New purchase - but what is it? Opinions?

Would put good money on it being a 531c Raleigh. all identical to mine from 83. What size is the seat post? Maybe not marked or impossible to measure of course. tony Oliver has 653 and 531 seat tubes having 27,5 mm internal diameter but often using a 27.2 due to less than perfect brazing marginally distorting the tubing. 531 ST has 27.2.
He suggests 531/653 tubes need a 27.2 seat post or 27.4 if silver brazed to high standards where as a 531 st would use a 27.0 pin.
Don't know if this helps or confuses.
Still reckon it's a Raleigh.

Mattsccm - what model is yours?

I reckon the shifters may be 105 or above. Below that had a button on the inside of the lever for downshifts rather than the sportier trigger at the blade.

Shimano also make some components outwith the groupsets that are basically the same as the group component but not labelled. I have no idea why though.

Tiagra has a paddle too, as did RSX - it's only Sora with a release button.

Won't be 531ST as in almost every case it would have canti bosses.

my Raleigh is badged as a Competition. however I wouldn't guarantee that. It was aquired in 83 via the Outdoor Ed dept at Bangor Normal College. Every year the OR course members were offered bikes from Raleigh special products. Think our head of Dept had personal links with someone there. We sent off detailed measurements and whether we wanted tubs or clinchers and the bikes arrived. all the same colour but with slightly different bits which roughly matched the wheels asked for. Mine has 531c stickers on F&F. I wanted tubs and got these with Cinelli bars and stem and Raleigh spec SR cranks, seat post etc. Campag brakes and hubs and GP4 rims.All were painted the same colour. this year was a bright blue, a touch brighter than the blue on this page. was told it was not a standard colour but one from the BMX range. Dunno on that.
Thing is the year before's bikes were still badged Competition but with Carlton stickers although a Raleigh head tube metal badge. Colour was very dark red. Identical frame though, I have one in the shed.
Year before was painted Post office red.
I am sure the bike shown is identical to mine in the way of lugs, dropouts and general design

The frame no starts with "W" = Worksop. Therefore the bike was made in the Carlton works at Worksop, which was owned by Raleigh and closed about 1982.
Carlton were always up market of Raleigh.

hank":3gy6f8ho said:

The frame no starts with "W" = Worksop. Therefore the bike was made in the Carlton works at Worksop, which was owned by Raleigh and closed about 1982.
Carlton were always up market of Raleigh.

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They carried on using the Worksop serial numbers after the Worksop factory was closed.