Raleigh 853 frame?

[The Magpie]

Hi,

I decided carbon frames weren't for me so returned to steel and had the fortune to acquire this Raleigh Reynolds 853 bike.

Is anyone able to tell me anything about it? It seems similar to R700 models I have found pictures of, though none with this paint job which is a kind pearlescent white. It may not be the original paint, particularly as the Raleigh badge is a sticker not the normal metal badge. It has an 853 sticker on the base of the seat tube, a teardrop shaped downtube and the serial number K37151 stamped into the bottom bracket shell. I has a carbon fork of unknown make, and I don't know if that is original or not, and a number hanger under the top tube.

And that is all I know, can anyone tell me more? Is there anywhere I can look up that serial number to get more info? Thank for any help.

Tom

 

[MrW]

Raleigh R800 by the look of it

 

[The Magpie]

Re:

Thanks MrW.Do you know much about them? Google isn't helping much, all it seems to come up with is American versions made out of Columbus steel.

Was it a standard model or made to order? I don't think it's a Raleigh Special Products job because as far as I can tell those had serial numbers beginning with SP.

 

[Osella]

Re:

SBDU had different frame numbers, but those starting with just a letter, then numbers are RSP frames from 1990-2000.
'K-reg' is 99/00, but the rest of the numbers were just taken in sequence, rather than having day/month/shift etc. The 853's were pearlescent white with the yellow/red flame paint job in the main (like so):

so yes, looks like a possible repaint as it's got the wrong decal font for the era and no RSP headbadge.
I think (from some hunting) that they changed the tubing profile from '99 on to this 'fatter' tubing for the R700's (The R800 was the Titanium version).

Special order frames will have the framebuilder's initials stamped into the frame under the BB as well, so it's not one of those unless it has that?
What you can guarantee is that it was handbuilt in Nottingham by a master builder.

 

[The Magpie]

Re:

Hi Osella, thanks for the info. I was just reading about the serial numbers on other threads and came to roughly that conclusion, so good to have it confirmed.

Definitely no other stamps visible apart from the number.

Almost glad it's probably not very original so I can do what I like to it without worrying about historical detail!

Do think I'll have to try and find an RSP badge for it though that may prove tricky.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Osella]

Re:

No probs, try a hunt on eBay, it's possible you might find something there. You can also reasonably easily pick up decals in the correct font for the era too - all the RSP bikes had wonderful paint, but the decals were all just stuck on - so you'd be doing nothing wrong grabbing a set of stickers

 

[NeilM]

Re: Re:

SBDU had different frame numbers, but those starting with just a letter, then numbers are RSP frames from 1990-2000.
'K-reg' is 99/00, but the rest of the numbers were just taken in sequence, rather than having day/month/shift etc. The 853's were pearlescent white with the yellow/red flame paint job in the main (like so):

so yes, looks like a possible repaint as it's got the wrong decal font for the era and no RSP headbadge.
I think (from some hunting) that they changed the tubing profile from '99 on to this 'fatter' tubing for the R700's (The R800 was the Titanium version).

Special order frames will have the framebuilder's initials stamped into the frame under the BB as well, so it's not one of those unless it has that?
What you can guarantee is that it was handbuilt in Nottingham by a master builder.

The frame in your post is a 1999 / 2000 Raleigh 853 (you can just see the sticker on the top tube). The 853 was the same frameset at the R700, but was sold as a frameset only either with curved steel forks or with straight carbon forks.

The frameset in the picture was actually sold with curved forks to and employee of the factory and the K numbered frames were some of the very last frames made in the UK.

I know all this, because the bike in that picture is mine!

Magpie, if you want some downtube decals like the ones on my frame, contact Gil_M on here, as he made those from a scan I was given of an original factory decal.

They are a really nippy bike to ride, not particularly forgiving, but fast. I still have the frameset, although it is not currently in use.

 

[Osella]

Re:

Hey Neil, knew you'd had one - hence looking up the picture!
So essentially the R700 was a bike, and the 853 was a frameset, but the same frame? Makes sense as it's only a sticker change!
It's odd, as there's some 1999 R700's with the 'skinny' 853 tubeset and some 1999 R700s with the fatter 853 tubeset, but I don't know in what year those specific frames were physically manufactured.

I've got a couple of the 853 MTB's, both identical one J-reg, one K-reg. Seems from everything I can find out that the 2000 RSP range, frames etc were the same specs & colours as the 1999 range. Bikemeister put up a lot of info about the 99 bikes a while back, but not seen anything specifically about the 2000 range, so serials seem to be the only major difference.

 

[NeilM]

Yup, as far as I am aware (that's my behind covered) the R700 was a complete bike and the 853 was a frameset only and that came from Bikemeister, who was production manager at the time.

 

[The Magpie]

Hi guys, just the sort of info I was after, thanks.

The decals you got NeilM, I presume that's just the wording, the flames are part of the paint job? How much were they?