Originally Posted by
dddd
I like the look of these old Raleighs, even as both of my own GS bikes (made a couple of years apart) feature some really bad frame craftsmanship.
I always liked the look of the cranks on these bikes, the Nervar is technically better because the guard disc doesn't push the right crankarm way out like the model 93's does.
This one was perhaps only the fourth vintage bike that I ever resurrected (out of hundreds by now). I still remember riding it into work and showing it off, looking like new and sporting a stealthy "Ultra-6" type freewheel that I made from a Dura-Ace 7s freewheel (I had to seal off the outer bearing with an O-ring since I left off the smallest, externally-threaded cog). It had a poorly-aligned fork that required two aspects of correction to both center the tire under the crown and make the bike ride straight.
Great description and my Grand Sports shares many of the attributes. Several gaps in joinery. The head lugs are really roughly brazed. The brake cable stop for the rear brake is to low. And my fork needs some tweaking, the wheel sits oddly and there is a bit of pull, though I can ride it no hands with a bit of butt english.
With all its shortcomings in construction it still has a nice ride. Floats down the road like a 531 bike should. What started out as a short shakedown ride ended up being 20 miles. And other than adjusting the saddle once, the bike was solid. Brakes, derailleurs all adjusted just the way I like them.
Oddly, in greasing the BB, I found the bike has a Stronglight BB in conjunction with the Nervar crank. Wonder how that combo came to be. Whether it cane from Raleigh that way, or was the crank replaced at some time.