Dating Raleigh 853 frame from mid 1990s

[LittleSkink]

Hi folks tried google and all manner of digging - guess someone here will know when this frame was made?

My all time favourite bike is built around a custom Raleigh 853 MTB frame from (I think built mid 1990's) and it would be nice to know a little more about it

I know it was a one off built by Raleigh Special Products Div for a customer of a bonded Ti Dynatech that broke - but he refused to accept it (I think he was wanting them to give him a full Titanium frame)

My folks owned the bike shop so I bought it from them (yeah they made me pay for a frame they got for free!). It is close to standard measurements for the 1997 Catalogue 18", but with 18 1/2" seat tube and 1" shorter top tube - works nicely for my leggy 6' frame

Frame number is H then 5 digits

 

[NeilM]

Re:

If I have my letters right, and assuming they never used the letter I, then that would make the frame around 95/ 96.

 

[Osella]

Re: Dating yet Raleigh 853 frame from mid 1990s

It should, however... without wanting to complicate things too much I have 2x frames one is a 'J-Reg' and the other 'K-reg' and both are the 1999 model RSP 450.

So it looks to me that one was made in '98 and sold in '99 which - assuming they didn't use I makes H 1997/98.
I suspect perhaps then they did use 'I-reg' which would make H 96/97, or thereabouts...

 

[Rampage]

Re:

Isn't I after H in the alphabet?

My H reg is 1997/8.

 

[LittleSkink]

Re: Dating yet Raleigh 853 frame from mid 1990s

thanks folks - where do you find this stuff out?

Do the 5 digits have a code or is it sequential?

97/98 sounds about right actually, but I thought it was earlier as it had hung in the shop a while, if memory serves me right. Busted my Dynatech frame crossing a ploughed field nr Wetwang - which prompted the rebuild to this frame. Was living in Beverley 99/2000 which fits

Does that mean I am posting in the wrong section - uhoh

 

[ultrazenith]

Re: Dating yet Raleigh 853 frame from mid 1990s

I'm certain Raleigh didn't start doing their 853 frames until 1996. Before that, it was all bonded steel / Ti or welded Ti Tori.

 

[Osella]

Normally I is after H in the alphabet. Therefore if they did use 'I' it would be between H and J; and therefore 97/98....
If however they didn't use I; then H would be immediately prior to J, and thus would be 97/98 itself.

As I recall, RSP used the letter code for the year, and the remainder of the serial was sequential, no rhyme or reason day/month/shift/line etc..
There are various sites about, and a few who used to work at RSP which have given the information we're regurgitating! M-Trax was the brand up until '95, then re-branded as Raleigh Special Products in '96; does yours have the RSP headbadge?

As to the 'wrong' section; there seems to be a consensus that if you've got a British, Steel, MTB which doesn't have disc mounts and is before 2000 it 'fits' in the <--1998 section.

 

[LittleSkink]

thanks Osella

the frame has the Heron and Raleigh Special Products Division badging

I have a later CrMo MTrax and my understanding the SPD stuff was "better", the 853 is certainly lighter and better made/looking

You cant really see badges here but wil get a better image sorted:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=324055

 

[Rampage]

I don't get how your working it out.
To make things simple:

1990 A
1991 B
1992 C
1993 D
1994 E
1995 F
1996 G
1997 H

No idea about I being missed.