g-funk

This Raleigh is on ebay. I spoke to the seller today and he has been told that this bike isn't a Professional. It has been repainted. It looks pretty nice and is my size. I'm going to see it today. Any Idea's on what frame it might be? or any tips on how to tell. and please don't tell me to check sheldon's site.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=260206000970

nlerner

It's really hard to say from those limited pics. I'm going to guess it's something French. The partial wrap seat stays and long-point lugs look like the features on my St. Etienne (though my bike doesn't have chromed rear stays). Check on the dropouts. The components are decent enough, and worth the price if it doesn't climb much higher.

Neal

g-funk

campy dropouts. the guy who owns the bike used to own a bike shop in town, it has been hanging on the wall in the shop for years and he always thought it was a raleigh professional. it has the seat stays that wrap around the seat collar which I always thought was a raleigh trademark.

intheshop

The lugs, fork crown, and seatstays look like a Gitane to me, maybe a Super Corsa with the Campy dropouts. Check gitaneusa or classic rendezvous to compare.

dbakl

Not a Raleigh Professional, not sure its even a Raleigh!

big chainring 

I'm going to guess a Motobecane Le Champion. Looks alot like the one i had in 1974, but I had universal brakes.

cyclotoine

I'm going to guess lejeune... Kidding, I have no idea.

g-funk

so no raleigh means that there is no guarantee that there are 531 tubes under that paint. where as with most top tear raleighs you got a full 531 tube set it was just the butting that was different. I'll check it out and take some pics. should I just tell the guy to sell it to me for cash and not go through the hassle of taking a return on a French English imposter. Wasn't there a French King of England at one point? Maybe it's a Corky?

nlerner

If it has Campy dropouts front and rear, it's going to have a good quality tubeset. Check the size of the seatpost, as that'll tell you a lot about the kind of steel and origins. Let's hope for 27.2mm if you want it to be a Raleigh Pro.

Neal

John E

I would love to know the BB threading.

g-funk

I checked it out today and even took it for a little ride, until the rear tubular blew out. It is in OK shape but isn't a Professional, or a Raleigh. the parts have seen better days. the paint is a rather crappy re-paint. it had a cable hanger on the back that broke off, this lack of attention to detail leads me to believe that it in fact a french bike.

g-funk

I'm saying it's a Motobecane Le Champion. i compared it to pics I've seen online. I just bid that sucker up to 355.00, way out of the range of what I would want to pay for it. here are a couple of pics.

sciencemonster

Well said, old man! Let's meet at the club for a G&T later!

They don't allow those Foreign bikes in, at the club.

evictionsurplus

Up to $355. Eek!

Grand Bois

A broken Campagnolo derailer hanger makes it French?

dbarnblatt@usa.

Le Champions never had cable hangers... they all used the Campagnolo cable guides... one over the botton bracket and one close to the dropout on the driveside chainstay... so your "French" theory just went out the window.

Take a look at a Rene Herse if you really want to see that "lack of attention to detail" you speak of!

dbakl

By cable hanger you mean rear brake bridge/stop across the seatstays? But if it is a Le Champion that would be a pretty good find too.

g-funk

yes the brake cable stop is broken off. that makes it french, they hate to stop. it is a nice bike and had been stored well for years. the guy selling it is a real nice guy, he owned a family bike shop for years. he just thought it was a raleigh. the geometry on that bike is a little wierd. it felt like it had a high bb and a very long top tube, but it was light and in great shape besides the cable stop and the crappy repaint, the aluminum on the parts could use some love too.

dbakl

"yes the brake cable stop is broken off."

Not a big deal I'd think, and doesn't make it French; Raleighs had em too!. But yeah, Le Champions didn't have those.

nlerner

I think the beret and the whiff of fine cheese is what gives it away.

Neal

USAZorro

I don't believe it's a Raleigh Professional. Here's why I say no.

The 1969-70 Raleigh Professional was the only variation of that model that had wraparound stays.
The 1969-70 Raleigh Professional was not chromed.
The 1969-70 Raleigh Professional had the Cinelli style sloping crown, single piece fork.
The 1969-70 Raleigh professional had an arc above the rear brake bridge that supports the cable stop.

Three strikes and you're out.

It might be a nice bicycle, but it's not a Raleigh Professional.

phillyrider

It look's alot like a Motobecane - Although, I'm not sure which model.

Here a grand touring on e-bay as another reference

https://cgi.ebay.com/Motobecane-Grand...QQcmdZViewItem

retyred

Did you win the auction? If so we'll need lots of pictures. We love mystery bikes on this forum.

g-funk

How about a broken cable stop and french threads? does that make it french?

dbarnblatt@usa.

French threads make it french... broken cable stop alone determines nothing. You didn't mention the threading before. So now we know it's French and not a Motobecane... progress.