Raleigh Team Banana

[GT-Steve]

Well, what can I say???
My first ever 'proper' bike, bought new (from Raleigh dealer Connells in Havant) when I was about 13 or something like that I absolutely loved this bike, put thousands of miles on it, in fact I was never off of it.......

After a couple of years I think my legs outgrew it as there was an almighty 'SNAP' as I was pumping a big gear uphill and on greater inspection I'd broken a chainstay at the bottom bracket point

A few 'phonecalls ' later, to Raleigh direct and I'd managed to secure a brand new replacement frame - Result.

Then I discovered Mountain biking, and the poor Banana was just relegated to the back of the garage.

Years and years of neglect ensued for the poor Banana and eventually my parents took the F+F up the local tip :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Turn the clock forward a 'few ' years and I'm busy minding my own business when I receive a pm out of the blue from a memeber on here called Blindside, offering me a replacement Banana FOC :shock: :shock:

So today, I was finally reunited with my first bike, that set me off on the cycling scene Meeting Blindside in the flesh, the guys a definite star, full of enthusiasm for retroness and a real genuine guy - can't really thank him enough

So here she is, complete with 'Paul Sherwin' signature

Hope you guys like it.

 

[fingers]

Gorgeous...

I too started on a raleigh banana... Although mine never broke, and I rode it across fields, bridleways, roads, everywhere! I treated it more like a cyclocrosser, and so my next bike was a mountain bike.

 

[legrandefromage]

this one was a tip find:

 

[GT-Steve]

Gorgeous...

I too started on a raleigh banana... Although mine never broke, and I rode it across fields, bridleways, roads, everywhere! I treated it more like a cyclocrosser, and so my next bike was a mountain bike.

cheers fingers

sounds a bit like the abuse mine had

once I'd discovered mtb'ing I used to practice jumps, bunny hops, and yeah definitely spent some time offroading it.

 

[GT-Steve]

this one was a tip find:

a cracking tip-find do you still own it? And if so, do you know what make/model the brake levers are as I'd like to source the correct ones

 

[fingers]

Mine came with weinmann brake levers, with extensions to use on the tops, and the drops too. I think the ones on yours are correct. Black bar tape and amberwall tyres and youre there. Happy memories.

 

[GT-Steve]

Mine definitely had the same b/levers as LGF's there^^^ I know this to be a fact as I'm not a fan of the other type at all

You mentioned cyclocross up there as well^^^^^^ I remember the Banana's being used for this BITD, but can't rememeber if it was this version or the later version, and I can't remember who it was that used to race them in the cyclocross now, either.

More research needed now, methinks

 

[fingers]

Maybe the specs altered... I hated my rattly levers, and who needs the bit on the tops when youre 14 and go everywhere at top speed on the drops!!!

IIRC there was another banana team bike, was it falcon???

 

[GT-Steve]

Can't remember who made the later team bike, I remember it being more white than this one, I believe there was a higher spec to the one I had as well, which was stupid money at the time.

I've just managed to dig a very embarrasing pic of me as a 13yr old out, on the day I got mine for my birthday......

No way I'm gonna post a pic of it up here, but I'll be using it to get things 'right'

 

[fingers]

This is the other one, IIRC:

http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/blog/wp-c ... banana.jpg