Binky

My wife is still dragging old 10-speed bikes home and found these ones last night in the rain. There's always room for two more orphans. The woman she got them from said that they had not been ridden in many years and none of their kids wanted an old-fashioned bike.

They are both 1979 Grand Prix models (date-stamped Rigida rims on high-flange Normany alloy hubs) with Suntour alloy derailleurs, Dia Compe alloy brakes & levers, SR alloy crank arms, stem, post and handlebars, and have 60cm Raleigh proprietary 20-30 balanced tube frames with wrap-around seat stays. Maillard quick release skewers all around.

Made in Canada - but identical to the British models in the 1979 catalog.

Hummer

Hey Binky,

thanks for posting all the pictures.

I have one of these, but not in such good condition.

You can get the year of frame manufacture from the serial number. The serial number should be on the back of the seat tube, under the seat.

The Grand Prix was Suntour equipped. There was another Canadian model, the Criterium, same frame I think except no braze-ons. The Criterium was Shimano 600 equipped.

juvela

thanks for sharing these two cream puffs Binky!

most forum participants have spouses who are trying to keep additional bicycles OUT of the house. no doubt they are envious of your situation...

did canada have an actual raleigh manufacturing plant at this time?

i ask because at this time raleigh had an assembly facility in the u.s. located in oklahoma. it did not manufacture but did assembly of frames and parts sent from the u.k.

thanks for any information.

Binky

Yep. She's a keeper.

Raleigh Canada was VERY active here, making bikes under their own name and also making them for various department stores. Venture was a big name for Raleigh bikes. There were several different markings to indicate country of origin. See attached pix. Older bikes were stencilled with the "Made in Canada by Raleigh Industries" decals. Later bikes just got a little white Made in Canada sticker ../.. and eventually they stopped putting the Nottingham badges on the bikes and put on a badge that said Raleigh Canada instead.

The frames for a LOT of them came from the Carlton shop in Worksop, England.

The bikes made for department stores (that did not have the Raleigh name on them) all had a distinct label in English and French indicating that the frames were Brazed High Tensile Steel.... See last picture.

Strangely enough, almost all of the bikes sold by Timothy E. Eaton in Canada were from England.

juvela

Thank you very much for this information Binky!

Much appreciated.

Hummer

Raleigh began the production of bicycles at its manufacturing facility in Waterloo, Quebec in 1973. The head office was in Oakville Ontario. The serial numbers of the bicycles from this facility usually start with the letter "R".

This facility was closed in 2014, if I am not mistaken.

juvela

Thank you Hummer!

Had a "MADE IN IRELAND" Raleigh come through my workshop as asked about it here on the forum and so learned of the Raleigh facility in Dublin.

Now I have learned of the one in Canada.

Fine information!

Binky

Yes.

And somewhere around the house, although I can't find it right now, I know I have a Raleigh with a similar seat tube label to the Canadian "Made in Canada by Raleigh Industries" decals that indicates that the bike was built by Raleigh in Holland.

Add that to the list....

Binky

juvela

well now, we KNOW who that would have been, a certain herbivore of the deer family, occasionally known by the first name Thompson...

Binky

You mean.....

Thompson Impala ???

Binky

juvela

Binky, you have it; that famous Chevrolet!

Did not know they sold that model in Mapleleaf Terra.