I don't mean to bore you all to death, but I like to research each of my acquisitions, and I thought I should share this little bit of Raleigh esoteria with you. One of my winter projects is a red Raleigh Super Course that I'm rebuilding: It's a Carlton 531 frame with fancy Capella lugs (just like my green 1973 SC). Apart from a general overhaul, I'm replacing the Huret DR's, and swedged steel Nervar Sport cotterless crank with a Shimano Ultegra 6400 crank and matching DR's. -I would have left it all alone, but the crank had become UN-swedged, and had to be addressed somehow. (I may attempt welding it at a later date, but for now I'll take the opportunity to shave a few pounds).
The bike also came with a nice B-17 saddle, and a pair of Mavic tubular rims, but I have a pair of
27" Arayas clincher rims I can substitute. It has long reach Weinmann front and rear brake calipers, though purportedly the original issue was short reach.
The bike is pretty clean but the paint shows some honest use, and the gold-painted lettering is
faded: However - on the top tube, I can still discern the script, "Super Course TT".
This "TT" designation piqued my curiosity, so I Googled around a bit, and soon came across this
catalog entry from 1973:
- So evidentally, my "TT" Super Course originally came with tubulars! - Whether the Mavics were later substitutions for the specified Sprint rims is IMHO, a moot point, since it might have depended on availability at the time.
The other thing that was interesting about this bike is that it bears a "Mike Walden's Racing Bicycles" sticker, from Hazel Park, MI.
Mike Walden was an important figure in bicycle racing in the Motor City. The Dorais velodrome was built for the 1969 nationals by Mike Walden and the Wolverine Sports Club, on land donated by Chrysler Corporation. It was used up until 1986. A new velodrome has been since been built in nearby Rochester MI.:
See the old Dorais Velodrome below... Do you suppose this red Raleigh bike might have visited here a few times back in 1973 ?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...m=1&iwloc=addr
