For Sale Raleigh Record Ace/RRA frame, fork and cranks, 55cm, £100

[garethrl]

I've had this frameset for ages and can't remember how it came to be in my possession. A Raleigh Record Ace from the 1950s I believe. Silver paint with light blue seat panel and headtube. No tubeset decal but I believe it's 531.

Seat tube is 55cm C-C and top tube is 56cm C-C. There's a nice CTC badge bearing the name Douglas Scott at the top of the seat tube, potentially covering a tubeset decal I suppose.

BB runs smoothly, and there's plenty of life lift in the 46T chainring. Cranks are straight and the chrome is still in fair condition. Headset turns but is a bit rough. I haven't tried moving the seatpost.

More photos available on request. Frame is in Aberystwyth, collection preferred. I can take it to Cardiff if that helps.

Cheers,
Gareth.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

@3wheeler7 @vcballbat

 

[3wheeler7]

I'm pretty sure that it's actually a Lenton frameset not an RRA, the biggest giveaway is that Lenton headtube lugs had triangular cut-outs the RRAs didn't.

 

[garethrl]

That's an interesting observation! I've looked over a fair few photos, notably at onthedrops, and indeed none of the RRAs shown there have the triangular cutouts.

Having said that, this frame has the characteristic mudguard tabs on the seatstays, and none of the Lentons appear to have them - the mudguard eyelets are always on the dropouts.

There's no sign of a braze-on for the SA pulley wheel anywhere on this frame. Also the cranks is different to any of the RRAs I've seen pictured - it's got the Raleigh stamp on it, but the chainring isn't detatchable.

There's an oil port on the NDS side of the BB shell, if that tells you anything? My Lenton has it on the DS.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

My super lenton are stay and fork mounted.

 

[garethrl]

Does it have the same cutaway lugs on the headtube?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Does it have the same cutaway lugs on the headtube?

Lugs are different on a super lenton

 

[3wheeler7]

If you visit https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-clubmans-1946-1951.html
This blog covers the Model 25 Lentons which all had mudguard tabs on the seatstays.
Yours could be an early 1946/47 21" Lenton Sports in or a 1948/49 22" Lenton Clubman. The Model 25 was renamed the Raleigh Lenton Clubman in 1948 when the frames became 22" but according to the brochures neither had ½" sizes. Both had frame angles of 71 seat tube/71 head tube.

Post war (Model 26) RRAs were 73 head tube / 71 seat tube and were only made in ½" sizes, they also had a chain hanger pip inside the drive side chainstay and oil lube nipples on the lower left side of the head tube and left hand side of the headset clip.
Most had 3 top tube rear brake cable braze-ons and 4 saddle bag support braze-ons along with a SA pulley wheel mount braze-on at the top of the seat tube - all these could be optionally omitted.