Please help identify my mystery Raleigh!
- Thread starter JonStourcat
- Start date
It could be a 1972 frame..
The lack of braze on's for the gear shifters makes it slightly odd, unless they've been removed at some point?
I can't find any evidence of Raleigh's circa 1972 with a sloping crown on the fork, but certainly ones from around 1983
Maybe the only way to try and ascertain what it was would be to remove some paint and see if there is any residual that might help identify it?
The lack of braze on's for the gear shifters makes it slightly odd, unless they've been removed at some point?
I can't find any evidence of Raleigh's circa 1972 with a sloping crown on the fork, but certainly ones from around 1983
Maybe the only way to try and ascertain what it was would be to remove some paint and see if there is any residual that might help identify it?
Ian Raleigh
rBotM Winner
- Feedback
- View
Steerer tube may show two colours if its been resprayed, just a thought.
I'm pretty sure it's been repainted;
1) As Ian Raleigh pointed out the head badge isn't on straight
2) The decal by the gear shifters was normally found at the bottom of the seat tube, and more often than not on Raleigh kids bikes..
3) The decal on the seat tube has the stylised 'R' which normally graced 1980's Raleigh Burner BMX's and American Raleighs (I've yet to find any road bikes with this decal on them in any brochure)
One thing for sure is that it was built at the Lightweight Unit given it's W prefix frame number, but after that the trail goes cold...
1) As Ian Raleigh pointed out the head badge isn't on straight
2) The decal by the gear shifters was normally found at the bottom of the seat tube, and more often than not on Raleigh kids bikes..
3) The decal on the seat tube has the stylised 'R' which normally graced 1980's Raleigh Burner BMX's and American Raleighs (I've yet to find any road bikes with this decal on them in any brochure)
One thing for sure is that it was built at the Lightweight Unit given it's W prefix frame number, but after that the trail goes cold...
JonStourcat
Retro Newbie
I second that plea! I'd love to know!
I presumed it was pretty cut and dry with dating it, why would it have an 82 frame number if it's possibly 70's?
I've also chipped some paint off both frame and forks, clean steel underneath, also checked the bb and headtube and no signs of any foreign overspray.
The paintwork really does look pretty special, must have been professional - making identifying it a lot harder.
Is there anything further to check on the bike?
Thanks for your help everybody, Jon
I presumed it was pretty cut and dry with dating it, why would it have an 82 frame number if it's possibly 70's?
I've also chipped some paint off both frame and forks, clean steel underneath, also checked the bb and headtube and no signs of any foreign overspray.
The paintwork really does look pretty special, must have been professional - making identifying it a lot harder.
Is there anything further to check on the bike?
Thanks for your help everybody, Jon
one-eyed_jim
Old School Grand Master
A respray certainly looks likely, in which case the fork needn't be original, but Raleigh used that crown on many forks from the early seventies on. Many Internationals and Professionals used it, for example:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66882929@ ... 42/sizes/l
(That's a 1974)
The crown and shifter braze-ons are obvious differences, but this Gran Sport looks to have a lot in common:
https://lfgss.microco.sm/api/v1/files/d ... fc4b90.jpg
Interesting that your frame has cable guide braze-ons on the top tube, but no shifter bosses. That could indicate a modification, or a transitional date. Seventies bikes tend to have neither. Eighties bikes tend to have both.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66882929@ ... 42/sizes/l
(That's a 1974)
The crown and shifter braze-ons are obvious differences, but this Gran Sport looks to have a lot in common:
https://lfgss.microco.sm/api/v1/files/d ... fc4b90.jpg
Interesting that your frame has cable guide braze-ons on the top tube, but no shifter bosses. That could indicate a modification, or a transitional date. Seventies bikes tend to have neither. Eighties bikes tend to have both.
one-eyed_jim
Old School Grand Master
Re:
Ain't insomnia a bitch?
This '82 Competition 12 has braze-on brake cable guides, but band-on shift levers:
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/239167/
The seat cluster and lugs look right, but the fork crown is wrong.
This lovely '85 model has the right fork, but the wrong seat cluster, and brazed-on shifter bosses:
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=292152
Here's another variation from '83. Right fork and lugs. Wrong seatstay cluster and braze-ons:
http://hilarystone.com/images/sale%20im ... n-1983.jpg
So the '82 serial number looks right. A slightly later fork (or just a production variation) looks possible. The paint job and wonky head badge remain a mystery.
Ain't insomnia a bitch?
This '82 Competition 12 has braze-on brake cable guides, but band-on shift levers:
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/239167/
The seat cluster and lugs look right, but the fork crown is wrong.
This lovely '85 model has the right fork, but the wrong seat cluster, and brazed-on shifter bosses:
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=292152
Here's another variation from '83. Right fork and lugs. Wrong seatstay cluster and braze-ons:
http://hilarystone.com/images/sale%20im ... n-1983.jpg
So the '82 serial number looks right. A slightly later fork (or just a production variation) looks possible. The paint job and wonky head badge remain a mystery.
