Early Raleigh Low Profile?

[desmondo]

I picked this up from a the Bygone Bykes Hunsley jumble yesterday.
I thought it was a nice frame and didn't think that it might not be a MB Dronfield.
I've just checked it today and it seems that it's a Raleigh. The frame number is WG3000799 making it a 1983 frame from Worksop. It takes 700c wheels and is fillet brazed on the top head lug & seat lug. This fillet brazing made me think that it could be an early low pro because of the lug angles & maybe lugs with these angles weren't available at the time.

 

[roadking]

Raleigh frame from Hunsley.

I saw this frameset at Hunsley too.

It is almost certainly Raleigh built, not at Worksop though, that factory closed in 1980 - but Raleigh used the W prefix numbering system on the their"better"quality volume frames and bikes.

However, it could have been supplied as a trade bike to MBD and never logo'd up as a Raleigh.

Your hunch re the top tube lugs makes sense and makes it interesting - not exotic but interesting.

I think it's a little later than 1983 though (internal brake cable), is there a hole under that patch on the BB? If so thats where the riveted-on under bracket plastic cable guide goes.

Roadking.

 

[desmondo]

Thanks for the info. There is an hole, the plastic cable guide fell off.
I've spoken to Vernon and he tells me he only bought in Tange tubed frames and that was in the late eighties.
My feeling is that it's earlier than the Panasonic coloured low profile frames. I may get it repainted in the Raleigh colours you see.. But which?
I don't think there was a Ti coloured low profile bike but I could be wrong.

 

[roadking]

Hi Desmondo.

No low pro frames in TI colours.

And without checking my archive I don't think there were any Panasonic team Raleigh frames in low pro - and I think by the time Panasonic were using low profiles they were using Mercx frames anyway.

I'll check and post a pic when I find one.

Rk.

 

[desmondo]

Thanks for that Roadking.
It being from the Nottingham factory, would it be a custom build? It's just that I can't see it in any of the catalogues.

 

[roadking]

No custom builds in Nottingham at this time.

Mind you...there's always a chance that an employee at Nottingham could have built it for themselves.

Being silly now.

Bit more research needed even then we might not have a definitive answer - what did the seller say to you?

Rk.

 

[desmondo]

He didn't really have a clue about it. A bit like me.

 

[desmondo]

To add more confusion, it is stamped Cassar on the fork steerer??

 

[roadking]

To add more confusion, it is stamped Cassar on the fork steerer??

???

As you say, more confusion.

Rk.

 

[MartinB123]

Bit of a revival for this thread...

I now own this frame, bought it last week from a lad on the Bristol Trackdropout forum who bought it from Hilary Stone from what I remember.

Just wondering if anyone else has any more info on the frame at all?

Plans are to build it into a fixed-wheel racer for the Bristol-Bath cycle path...