacturing is not continuous under one roof . In the last few years Bianchi bicycles who once had an Italian equivalent of SBDU the Reparto Corsa brought out a replica to celebrate the L'Eroica event . It was made in Taiwan and didn't get it right in similar ways that the 40th Raleigh did not.
Tommasini bicycles of Italy brought out a replica of their popular Super Prestige model that was originally marketed in 1985. I have a picture of the Tommasini workshop in 1983 out of five people making frames three were still there in 2018 . All their manufacturing and painting is done in house and part of the factory is a museum which has plenty of reference points for older models . Last October during a visit one of Irio Tommasini's daughters was giving a tour to fellow Italians . When they started this replica project Tommasini went to their local casting house and had the original lugs , crowns and BB shells made and also had Columbus make SLX tube and had access to the original style forged drop outs. All the original ingredients and workers were available so a decent replica was made . Even the rear drop outs were hand filed to a taper like thirty five years ago . When I was 16 in 1985 Tommasini was too. flashy or expensive and British made frames were prevalent so that's what I had but in 2018 I got a second chance at a 1985 Tommasini.
Taiwan probably has the most in quality/quantity of skilled frame builders and manufacturers so I am not knocking the Taiwanese , they did what Raleigh asked of them. The accuracy of the Raleigh replica depended on how passionate/knowledgeable the HQ staff were and on the cost. It is up to the Individual to decide if the 40th appeals to them. I would say it is very hard to replicate a design made forty years ago when the Industry has changed so much , kind regards Kermisking.
