TugaDude

Picked up a dream bike yesterday. This is a NOS Raleigh Gran Tour, made at the Carlton plant in either '83 or '84. I will post the serial number when I get it home, I'm still out of town.


The bike is a beautiful black metal flake color with gold head tube and other accents. Chrome is perfect, paint without a single scratch. Reynolds 531 too.

I'm wondering what size seat post it takes. I'm guessing 27.2 but haven't tried. I've searched several threads here and on other sites. It was apparently an "off the peg" bike for Raleigh and sold as frameset only.

It is minty, gorgeous and now it's mine! I've had good finds before but this is the best.

Any information is welcome. If you ride one, tell me how it rides and whether the specs match my frame. Thanks!

Michael Angelo 

I'm a bit of Raleigh Fan my self , that frame looks beautiful. You have to post pictures of it when you're done. On that seat post, if you don't know what size it is, find an LBS that has a seat post sizing tool.

If it was mine, I would put a Modern Campy 11 speed group on it.

Grand Bois

Three tubes and fork 531?

jebensch

You tease, you. Throw some pictures at us, pronto.

Charles Wahl

This is the "touring" analogue to the Gran Course frame I bought in '85 (and still have, though it's retired from the road). If you check the catalogs at Mark Bulgier's site, I think he has one showing this and the GC -- it's a 1984 "Racers" catalog, and the framesets are shown on the last page (15). Raleigh had begun subcontracting frames in Japan around that time, and the "Competition" and "International" marques went thattaway -- so for domestic production, they came up with the Grans, having "W" serial numbers, and fabricated at the Ilkeston plant. I have the catalog I bought my frame from, showing the GT and GC, with specs, from Michael's Cyclery in Ames IA (still exists AFAIK), which was the vendor for the Raleigh USA team then. Same catalog has the Japanese Competition and International MkII for the same price. The frames cost about $225 (Professional was $350). Full 531 tubeset, taking 27.2 seatpost. 73 deg HT and ST, with Vagner fork crown and SunTour dropouts for this bike, I believe.

jon c. 

I have an 84 which appears to be a Super Pro per that catalog (although w/ the 'Connie Carpenter' paint scheme) that also bears a sticker from Michaels. I thought it had just passed through there at some point in it's existence, but might now suspect they originally sold the frameset.

TugaDude

Charles, you are right on the mark, right down to the original price. The original owner said he bought it from a dealer in Iowa and that it was $225.00 but he couldn't remember the name of the dealer.

As you can see in the one pic of the whole frame, the dropouts and fork ends were wrapped in thin paper strips and they have wood blocking wedged inbetween for protection. The headset has no name on it, but the owner said he thought it was probably Japanese. I'm guessing Tange, but not certain.

I'm glad to hear that it will take a 27.2 seatpost. The reason I didn't know is that I had it in the back of my SUV and no way of measuring it. Now that I'm home I'm going to put a post in and check it. I have an almost NOS fluted SR post that will work for now. I will post my own pics, but for now I'll post the rest of the ones that the original owner had taken.

TugaDude

I believe the entire thing is 531. The three main tubes say double butted 531c and the forks 531. Rear triangle, not certain, but Charles indicated that it is 531 also.

TugaDude

More photos:

clubman 

What a choice find!

I'm surprised it has a clamp-on shifter stop instead of braze ons. It's an '84 classic retro design.

TugaDude

I agree, I was surprised. It shares some similarities with my Carlton Criterium, no surprise because the Carlton was a 1979, only about 4 years older.
The original owner had it in a heavy plastic bag sitting in his living room for almost 30 years. He is a very nice man and used to be a very active road biker and belonged to a cycling club. He can't ride anymore due to health reasons. He also has a couple of old Paramount frames, probably '70s the way they looked. Chrome lugs looked excellent but paint was sketchy. He's not looking to sell those just yet.

TugaDude

Update: a 27.2 post definitely fits. I noticed a small burr in the seat tube so I'll file that down before using Framesaver on it.

Charles Wahl

Your Reynolds sticker on the seat tube says "Fork blades, stays and butted frame tubes". The headset listed in the Raleigh catalog is a Tange "CMA 60" which I've never heard of. The frameset I ordered from IA came without a headset, as I remember.

TugaDude

You are correct again. I haven't had time to do much with the frame yet and didn't notice the detail on the sticker. Do you have pics of your Raleigh from Ames? I'd like to see it!

TugaDude

Just went over to Velobase.com and they have a Tange MA-60 headset listed. Might be the same. Says it is steel and a Stronglight copy. The previous owner says he believes that they headset was just put on to have a way to keep the set together. From what you are saying it sounds like maybe it came from Raleigh that way.

Don't know if I will use it or not. There are other options out there, but Tange has always held up well for me. I think I'll clean and regrease all of the bearings and ride it awhile.

Charles Wahl

https://www.flickr.com/photos/1317574...7602038790012/ Bike as i built it, and rode it off and on for 25 years
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1317574...7627643881549/ The bare frame, disassembled

TugaDude

Very nice! I noticed yours has different dropouts. Gran Tour and Gran Course were very similar (appear to be same lugs) but I guess they had their unique characteristics as well. Thanks for sharing!

rhif7

Wow, can't believe you found one new! I picked up a unknown Raleigh 531c Frame on eBay for £50. I set about trying to find out what bike it was to start refurbing it. Eventually after ages on the net, I discovered it was a Gran Tour 1984, Raleigh lightweight divisions off the peg frame (The decal was missing on the bike!) Unfortunately the paint work was pretty poor so I decided to strip and respray it myself. Decals where unfortunately not all replaceable but I got what I could from H Lloyd Cycles, then built the bike up with parts of the same era as the frame, 1984. Most of the parts I got from ebay or robbed of the raleigh record, plus Hilary Stone and Campyoldy. Love the finished look, think The Gran Tour is a stunning frame, certainly garners a lot of attention out on the road! Anyway here's how I spec'd it:

Frame: Raleigh Gran Tour Reynolds 531C –Raleigh Lightweight Division 1984
Hubs: Campagnolo Record Large Flange
Rims: Mavic M40
Tyres: Continental GP Attack & Force
Freewheel: Regina ORO 13-26T, Gold
Crankset: Sugino GP 52/36, Gold
Pedals: Look PP 76 Carbon
BB: Campagnolo Record (With Sugino 126mm Spindle)
Chain: Regina ORO, Gold
Derailleurs: Campagnolo Super Record
Shifters: Campagnolo Super Record Pantographed
Brake Levers: Mafac Spidel, Gold
Brakes: Mafac Competition Front, 2000 Rear, Gold
Brake Cables: Animal Illegal Linear Brake Cable, Gold
Seat Post: Miche Aero
Saddle: San Marco Rolls
Head Set: Cambio Rino 1”
Stem: Cinelli XA
Bars: SR Road Champion
Bar Tape: Brooks Leather
Bottle Cage: Cobra, Gold
Size, Weight: Frame size; Center BB – Top Tube 22 ½“. Weight; 23.6lb



Here's a URL for the Album:
https://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o...20Tour%20531C/

ftwelder

^^^^^^ stunning!


nice score to the OP!