I have seen this color scheme, but, for the life of me, I cannot identify the model with online sources...help!

What model is this? I am thinking a Record...but...

Some characteristics

(1) Stem Shifters
(2) Turkey Wing Brake Levers
(3) Centerpull brakes
(4) VG-T Luxe "Raleigh" branded RD
(5) Suntour FD

Few pictures...

Looks a lot like the Record I scored for free except for the rear brake cable stop.....

[edit]: might be one up as yours has quick release and mine does not.

I think it's a Grand Prix from around 1979 or 1980.

Agree - its in this catalog: https://threespeedhub.com/wp-content/...og-1980-US.pdf

Hmmm...maybe...still waiting on others to join...I ahve looked and looked...nothing really aligns

Looks like a 1977 Grand Prix

Raleigh Bicycle Catalog for 1977

Looks like a late 70s / 80s Grand Prix because of the paint scheme and the fork chrome. The rear brake bridge and decals are different from what I've seen here in Australia as we got the model straight out of the catalogue. Maybe it's an export model to what country I don't know sorry.

Raleigh Grand Prix - 79, probably.

The 80 catalog is a bit of a mystery to me - but that's the year when the lights went out for me, so not too surprising that there's stuff there I don't remember. I do recognize my 'work' (I set up bikes at the photo shoots, etc) and I recognize one of the human models (he was an employee).

What a legacy!

Stub seat stay ends, not like any Grand Prix I have ever seen, which generally feature Carlton style wrap around seat stay ends. I would say it's a 1979/80 Record.

I think a few "Super" Grand Prix's snuck in, but those stubby seat stays look Record to me.

1979 Raleigh Record ACE in "Space Blue" or a Record FFS/PPS in "Horizon" Blue.

https://www.kurtkaminer.com/1979raleighcat_us_14_lg.jpg

Definitely not a Grand Prix.

OK, a couple things, having looked at all the photos:

1. Does the head badge say 'Nottingham England'?
2. I don't remember how the serial number system worked, but it will give the location, month and date of manufacture
3. I agree, the seat stay cluster doesn't look 'Carlton'
4. The seatpost - I don't recollect anything but steel being used... Maybe changed when saddle changed (I don't believe it to be original)
5. Front reflector is correct, rear reflector is not.

Carlton bikes like Grand Prixs have the wraparound seat stays at the seat cluster area, how ironic, it looks like a GP per paint.

But the paint job is just like one of those GP paint jobs:



Which has the wraparound stay, the above bike does not.

Raleigh Gran Prixs had chrome tipped forks adding to the mystery, Records generally did not have that, except maybe that one odd ball year.

I'd ask the OP if the bike is weighty or light, maybe it is an even higher level Raleigh somehow.

That was my thought too. But look at the seat tube with the Raleigh decal and different light blue band configuration. Hard to tell from the images but doesn't look high end to me. The paint scheme is late 70s-early 80s. Rampar? Japanese frame?

Quick release hubs. Not a Record; or at least t the wheels are not Record wheels. I would believe Grand Prix.

Off topic but just bought a NOS seat pillar like that one for my Grand Prix. That combined with some Weinmann 70s full guards will make it a nice all weather rider.

Looks like my 76 Grand Prix but mine has a wraparound seat stays

I agree--likely a late 70s Raleigh Record Ace.

Thanks Neal,

I'll see if I can lay out some details, not an expert by any reach but I do have two Record's, four Grand Prix's and several other period Raleigh's.

The Grand Prix grew out of a model produced by Carlton, (Whom Raleigh acquired about 1960) It filled the slot of an affordable ten-speed. While many early Grand Prix's were produced by Carlton, they would later be made in Nottingham, by Gazelle in Holland and by Raleigh Canada.

All Raleigh Grand Prix's made before the break up of the company in the 1980's (Except "Super" Grand Prix's) share the wrap around seat stay treatment inherited from Carlton.

The Record slotted under the Grand Prix, shared it's Tru-Wel or 20-30 hi-ten tubeset and similar-ish geometry but always had the blunt seatstay treatment.

In the late 70's Raleigh started to phase out French components in favor of Suntour/SR parts and eventually the Record/Grand Prix received similar Suntour/SR equipment. At some point, other than minor and easily swappable parts the only major difference became the seatstay treatment and the name. And in classic Raleigh tradition, they would, might and did just use whatever they came across in the inventory.

In conclusion, and thanks for the rant. Despite whatever alloy parts it might have been shipped with, if it has those blunt seatstay ends, it was born as a Record, most likely in Nottingham.

P.S. Some "Super" GP's have the wrap around Seatstay treatment, and some have tapered seatstay's. But none of them look like the very distinctive "Record" style seatstay.


1981 "Super Record"


https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_Raleigh_Cat_81_8n9.html

I can see how we want to exclude it being a Gran Prix on the basis of the seat stays but on the other hand, I'd think one would look long and hard to find a Raleigh Record or Super Record with the color scheme as with this frame, that is what is puzzling. There you have the light band. I'm not seeing these on the Records at that.

This adds to the interest some, a Raleigh Gran Sport:



And now I am winging this a bit but if one goes to the page and looks at with zoom, I'd say it has "blunt seat stays"

Raleigh Gran Sport - Cardinal Bike Shop in Palo Alto, California, Stanford area

In fact, I think the seat stays are a match.

The fork is new chrome it looks like, I will look for more later; shifters on the stem.

Well I am kinda speechless at that one, but it looks like you found a match.

More Raleigh weirdness. That's a Gran Sport version I have never seen. A Gran Sport with stem shifters.....


.....And there is the G.S. in the '81 Catalog, same page as the Super Record, and available in Double blue. Stem shifters and centerpull calipers. Bet it is the same frame as the Record.

I happily stand corrected, and I learned something.

I've seen a few Gran Sports but they are a lot rarer than Gran Prixs and Records.



Ed H?s Raleigh Gran Sport | Old Ten Speed Gallery

Now this is getting a bit more complex, does it have Nottingham on the badge because I vaguely remember some Gran Sports were Japanese made and voila; a thread talking about this.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ran-sport.html
(and other threads)

But who knows the year now, which brings us to another point, serial number?

Did Records ever come with a brazed-on rear cable stop?

I thought from looking at the catalog that the very late RRA and Super Record did, but I may be wrong.