Classic & Vintage - Raleigh Super Course Questions

I'm wondering what size wrench is needed for the headset shown in the attached pictures. It is the stock headset that came on the bike, a 1984 Raleigh Racing USA Super Course. They are difficult to see in the pictures but there are two notches in it for a wrench. Does anyone know what brand/model headset is it?

Also, the brakes on it are labeld AC300G. Again, does anyone know what brand these are?

Thanks for any information.

Joe C.

I dunno anything about the headset - pretty cool, though. The brakes are probably Diacompe AeroCompe 300g brakes. Nice, kinda go with that sleek headset, no?

Thanks for the info on the brakes. Yeah, when I bought this in '85, I had never seen a bike quite like it. I grew up in a small town with no bike shops at all in it. The brakes, headset, and aero levers did give it quite a unique look, to me anyway, for the time.

Joe C.

I appears to require a spanner with 2 little slots on it. I have a park bottom bracket adjustable spanner that fits cheap bottom bracket adjustable cups. The spanner has yellow rubber on it and you can squeeze it in order to accommadate different widths. You might check third hand/loose screws for one of these or google for other suppliers of Park tools. Or check ebay, VAR made some really nice heavy duty spanners. I think you could even go to a good automotive tool store and find an adjustable tool that will do the job. Cal-Van makes some nice adjustable auto brake tools with different sized pins or slotted fittings to handle a variety of applications. That is a unique headset locknut, I've not seen one like that before.

My '84 Raleigh USA Competition features the same unique headset. I believe all the road-sport models in the 1984 line featured this headset (save for the Team Pro). See pic below.

Touring and sport-touring models had standard non-aero headsets.

Incedentally, I have yet to run into one of these Super Course models, and I've been quite curious as to what tubing type and arrangement they used. What does the Raleigh 555 sticker say (and does it state 555SL or just 555?)

Take care,

-Kurt

My Raleigh Racing USA Grand Prix sticker says 555SL. It has the same headset locknut also.

My Raleigh Racing USA Grand Prix sticker says 555SL. It has the same headset locknut also.

Ah - pardon me, just remembered that all the models had the SL-designated tubing. It's the distribution of the tubing which differed the frames from each other. Grand Prix used 555SL main-tubes only, if I recall correctly, and the Competition has the whole kitten kaboodle in 555SL.

I would assume the Super Course has 555SL main tubes and stays, but nothing else - this is the question which I wish to confirm.

-Kurt

Thats probably right. The Grand Prix is hanging in a corner of the garage thats hard to reach and the tubing sticker is covered with a frame pump so I will have to pull it down and inspect it closer when I get the chance. I need to record the serial# also to date the build year, although 1984 sounds about right.Thanks for defending the Grand Prix in the other Raleigh post.

Cudak -The sticker says "Raleigh 555SL Double butted main tubes" and "all tubes chrome moly". Nice Competition. I haven't seen, except in pictures, of any other Raleigh USA bikes from this year. There was a Grand Prix on Ebay recently. I sure do like the looks of them though.


Masi - Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out some places today.

I'm wondering what size wrench is needed for the headset shown in the attached pictures. It is the stock headset that came on the bike, a 1984 Raleigh Racing USA Super Course. They are difficult to see in the pictures but there are two notches in it for a wrench. Does anyone know what brand/model headset is it?

Also, the brakes on it are labeld AC300G. Again, does anyone know what brand these are?

Thanks for any information.

Joe C.
This link may help.
http://www.yellowjersey.org/agc.html
I have the exact same bike, except mine is (was) black. The tubing sticker on mine was 555SL (It came off when I stripped the bike), and the fork has a "Guaranteed built with 555SL fork blades" decal.

Duane - Thanks for the link. Those are the brakes I've got. I've never seen that website before. It'll give me something else to check out.

I removed the headset locknut and cleaned it up. It says "Levin Aero" on it. A Google search shows that it was manufactured by Tange. I'm heading out now to see if I can find a wrench to fit it.

Joe C.

Cudak -The sticker says "Raleigh 555SL Double butted main tubes" and "all tubes chrome moly". Nice Competition. I haven't seen, except in pictures, of any other Raleigh USA bikes from this year. There was a Grand Prix on Ebay recently. I sure do like the looks of them though.


Then the Super Course and Grand Prix share frames, and only the Competition featured full 555SL.

I assume that the Super Course was slightly better componentry-wise, and so was placed above the GP in the line.

The Grand Prix's red scheme is nice, but my all-time favorite are the Compeitition and the Super Course. The white/chrome and blue/chrome schemes are unmatched.

All the best,

-Kurt

I found a Park SPA-3 spanner wrench that is sooo close to fitting the lockring that I went ahead and bought it since it was only 4 bucks and no other place in town had anything close to it. I'll grind it down enough to fit. Probably won't be too easy though considering that it is tool steel but I'll give it a shot.

Cudak- My Super Course has Shimano 105 Gold Arrow shifters and front derailleur and a 105 (with a black arrow) rear derailleur. Do you know what brand/model cranks these had? They just have "Raleigh" (though you really can't see that on the picture) on them.

Joe C.

Cudak- My Super Course has Shimano 105 Gold Arrow shifters and front derailleur and a 105 (with a black arrow) rear derailleur. Do you know what brand/model cranks these had? They just have "Raleigh" (though you really can't see that on the picture) on them.

Joe C.

I would put a guess that the Raleigh-badged cranks are Suginos. My '84 Competition came with Sugino GLP crankarms and chainwheels, but no Raleigh badging was used on these parts. The '84 catelouge does show the same crank/chainring setup as you photographed for the Supercourse and Grand Prix.

Take care,

-Kurt

I found a Park SPA-3 spanner wrench that is sooo close to fitting the lockring that I went ahead and bought it since it was only 4 bucks and no other place in town had anything close to it. I'll grind it down enough to fit. Probably won't be too easy though considering that it is tool steel but I'll give it a shot.

Cudak- My Super Course has Shimano 105 Gold Arrow shifters and front derailleur and a 105 (with a black arrow) rear derailleur. Do you know what brand/model cranks these had? They just have "Raleigh" (though you really can't see that on the picture) on them.

Joe C.

isn't that an Ofmega crank?

I want a golden arrow RD. Someone give me.

In 1984 which was the top of the line raleigh?

Dang, way to dig up an ancient Thread!

Real (England) Raleigh or Huffy-Raleigh?

In 1984 which was the top of the line raleigh?

In the U.S., the Reynolds 753 tubed Raleigh USA Team.

Here's the lineup for '84:

Raleigh USA Team (Reynolds 753)
Raleigh USA Team (Reynolds 531)
Raleigh USA Team (Raleigh 555RSL)
Raleigh USA Prestige (Raleigh 555SL)
Raleigh USA Competition (Raleigh 555SL)
Raleigh USA Super Course (Raleigh 555SL)
Raleigh USA Grand Prix (Raleigh 555SL)

Below these fall the Sport models. The Touring models are not listed above - they fall into their own lineup and category.

-Kurt