Reynolds 531 Raleigh Record Ace..C 19??

Liberated this lightly used Raleigh Record Ace from a friend of mine....

According to the serial No's its Worksop built, though not sure if its a Dec 73 or an 83...but I have pictured the serial No for those in the know...













Its decent spec...not at all like the later budget Record Ace I can find info about..though obviously not the colour that the 73 seemd to have come in

Reynolds 531 f & f with Suntour dropouts, Campag Gran sport r/mech, f/mech and shifters, Suntour block, Sugino GS Chainset, Weinman 605 brakes, Rims on Normandy hubs, Sakae bars, Raleigh brand stem....and in overall nice honest condition,
I am told shes all original bar the tyres...
I felt the need to save her, she had been saved from a garage a few years back, only to sit in a shed...although she is sadly a little big so will probably sell her on...hopefully to someone who may use her..

From 83, the highest specification model with mudguard clearance.

Catalog scan here: http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/R ... l83_05.jpg

Thanks for that.

A friend sent me this also.

http://by157w.bay157.mail.live.com/att/ ... e30&Aux=44

http://by157w.bay157.mail.live.com/att/ ... e30&Aux=44

Suprised to see it comes in at just over 25lbs....

And further confirms it as an 83...

nice bike but keep the campag pedals if you sell it !

I had one - owner before me had it from new and he says it was an '82. Exactly the same as yours.

Went for a little spin on her last night...even with the saddle right down it was a struggle TBH...shes is definately too big was really like riding a gate.......problem is my stumpy little legs....


What do the wise sages on here think she might be worth?

Record Ace.

Hi,

just seen this trawling through old posts on Raleighs.

Sorry to disappoint, but these were built at Raleigh in Nottingham, not Worksop (Carlton).

The Worksop factory closed in 1980/81 - a little simple research reveals this to be the case.

Good-ish bicycle though.

Cheers, Roadking.

Re: Record Ace.

roadking":2pvgth20 said:

Hi,

just seen this trawling through old posts on Raleighs.

Sorry to disappoint, but these were built at Raleigh in Nottingham, not Worksop (Carlton). Worksop factory closed in 1980/81.

Raleighs weren't built in Worksop.

Good-ish bicycke though.

Cheers, Roadking.

Click to expand...

A little more info - as I understand it from an ex Carlton framebuilder, the Worksop serial numbered bikes were built in Nottingham with the ex Carlton framebuilding equipment, and a number of the employees from the Carlton factory, they (the framebuilders at least) were given the option to relocate or take redundancy.

I know they kept making W serial number bikes until at least 86 as I have a bike with just such a number, a special order by the looks of it, as it doesn't feature in any catalogues.

For future clarity, this bike could not be a 73 because as I understand it the W for Worksop, N for Nottingham etc. serial number system didn't start till after '73.

Roadking - you have mentioned the Lightweight Unit a few times - is that the ex Worksop equipment and people making bikes like threse, or was another separate section? I know the W serial number frames after 81 were made separately from the N serial number run of the mill stuff, but their is a gap in my knowledge about the Lightweight unit, apart from the reference to it in catalogues, I haven't seen one of the bikes to check it out.

Re: Record Ace.

NickD":2fi96n5f said:

Roadking - you have mentioned the Lightweight Unit a few times - is that the ex Worksop equipment and people making bikes like threse, or was another separate section? I know the W serial number frames after 81 were made separately from the N serial number run of the mill stuff, but their is a gap in my knowledge about the Lightweight unit, apart from the reference to it in catalogues, I haven't seen one of the bikes to check it out.

Click to expand...

The Lightweight Unit was separate again, and operated out of a small workshop in Ilkeston - they built the TI-Raleigh team machines. I think it was later shut down and all work concentrated at the main Nottingham plant, eventually ending up in the guise of the Special Products Division. Forum member bikemeister2000 is probably a good person to clear this one up, being a former Raleigh employee, and will no doubt correct any gaps or mistakes in my post!

David

Record Ace.

Nick you're correct about Carltons built at Raleigh Nottingham having W frame numbers.

I may be mistaken but I think Raleigh, sometime during the late 1980s, briefly reintroduced the Carlton name on two machines (not for long though).

This Record Ace is 1980s (I think 1984) - it appears in a number of Raleigh brochures I have in my collection.

With regard to the Lightweight Unit as distinct from the SBDU (as you know I have one of each). My LU bicycle - bought as a complete machine in 1984, is a Corsa. Reynolds 501* throughout (maintubes, stays and forks), Prugnat shortpoint lugs and Gipiemme chromed dropouts. Close clearances no 'guard eyes.

*501 being chrome molybdenum with a little manganese, whereas 531 is Manganese Molybdenum. 501 is double butted.

It has a full Shimano 600 group, my only bike (apart from my MTB) so equipped. With Weinmann rims, a Cinelli"Giro d'Italia"bar and 1a stem with Benotto tape, silver Sedis chain.

Bike is Oyster (pearl white) with white benotto, red cables and a red (faded) Rolls saddle.

Quality bike; lives indoors, has miles under its wheels though.

Owned from new, mint, never restored - spokes could do with renewing though! LU frames have a"WL"frame prefix, and the bicycle (or frameset) cam with a card signed by the builder with a photo of him and the frame number.

I think I've said previously LU bikes are often mistaken for SBDU bikes - frame number is the giveaway but not if it's missing!

That's about all I can think of without trawling through tons of reference material.

I'll post some pics if I can get the b****y things uploaded!

Hope this is of interest.

Cheers, Roadking.

P.S restore the GB!