Classic & Vintage - Dumpstered raleigh

Just wondering if anyone could shed some more light on this Raleigh "grand prix" me and theonemanbukake found last night. Is it really as nice as it looks? Fully lugged and wrap around rear stays scream keeper but she will take some love, just wondering what you guys think. Also whats the "GB" on the stem for?

GB = Great Britain (probably)

Also whats the "GB" on the stem for?
Gerry Burgess- I think it's actually Gerry Burgess Cycle Components Ltd., but not absolutely sure. Pretty decent stuff, anyway. I really like GB stems & bars. I've got some GB brakes waiting to go on a bike, but haven't ever tried 'em....They look good.

Are the bars GB also?What brakes did you get?

Those bars probably "plain wrap" GB; no logo or engraving. I've only seen the engraved ones on Raleigh Pros.

The wraparound stays make me think it's Gazelle-built; anybody know if any of the English ones had them?

Both my Grand Prix's have build years stamped into their head tubes... does yours?

this is a '72 or '73; they came in candy red or candy green these years. The components are all original as far as I can tell from the photos. I had one that I rode the crap out of for 10 years; it was my first real bicycle. They are good, albeit heavy, riders. The rims were pretty much crap and the simplex prestige shifters weren't so good, but overall it provided very good service...I eventually upgraded to a supercourse when I started racing, and it's been steadily downhill from there.

oh, and the I'm pretty sure that the Gazelle ones didn't say Birmingham, England on the headtube badge. Does this one?

oh, and the I'm pretty sure that the Gazelle ones didn't say Birmingham, England on the headtube badge. Does this one?

I recently found a good home for an English-built 1978 GP with wraparound stays just like those. We can speculate all we want, but the proof is in the serial number.

I was quite surprised at how light the one I'd found was. If you change out the wheels and the crankset, you can end up with a 23 lb bike, even with the 20-30 tubing. Certainly not the best there is, but quite passable.

Z

Luker's got the date right. All GPs up until '78 had the wraparound seatstay, no matter if they were built in England or the Netherlands. And both said 'Nottingham' on the headstock badge.

USAZorro's correct on the weight, too. Here's a '71 I just rebuilt with a Sugino crankset and alloy wheels; comes in at 22 lbs.

http://home.comcast.net/~mswantak/wsb/media/1477/site1378.jpg

I recently found a good home for an English-built 1978 GP with wraparound stays just like those. We can speculate all we want, but the proof is in the serial number.

I was quite surprised at how light the one I'd found was. If you change out the wheels and the crankset, you can end up with a 23 lb bike, even with the 20-30 tubing. Certainly not the best there is, but quite passable.

Z

...Except that neither of my two '73s that were built in Holland have the G serial number I'd been told was a failsafe indicator of a Gazelle bike. Is there another way to tell based on serial? Mine are stickered with a Gazelle decal, so I'm pretty certain of their origins.

Agreed on the weight thing. I was shocked how light they turned out to be, sans cottered crank and steel wheels!

Thanks, all, for the info on the seatstays; the british-built one without wraparounds must be newer than I'd thought!

I don't think Raleigh started using that serial-numbering method until '74.

Where is it stamped on the head tube? Is it by the entire year ("1973") or simply "73"?

Just "73". I initially thought it might be a part number or something, but later found other components on my bikes dated to 73 as well. So, maybe a coincidence, but I think it's a date ;)

Hmmmmm. Mine says "73" on the head tube as well. I will check for a serial number tonight and see if I can confirm the date of manufacture.

Hmmmmm. Mine says "73" on the head tube as well. I will check for a serial number tonight and see if I can confirm the date of manufacture.

That '73 refers to the head tube angle. Somewhere else on the frame will be an actual serial number. Some places to check - the seat tube, the bottom bracket, the chain stay.

Serial number is on the bottom bracket, and is 4P3686, I think. Any way to correlate it to the date of manufacture? It is probably a low end model, and has "Raleigh 410" steel tubes, whatever those are. The crest in front says "Raleigh Company of America".

Aaaahhhh; that would make it '79 or later.

As for the serial numbers on older Grand Prix, they're on the left rear dropout, and I haven't been able to glean any meaning from them. The number on my '68 is 119221, and the '71's is 251601.

Serial number is on the bottom bracket, and is 4P3686, I think. Any way to correlate it to the date of manufacture? It is probably a low end model, and has "Raleigh 410" steel tubes, whatever those are. The crest in front says "Raleigh Company of America".

I presume that would be 1984. Not sure of your model though.

I built my fiance a nice Mixte raleigh, switching the cranks and wheels to alloy, plus some North Road bars and I was very impressed how light it turned out. Don't know how much, but makes for an elegant and enjoyably cycle.

g' luck w/ yers.

re: serial numbers
i've just picked up a super course and am trying to date it. i saw another thread that had some information but this serial number location and sequencing here is similar to my super course. the number is on the left rear dropout and is a 6 digit number 165168. have you been able to find out any signifigence to these numbers?

If the paint and components are original you've got a better chance dating it from those. The only components that actually have a date stamped on them are the bottom bracket spindle, and the front derailleur (if it's a Simplex Prestige).

Where's the date stamped on Simplex FDs? I've not seen that...

Underside of the main body. Something like:

1
72