Raleigh Team Record - Now Identified.

I realise the Team Records were not SBDU bikes and were built at Worksop - but am considering purchasing one and Google has left me confused.

The one I am looking at is original (Suntour cyclone mechs, Raleigh branded chainset and mavic module E rims) is a bit tired (paintwork) but is very straight and has (also original) Reynolds 531 'star' decals indicating main frame, forks and stays are all 531DB. It also has Campagnolo style dropouts (not 'stamped' dropouts I have seen on some Team Records) and has mudguard eyes front and rear. I believe it is a Euro (or specifically French?) specification Team Record?

My confusion stems from the fact that there appear to be very basic 'Team Records' without the niceties I've mentioned above as well as this version.

I'm not deluded - I realise this is not a pro/team/sbdu bike in disguise or anything but given the basic pedigree of a 531DB frame and forks with campy drop-outs etc it looks like it would make a great ride?

(Pic of actual bike added)





Help gratefully received!

Re: Raleigh Team Record - Confused!

Any pictures?

There's a 'suspect' Team bike on eBay at the moment, although the seller has mentioned that the Reynolds 531 decals may have just been added:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replica-Team- ... 259253933b

This bike was fairly iconic in the 70's and 80's so there are almost certainly a lot of 'sheep in wolves clothing' about!

Re: Raleigh Team Record - Confused!

Yep, not only did Raleigh milk their iconic red / black / yellow frame colours to the max with multiple models (Think Europa)........... anyone can paint their frame in the said colours, plonk on the decals and call it a replica like the one in the above e-bay add. If that's a Raleigh I'll eat my carlton Team Pro.

Pics would help

Shaun

Re: Raleigh Team Record - Confused!

well...

It 'looks' like a Team Record

Although the Reynolds decal is not in it's 'normal' place

1974 Raleigh brochure:

Re:

Added some more images of the bike :

Re: Raleigh Team Record - Confused!

That e-bay bike has a black head tube to ape the pro frame........ lesser team frames came mostly in yellow. The e-bay bike has decidedly non-raleigh seat cluster set-up.

Are those your pics?

Shaun

Re:

No - the pics I've posted are of the actual bike I'm keen on and are from from the seller - who is based in France.

I can only find 'hints' of it on the web but there does seem to be a 'decent spec' French Team Record that was not available elsewhere?

Re: Raleigh Team Record - Confused!

Does the seller have the frame number?

Shaun

Re:

Not in the advert unfortunately.

Update - very pleased with the bike as it arrived and the frame number confirms it as a Worksop/Carlton built 531 bike from March 1977.

Rode it around for 30 minutes to give it a 'final' run, took a load of 'before' pictures and then began the (lengthy) restoration process - my first real bike project. The 'apparently' welded in seatpost being the biggest pain so far - requiring the 'Sheldon Brown' hacksaw method to remove - thankfully without damaging the seat-tube. So I do need a period 27.2 seat-post at some point in the build. The saddle is also a horrible much later affair and will have to go.

Have slowly dismantled much of the bike keeping all the parts in small clear bags. Will get down to a bare frame and then plan to take it to Mercian cycles for a full renovation (has anybody had work done by them recently that would also recommend them?). while that is happening I will be cleaning and renovating the rest of the parts - which on the whole seem in pretty decent condition.

Has anybody got a demon way of cleaning/restoring old alloy rims?

Also - Although some way off - Are there any decent 20mm 700C amberwall clinchers available new?

Looking forward to working through this project now.

Cheers.