My 'new' Raleigh

[Old Ned]

I picked this up yesterday - first Raleigh I've had for 50 years! - which has an 'eclectic' mix of components. It was the original owners training bike so he probably fitted all his second string parts cascaded down of his 'best' bike at the time. Campag Strada chainset 48/54 (he liked big gears!), Campag Record front and Nuovo Gran Sport rear mechs, Dura-Ace DT levers, Universal 68 calipers (nut fixed) with Galli levers, Record steel headset, Milremo grooved stem with GB engraved bars, Campag hubs on sprint rims with some very old tubs that still hold air. I'm a bit surprised to find that it does not have brazed on gear lever bosses even though it has brake cable guides on the top tube and below bracket cable routing (via stops though not grooved guides). The frame number is - WP1000489 4. Does this make it an April 1989 production? Any idea which factory? Any help on identifying it will be gratefully received.

It is really slightly to small for me (approx 55cm c-2-c) so not sure what to do with it in the long term.

 

[roadking]

Raleigh.

You should know better .

The W prefix on the frame number was used to denote a Worksop built frame - i.e prefix used by Carlton. Your frame was built at Nottingham - image a little small and looks like a repaint - transfers look earlier than the frame!

Does it have (a) a pump peg on the headtube and (b) a chain hanger on the seat stay?

After Worksop closed, Raleigh used the W prefix on its first division lightweights - the Lightweight Division frames and complete bikes.

Generally these were all very good frames, although I've seen"second-raters"with the W refix and even GoD stickers -"second raters"being 531 main tubes - no disrespect to those owners.

LU not to be confused with the SBDU!

Roadking.

P.S Strada in Campag speak is road, the chainset will be either"New"Gran Sport* or Nuovo Record, if GS it'll have GS with the shield logo.

*reissued late 70s early 80s and replaced by Victory etc.

 

[Old Ned]

Thanks for that - although I knew most of it

It was the date of build that interested me most. Does the '89' in the number mean just that and the '4' April? It doesn't have a pump peg (and I can't feel any evidence of there having been one) but does have the chain hanger. The 'plates' on top of the seat stays are plain.

I know I've probably read this somewhere ( :? ) but when did Worksop close and production move to Nottingham? Does the P after W refer to anything?

Questions, questions, always more questions.......................... :roll:

Sometimes there are more of them than there are answers.

I reckon there's a song in there somewhere

 

[OldTel]

Hi,
this may help, Terry

 

[roadking]

I know I've probably read this somewhere ( :? ) but when did Worksop close and production move to Nottingham? Does the P after W refer to anything? Questions, questions, always more questions.......................... :roll:

If I had a £1...Worksop closed in 1980.

Frame numbering/dating is misleading, I am always interested when comments are made as I've yet to marry them up with my two Raleighs - my numbers NEVER tally and I know when they were made as I had them from new.

So it might be 1989 or not...what is the tubing? Looks like it lacks a headbadge...what it has is considerably older in style than 1989 - it's early 1980s - but without a better image I'm guessing.

Did you already know that ?

Rk.

 

[1duck]

I picked this up yesterday - first Raleigh I've had for 50 years! - which has an 'eclectic' mix of components. It was the original owners training bike so he probably fitted all his second string parts cascaded down of his 'best' bike at the time. Campag Strada chainset 48/54 (he liked big gears!), Campag Record front and Nuovo Gran Sport rear mechs, Dura-Ace DT levers, Universal 68 calipers (nut fixed) with Galli levers, Record steel headset, Milremo grooved stem with GB engraved bars, Campag hubs on sprint rims with some very old tubs that still hold air. I'm a bit surprised to find that it does not have brazed on gear lever bosses even though it has brake cable guides on the top tube and below bracket cable routing (via stops though not grooved guides). The frame number is - WP1000489 4. Does this make it an April 1989 production? Any idea which factory? Any help on identifying it will be gratefully received.

It is really slightly to small for me (approx 55cm c-2-c) so not sure what to do with it in the long term.

God i hate having you living nearby, it makes me wonder if you are snapping up all the good stuff that could potentially have found it into my shed.

 

[roadking]

Hi,
this may help, Terry

Interesting...but doesn't help in this case it is pre (Worksop) closure.

So could for some be misleading, if they did not know Worksop closed in 1980.

Very useful would be a similiar document for the 1980s. Anyhow it fails to tally with my"W"prefixed Lightweight Unit bicycle.

Rk.

 

[roadking]

Questions, questions, always more questions.......................... :roll: Sometimes there are more of them than there are answers.

Off topic I know, but many years ago when I worked in the USA, I attended a training programme run by a guy (a Doctor) who trained NASA astronauts (including Neil Armstrong), and one of his favourite sayings was -"if you have more answers than questions; you're dead".

I know nothing .

Rk.

 

[Old Ned]

I picked this up yesterday - first Raleigh I've had for 50 years! - which has an 'eclectic' mix of components. It was the original owners training bike so he probably fitted all his second string parts cascaded down of his 'best' bike at the time. Campag Strada chainset 48/54 (he liked big gears!), Campag Record front and Nuovo Gran Sport rear mechs, Dura-Ace DT levers, Universal 68 calipers (nut fixed) with Galli levers, Record steel headset, Milremo grooved stem with GB engraved bars, Campag hubs on sprint rims with some very old tubs that still hold air. I'm a bit surprised to find that it does not have brazed on gear lever bosses even though it has brake cable guides on the top tube and below bracket cable routing (via stops though not grooved guides). The frame number is - WP1000489 4. Does this make it an April 1989 production? Any idea which factory? Any help on identifying it will be gratefully received.

It is really slightly to small for me (approx 55cm c-2-c) so not sure what to do with it in the long term.

God i hate having you living nearby, it makes me wonder if you are snapping up all the good stuff that could potentially have found it into my shed.

You have to meet the right people. I 'found' this by speaking to a guy with a well preserved Claud Butler steel lugged MTB when we met on a path. There then ensued a 20 min. conversation about bikes during which the existence of this bike came up. It originally belonged to a mutual friend but the then current owner hadn't ridden it for years. He lives locally so I went to see him and ended up buying it. It can be surprising what a friendly comment to a passing cyclist can bring even if he/she doesn't look like a 'real' cyclist.

On the other hand, even with thanks to Roadking and Old Tel, I'm still pondering its age. I'll have to contact it's 'original' owner' but he might have acquired it second-hand himself!

 

[daccordimark]

My 1982 Raleigh had top of the top tube brake cable brazings and under-bracket cable stops but band-on gear levers and bosses for a single bottle. Certainly by 1989 there would have been braze-ons for gear levers and two bottles. Also weren't they routing the rear brake cable on the lower left side of the top tube then? If not for Worksop closing in 1980 your serial number would mean a 1981 frame which seems to fit the visual appearance. It doesn't look like 1971.

Far be it from me to dispute RK's facts but this site states that Worksop closed in 1981 and that Raleigh carried on using the W prefix even then.

http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/details/dating.htm

Looks like a nice frame and only just too big for me!

Mark.